Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-09
-M0RR0W's CHlCKEN-PlE.


got tired of playing circus-rider; and then sh,
went ON talking to herself about cutting of
bows noses, and making em laugh the othe
ride O. their mouths, that little Tommy fairl,
trembled all over, an he sat hidden away on the
dark back stairs. He had been keeping very
still for half an hour, thinking how nice 1t would
be if he was fairy prince, with kingdom Of
knives and skates, and candy, and with power
to make poor sick mamma well again. But Bet
tvs scoldng voice made him feel very un.
prince. like indeed, and his little fat hands fun.
bled nervously over some half-eaten gingerbread
nuts in his pocket. What if Betty should dis.
cover that some of her gingerbread was missing
Everyone was busy, for somebody was com
ing next day; jack and Tommy could not find out
who, but there were whisperings going on and
great preparations. Knd-hearted Aunt Emily,
who stout she could not move very fast,
grew red in the face ~ she painted to and fro,
from kitchen to bed room, bringing every ques-
ton to the gentle invalid who lay among her
pillows longing to get well enough to have her
little boys at play in her room again.
Dear me, Betty" said Aunt Emily, all in a
lntter chow will you manage to do all the cook
ing alone tomorrow For shall have to be in
the parlor, and there's pudding to make, and
beef to roast, and chicken-pie, and salad ~
Tommys mouth watered at the mention Of all
these good things, for boys always hungry
81 know what I'm about" said Betty, with
grim complacency. I'm going to get all the
stun ready before night, and stone the raisins
and wash the currants. Then mean to bake
tue chicken-pie right Off, and be done with it.
That will be off my mind then, and can warm
it up AZ good new for dinner tomorrow"
VERY WE'LL leave 1t to you. Where are
those boys? | sent Jack for three. pounds of
rasins, and he's been gone an hour !" And Aunt
Emily looked anxiously out of the window down
the street.
Send boy for rasins - exclaimed Betty
l..I l.fI l..1 Al.
throatn'
Sure enough" said poor Aunt Emily, with
fresh anxiety.
Meanwhile Tommy slowly and softly crept up
stairs, he afraid Betty would find him
listening, and she might shake him. she did so
often when he did not know he had been naugh-
ty. just as he reached the hall in came Jack
through the front door, whistling yankee Doo-
die, but when be saw Tommy he stopped.
Here, Tommy" he said, i" hold your pocket
and III fill it with rasins. My pocket Is full.
Run of with them now, or Betty'll steal them
from you !"
So Tommy got behind great chair in tho par
lor, and sat on the floor, contentedly munchng
raisins. Jack was his hero for he WAS two years
older, and WAS not afraid, and could say such
smart things. Jack ran down stairs, threw down
the paper of raisns, and was of again without
stopping, thus cleyerly escaping box on the
ears For suspicious Betsy saw at glance that
those raisins could not possibly weigh three
pounds
Such boy !" said Aunt Emily, plaintively
" don't see how sister ever manages him. de
is quite little gentleman, when she is well"
Betty went on with her work Aunt Emily put
the room i'll order, and made toast for the boys
mother Jack and Tommy kept out of the way,
and everything progressed smoothly till about
-FOUR O'Clock III the afternoon, when there was q
sound Of crying and lamentaton. In came Jack
with flushed face, muddied up to his knees, lead
ing poor little Tommy, who was muddied all
over. The mud dripped down Betty's clean
oilcloth, and Betty was in fury, for she was
tired, and that made her crosser than ever. In
vain the boys tired to tell her how it happened
how soma wicked boys threw a kitten In the
duckpond, and Tommy tried to get it, and fell in
himself, and Jack waded after him and brought
him out, kitten an all. Betty didn't appreciate
the fine points of the story, and the budding
clllvalry-she only appreciated the mud which
was hard on the boys Aunt Emily came down
IN panic, and she and Betty went to work get
ting the little fellows dry and clean again, with
dire threatenings of punishment ahead.
~, II your poor mother knew !" exclaimed
Aunt Emily, almost at her wits end.
Jacks lip quivered, but he never spoke.
Look a here !" cried Betty, triumphantly
here's Tommy's pocket all lined with raisns,
and here's gingerbread ~ and she gave him a
premonitory shake.
And here's Jacks pocket with lobster claws
init, said Aunt Emily in despair 81 was 60
ing to garnish the salad with those claws o
you naughty boy !" And sho would have boxed
his ears, but he lodged.
Well" said Betty" they ought to be put to
he done !"
"Sure enough" said Aunt Emily, who in her
heart was glad to spare them whipping " they
shall go to bed without any supper"
So to bed they were sent ito bed at five oclock
and fine time they had of it when they were
left alone IN their room. They dressed up two
pillows and named them respectively Aunt Emily
shook them and scolded them, till their rebel
lous little hearts were satisfied. After that they
told stories and made plans, and finally went to
sleep,
goodnight to me ?" asked mamma, as the even
ing wore on.
Why, sister," said Aunt Emily half appolo-
getcally, " they fell in the mud, and ate up the
raisins, 30 l let them go to bed without their
'nppsrs;" p!.sas. ,,.,o .o.,, ..,, ,,,,.. . ,,,,
And she made up her mind that, sick well,
her boys should not be kept from her another
day. But the hours went by till she, too, was
asleep, and Aunt Emily and all.
1t must have been about midnight, that dark
mysterious, silent hour, when Tommy slowly
awoke to consciousness of being pulled and
pounded, and shaken.
80, please don't, Betty !" he cried as soon as
he could speak
"Hush hush y
=, 1t was Jacks voice whispering to him, &c
Tommy hushed, and Jack began to unfold his
plans.
Tommy, amt You hungry I'm awful hun,
gry Come, let's got up softly, and creep down
stars, and get some gingerbread"
They'll catch us " said Tommy.
Hush no they wont-wc'll go softly We
ought to have something to eat. we shal
starve. You don't want to be dead in the morn
ing, do you, Tommy2"
No said Tommy, decidedly.
Hush Well come--it's moonlight. Put or
Your stockings they don't make 80 much noise
Nh bare feet. Maybe we can find some citron.
Thus encouraged, Tommy got softly out of
Led. and drew his stocking on his chubby little
feet while Jack made ready also and then they
started, Jack leading the way, very softly
through the upper hail. stepa minute, hearing
their own hearts beat loud enough to frightei
them very softly down the stairs, which cracl
as they never did by day, then softly through the
lower hall, and then with bolder confidence. the,
pushed on down through the kit hen to the pan
Try, and there they STOOD two shivering little
objects in the moonlight, all excitement witt
the adventure.
Here's gingerbread" /" whispered Tommy
seeking the well-known JAR
I'm hungrier than that" said Jack. 81 wisl
had nice meaty bone to pick. l say, Tommy
thongh?
We're going to have that for dinner to NOR
row." said Tommy
How good 1t smells wish could bit O.