The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
BRAVE LITTLE NANNY.
BY SOPHIE MAY.


CHOW, Nanny, l are goin' to cry.
Yes, Nanny, are! / want to see my
papa, and l are goin' to cry"
Hush, nowl Johnny must be man."
said the elder sister, trying to smile in
motherly way, as she settled little
brothers sugarloaf cap and patted the
tassel ON top, which made him look like
a baby-soldier.
"But where is papa?" struck in Patty,
the little girl of six.
You would have smiled at her odd ap-
pearance, for her dress came quite down
to her feet, like an old lady's, and she
wore a quilted shawl, and a queer hat,
called Jockey This was fifty years
ago.
"Vhy, he has only gone to the other
81 Ie of the river to get us something to
eat" replied eight years-oid Nanny, who
also wore quilted shawl and long dress.
Don't fret, Patty; he will soon be
back"
But Nanny's voice trembled little
and her face was troubled She had
TO get Slgul Oh JIU CuirrS~t t-.-i -lf ~ bonr
ought to be here by this time.
1t was very cold day in autumn. The
children were not very warmly clad, and
there was no roof to cover them, for
they were wandering about on an unln-
habited island. Their mother had lately
died and their father was taking them
down the Ohio River in canoe 10 new
country they had never seen, which he
vaguely described as "Out West"
| fear he was not very kind father
or the little ones would not have cried
so bitterly at parting with their Aunt
Susan And he must have had at least
| one bad habit or Nanny would not have
whispered SO anxiously before start
ing:
"Oh, Aunt Susan, don't let him carry
| a bottle in his pocket"
| 1t was the thought of this same evil
| looking bottle that was row troubling
Nanny, though she would not have let
Patty know it for the world
HE said he'd go and get some supper
| for u.s." repeated she, cheerily, land after
we eat it we shall stay on this island all
night, and"
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear"
"But there are blankets and things in
the canoe to cover US up nice and warm.
| Patty; and course he'll come right
| back; he said he would y
"Oh, yes, he'll come right back"
echoed the younger sister, taking cour-
/ age, but beginning to shiver, for night
was coming on and her shawl was not
thick enough to keep her warm.
care you cold? o Patty, how you
shake!"
Eyes, I'm cold, but it's warm cold,
thought replied the child, trying her
best not to mind it.
"Well, run as hard as you can; that's
the way to do"
al don't want to run; want to go to
sleep"
"Ah, but you mustn't; you must run.
See if you can't catch me now, said the
wise elder sister, who Temem bered to
have heard that persons who slept In the
cold were sometimes chilled to death.
Come" cried she, darting off into the
shade of the trees; and Patty, shouting
gleefully, ran after her.
"Come, Johnny, come, Johnny, you're
so spry you can catch us bothp' called
Nanny; and the little fellow trotted of
as fast as his chubby legs could carry
him till he had caught Nanny half a
dozen times, and there ceased to be any
fun in it; when he sobbed out:
my boots ache so! Oh, my boots
ache SOP
Nanny strained her eyes again to ge'
a glimpse of the canoe; but it was now
so dark that she could see nothing but
the black shadows of the trees in the
water Well, it was of no use trying tc
keep Johnny racing any longer, and as
for Patty, she fatty declared she was
going to sit down and wait for hel
supper.
"Why don't papa Gomez" thought thu
over-tasked little mothersister. q
can't make 'em run any longer; but II
tell 'em stories; maybe thstll keep 'en
awake. Look at me, Patty; want to hea
storys"
"Yes," said Patty, starting up anc
rubbing her eyes.
, "WeIl, if you'll stand and lean agains
me-you and Johnny-Fll tell you one
|. "Tell more'n one; tell two, five
,, 'leven," said Johnny, clinging to ne
: dress.
"Tell bout Injuns.n added Patty, wh'
, enjoyed feeling her hair stand on end
So Nanny, her own heart thumpinj
: loud with fear, told tale after tale OF hoi
!. ror; and the more scalping and roastinl
= she put in, the easier it was to TX lhe al
: tention of her little hearers.
But there came an end TO IL at ias'
. . when it was fairly impossible to Kee
: them awake another minute. Worn ou
y with fatigue and drowsiness, as well a
J, aching with cold, they dropped on tn
. . ground and fell fast asleep.
don't know whether Nanny though
!. then of the Babes in the Wood" or no
. but as there were no robins near
g cover them with leaves, she had to pla
u the part of robin redbreast, and she
tered them herself.
h She spread out her garments as vic
q as possible, drew the pIor little things
d her lap, and put both arms around thei
;" to give them the warmth of her or
" bosom.
; They slept sweetly under her wins
;" but morning car e, and the moment the
walked they began to cry