Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-03-11
DOT HRMILTON'S DREAM.


GONE, Dot" called her mother. * 1t is
more than half an hour"
Oh! mamma, faint more'n forty
minutes. That clock is just as slow as
ever can be" answered Dot, with q dole
full face.
"Dotty," said Mrs. Hamilton, sternly,
"don't let me have to speak to you
again"
So Dot left her heap Of shells and mud
pies and her little playmate and came
slowly into the house.
eco up to the nursery and ask Susan
| to wash you and brush your hair" said
her mother. "Then come down and l
will have everything ready FOR you"
In few minutes Miss Dot was under
the skillful hands of Susan, her nurse
"Susan," she said, "I don't care how
long you take to curl my hair today
You can take six hours, if you like; be-
cause, Susan, when it is done l have got
something very ungreeable to do. l
have got to write letter to my grand
ma"
"Why, Dot Hamilton!" cried Susan.
You don't mean to say you think it is
disagreeable 70 write to your dear, good
grandma who sent you that beautiful
locket and chain?"
"She is dear, good grandma; but it
is ungreeable to write to her" said Dot,
"c&use writin' is so hard. You jest have
to hold the pen so in your hand, Susan"
and Dot pinched her thumb and forefn-
ger together and put her hand up for
Susan to see, nearly putting her eye out
as she did it.
ooh! please 'scuse me, Susan. [ did
not know you kept your eye so near"
said Dot, penitently But you have to
hold the pen so, then the ink splatters
all over the paper, and oh! it's dreadful,
it's dreadful to write letters. When my
papa is the President mean to get him
to make laws SO people won't have to
write letters"
There, now, you look as fresh as a
rose," said Susan, tying Dots sash; and
you had better go and write your letter
anu nave 1t over.
Mamma" said Dot, coming into her
mothers room, Pm ready, and s'pose
I'll have to do it,"
What do you think grandma would
say if she knew in what d spirit you
wrote to herr" asked Mrs Hamilton,
gravely.
II 'spose she'd say: I'D rather Dot
would not write at all than write with
such feelings as that" said Dot, looking
up earnestly, as if she hoped her mother
would let her off,
But no, she was doomed to write that
letter Mrs. Hamilton laid clean sheet
of paper and nicely-sharpened pencil on
the table.
CHOW have to go down to the ktch-
en-" she said, land l hope to see a
beautifully-written letter when I come
up. Go and see what time it is, Dot; ;
tell me just how the hands of the clock
are" For Dot had not learned to tell the
time, and when Mrs. Hamilton was in a
hurry she would send her to see how the
hands of the clock were, and could Judge
from that of the time.
cone is sticking right straight out"
said Dot, coming back, land the other is
kind of sideways. They look just like
piece Of pie. Not big piece, like you
give papa; just q little piece, like you
give me when it's rich"
a quarter past four" said Mrs. Ham
ilton, smiling, for she had learned to IN
derstand Dots expressions. Then she
went away, leaving Dot perched up in a
chair and screwing her dimpled face into
all sorts of FUCKERS over her letter.
She wrote away for little while, then
she stopped, then she wrote a little more,
then she stopped again, and SO on till
one page was nearly filled with funny,
sprawling words.
"Think it's time to take good long
stop now," she said to herself-and fold
ing her arms upon the table she laid her
curly head upon them, and the next
thing she knew-or, rather, did not
know-was that she was fast asleep and
dreaming.
You may be sure that she did not
know it was a dream or she would not
have had such fright as she did
She thought she had just finished her
letter when who should walk into me
room but Grandma Hamilton, the very
person to whom she was writing.