The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-08-05

| Anu ne never went near the railroad track
But Dandy Jim,
| Alas for himl
| He ran away,
| One summer day,
| Over the hills and far away;
And his mother sought for him far and near,
But never word OF Jim could she hear;
For crossing the track,
The railroad cars over him,
And that was the end Of Dandy Jim.
But Johnny Black,
He always came back,
Whenever he went from home away,
| He minded his mother where'e. he might be,
| He thought that his mother knew better thanh
TOMS DELUGE.-Once there was a
troublesome boy, named Ton, who was
always in mischief Not only that, but
you never knew where to have him, for
he was an original youth, and broke out
constantly in unexpected places. He
put the cat in walnut-sbell boots and
painted her pink and green in stripes.
He took the wheels out of the parlor
clock to make "penny spinners;" and
even that was rot the worst thing he
did.
One day his mamma and grown-up
siste 3 went out, and Master Tom was
left all alone in his glory. They didn't
often commit such an oversight, since
there was ITO telling what might happen
before they came back. However, at
first he happened to do nothing more
than to sit on the cover of the sewing
machine, drawing horses all over the fly
leaves of his sisters favorite copy of Ten
nysOn.
All at once bright idea struck him.
He slapped down the book and jumped
off the sewing machine, exclaiming:
"GOod! / know what I'll do! l
mean to set the water running in the
bath-tub, and play with my Noah's
arkp
Thereupon, Master Tom jerked open
the drawer where his toys were kept,
jerked out the ark, examining in several
stray animals that were kicking up their
heels in various corners, and scampered
down to the bathroom, talking to himself
all the while.
"Now, then, / must turn on both
faucets, SO as to hurry up the water as
fast as possible. "Goody! how deep it
is getting! Make haste, Noah; don't
stop to count the grasshoppers, but pile
into your old ark and shut the door
quick! There-nOw you're off; but il
ought to be raining-if you're Noah in
the ark. Ohio! I'll start the shOwer-bath
going I" and presently a highly respecta.
bic shower was pattering and rafting
down, while Tom jumped up and down
in perfect ecstasy of delight.
All at once the front door-bell rang.
81 wonder who that is? 2" thought Tom
He listened.
ooh, there's Uncle George ?' he cried
"Pm going down to see him this min
ute;" and forgetting all about poor
Noah, away he scampered, slamming the
door behind him, and leaving the water
still running.
His uncle, with whom he was great
favorite, was waiting in the hall.
"Well, young monkey" he said, as
Toms curly head appeared at the top Of
the stairs, do you want to take drive
to the park with meW
ooh, don't / though % cried Tom
"Please, may l drive the buckle?" by
which he meant being allowed to hold
the reins where they were buckled to
gether.
eyes; just as you like-only hurry.
don't want to keep the horse standing
Away few Tom, but only to appear
again in two minutes, and to scramble
into the buggy like lamplighter, wher
off they went.
Meantime, the water was rising higher
and higher in the bath-tub, and pres
emily brimmed over and began to trickle
slowly upon the floor. 1t ought to have
passed off through the top drain, but, un
luckily, the day before Master Tom had
amused himself by plugging up the little
holes. Soon slow but steady stream
was creeping under the door, and making
little alternate puddles and waterfalls
down the front stairs. And still nobody
came home.
After about an hour of this, John, the
black waiter, came into the dining room
to lay the table for dinner. He was Just
standing by the sideboard arranging an
elegant pyramid of fruit in a glass dish,
when crash bang! down fell big, square
yards of plaster on top of his poor pate,
and knocked him fiat upon the floor.
The water had gradually soaked through
the boards; and plaster ceilings will
melt, you know-if not as easily as sugar
yet just as surely, if you keep at them
long enough.
Up rushed the cook, leaving the roast
ing turkey to take care of itself; and
when she saw the condition of the dining
room, and poor John lying senseless on
the floor, she began to scream murder,
fire and thieves, at the top of her voice,
which so alarmed the housemaid that she
dropped her best duster into the parlOr
fire, and rushed all the way down the
street calling for the police, before il
occurred to her to find out what was the
matter.
At this moment Toms mother and sis
ters returned, and when they found the
front door wide open, and a stream OF
water running along the entry and down
the front steps, they were nearly petri
fed with establishment. Just then came
up Tom and his uncle, who were coming
home from the stable, where they had
left the horse and buggy.
"Why, what Is the matter here p
exclaimed his uncle. Have your pipes
burst that you arc all overfowed like
thisw
Poor Tom he turned as red as beet
and then as white as paper, but he was 9
truthful little chap, with all his faults
and in minute he burst out with:
ooh, mamma! oh, uncle I did tits
my deluge! oh, oh !"
"Your delugeT
"a n n = A.