Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-12-28


Ned was downstairs in twinklinp.
Mrs. Brant was very busily fitting a
dress on her mother. .as. - g
Don't come in, Ned,!" she called,
as Ned opened the door. s.I'ms busy
with Grandma what do you want ~
''Can we play with the clay,
mother p 40
80, yes, suppose so,'' said tile
mother, pinning plat on Grandma
shoulder edo what you please with
it. only don't throw it about and gel
it into each Others eyes,
80 no ma'am," answered Ned, as he
rushed toward the garnet stairs again
quite delighted.
But when he reached the top, hi
found all the children with tears il
their eyes. L 5"a- .ss3 ~
They had already forgotten thu
clay; for Ruth had taken a big onior
from bunch that hung on one Of til,
rafters. Wi. had cut it in slices
and now every apparently ,,;uS;lding :
piece to see *whl. represen,aiion. .,
onion longest witheu1 v.ac distrust On
''What,a pack Of ninnisAlly rcsul
Ned, laughing, and all the n..!!zeu
| laughed with him, except little ~,
who whined a little and wished sht
hadn't tried it. .....
Shave you given up the road =
asked Ned. but nobody answered him
for that old garnet had so much in il
to look at, SO many odd hooks and cor
ners, that before the eight pairs OF
eyes were dry their owners were al
scudding and burrowing about like Sc
many rabbits. What delightful
time they had! I cannot begin to tel
you all the games they played, and the
comical talks they had, nor how they
"dressed up in the old hats and gar
ments they found hanging on the
nails, nor how the boys made the
girls scream by crying "Here's a rat,
kill him kill him - and then fling
ing their victim across the floor in the
shape of All old boot or a bit of torn
fur. At last Tommy looked out OF
one of the little square windows, which
was half covered with cobwebs. 81
say. it's showing harder than ever
there'd have been good skating by to.
morrow if it hadn't showed -
This seemed to make all the party
serious for 4 moment.
sit isn't so very bad" said Ruth,
who always looked OIL the bright side
of things. ''There'll be splendid
.balling.''
"Who cares for .balling cried
little Dickie, 'skatin' s the best
Everybody laughed at this, for
0CI
couldn't skate stroke, not even on
roller skates.
Suddenly, Wilbur cried ':Oh!" and
stood motionless, looking steadily at
the floor. Rob flew to him like a good
brother, as lie was, and gave him a
poke.
"What on earth's the matter. Viii.
bur?'
"Nothing. Only I bet we could
Sure as live we could y
''COuld what % cried Tommy.
Why, make a skating pond here.
right here, in this very garrett
Yes you could sDeered Tommy,
who, by the way, was the only fellow
who had taken off his hat Ruth had
excused them because the garnet was
not very warm.
Il tell you could, man. l say Ned,
let S do it! We can have a pond here
before night. Your bathroom is right
on the next floor, isn't it! Here are
pots and pans enough for all of u.s.
All the eight started at Wilbur, as if
they thought his wits were leaving
him, but he added eagerly.
II tell you. it will be grand. Wen
have as big circle as we can get here
in the middle of the garnet, and make
bank out of that clay-clay holds
water perfectly. Then We'll fill up
the circle with water.''
Their eyes danced at this, but Tommy
chilled their ardor with a sarcastic
''Ho skate on water no p
''We'l open the scuttle and the win.
dows, and let the pond freeze over
night" said Wilbur.
"Jimmy ~ screamed Ned; $50 we
can ! Come on here; We'll have the
bank in a jiffy!''
'Hurrah - cried the rest.
In an instant all hands were at
work-all but Ruth, who looked
troubled, and she begged Dot to ::go
down and ask Mamma She should
have gone herself, for Dot was only
tx years old, and a kerry uncertain
young woman at carrying messages.
Soon Dot, clambering down two sets
OF stairs, rushed into her mothers
room with-''Mamma, Ruth wants to
know if we can do it e.
''Do what, Dot? (Mother. do look
at that child's cheeks--tAey're Just
like roses.) Do what, my pet -
"Why, play bank with the clay"
painted Dot.
20, l suppose I must" laughed the
mother. ''Tell her yes, Dot AS the
little girl ran out of the room and up
the stairs, screaming, eyes, yes,
Mamma says you can do it, Mrs.
Brant said to Grandma, II ought to
go up | suppose. But they can't do
more than make a muss with it, and
they can clear it all up tomorrow.
"1on.re too easy with those chill.
dren, Eliza - said Grandma, quietly,
adding, as Mrs. Brant hurriedly took
up her sewing again, "but they're
such dear little things. I don t wonder
you like to make EN- happy
GOOD - cried Ned when Dots hap.
Ply message was delivered. ''Mother s
splendid. I say, we must fill 10 all
these cracks with the clay, boys
"You're sure mother said we could.
Dot? e. -
"Course she did," said Dot, decided.
~. "She laughed, too.''
Poor little Dot had no idea that she
had told her mother only half of their
plan. Her own head was so full Of it
that she thought everyone else must
know all about it, too. AS for Ruth,
she being three years older, couldn't
help being surprised at their mothers
consent to such wild fun, but she
never dreamed but that her mother
had consented. 1t was time of deem