Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-06-09

a long time before Boss and Jemima made
their first appearance in Boston.
1t was John that made his way across
the city, and waited patiently until the
train arrived and emptied its crowd of
weary passengers upon the platform He |
found no difficulty in recognizing them
and suppressing smile at the bewilder. |
ment expressed by Jemima's pathetic |
features, and the CONSERVATION In Bcss' |
big round eyes, as they were jostled and |
hustled by the hurrying crowd, he intro |
duced himself, and giving the poor little |
hair trunk in charge of an expressman,
deposited Bess and Jemima safely in a
street car. They were veryufed Weary
with travel, and frightened by the noise
aud confusion around her, Jemima could
with difficulty repress her tears, and Bess
sobbed wildly, and clung to John for pro-
lection, and he took excellent care ofthem
both until they reached the house, where
he handed them over to Mrs. Brown for
comfort and consolation. This was the
beginning of city life for Jemima and
Bess.
Good old Mrs. Brown took them both
into her capacious arms and heart, and
for the first time a bright ray of the sun.
shine of affection and kindness shOne
upon Jemima's dreary life.
Takin' dodgers was tryin'," as Mrs.
Brown frequently allowed "but them as
hasn't rent to pay hasn't it so hard. If
they doesn't like things, and finds fault
with the help, let 'em go where they're
better suited You can most ALWAYS
make the ends meet if you amt got the
rent to worry about" Mrs. Brown was
fortunately situated. She had no chill.
dren, and no rent to pay, and so remained
cheerful and contented in spite Of frequent
vcxatious encounters with the trouble
some inmates of her house. ,Jemima
wondered if she would have been cheer
! full and contented if she had been the
| widow of a well-to-do corner grocer, with.
out Bess TO worry her, and in possession
of a comfortable house. Poor Jemimal
who had never had more than few dol
lars of her own at any one time In the
whole course Of her hard. working life.
Mrs. Brown was kind to Jemlma and
indulgent TO Bess, though Bess exhausted
the whole force of her juvenile intellect
| in the conception and execution of every
possible sort of mischief. 1t was Bess
who put the kitten in the water pitcher to
see how he would look all wet, and set
| the fish to swimming in the wash-tub after
they were fried foI breakfast. 1t was
Bess who hid in dark passages and flew
out upon the frightened "help" until
they gave warning, because they were
"scairt to death by that brat" 1t was
Bess who hid Mrs. Browns best cap in
the -four barrel, and tumbled down stairs
head-foTemost with an appalling clatter
while the family were at meals. Jemi-
mas Shrill tones were heard at all hours
of the day in violent remOnstrance and
severe expostulatiOn; but no amount of
argument, entreaty or severity availed
with Bess There was only one influence
TO which she was ever known to yield,
and that was John. lie became her firm
| friend and champion. II was John who
protected her from Mrs Gruntley's threats
and Mrs. Jones's wrath John who took
her to the circus, and gave her pepper
mint drops, and petted her when she some
times came to grief herself in her attempts
to torment somebody else. She had fire.
quently chosen him for the victim of her
misdemeanors too; but Bess was so per-
fectly wretched when John was "cross TO
her" in those days that their difficulties
were always very soon made up by Bess
promising "never to do so any more,
not never again." and John agreeing to
forgive her after receiving the promise.
The irrepressible animation she had
formerly worked off out-of. doors was now
| Wlllllu Wills, anu INC alIen-
tion she received and the iniudicious pet
ting administered during her first sorrow
full days in the city by good Mrs. Brown
had developed capacity for mischief un-
dreamed of while she remained under the
severe discipline of the farm house.
Jemima began to fear that the inexhaus.
tible energy displayed by Bess in devising
schemes for the annoyance of her victims
would end in their both being dismissed
from the house where they had found
refuge. But good Mrs. Brown had too
much justice in her soul to visit the sins
of the juvenile offender upon her dis
tressed sister; and, besides, she was dis
posed to regard Bess' iniquities as lenient-
| ly as possible, for the motherly old soul
fancied she could trace slight resem-
blance somewhere about Bess' audacious
| little pug.nOse in the same organ on the
we'll beloved countenance of her departed
grocer This resemblance was fortu-
nate thing for Bess, Tor the good old
| lady's patience was not endless, and Bess'
appetite for mischief was inappeasable
If Bess' nose had been of contour either
Greek E Roman, she and Jemima might
have found themselves homeless wander
crs in the streets of Boston on the morn
ing after Mr.. Jones' hat, for which he had
been searching fully an hour, was discov-
cred on the head of the pump in the back
ward. Mr.. Jones was good boarder; he
paid very regularly, and occupied the
third story front. If it had been the third
story back, who had a sick wife and two
children, and was very irregular and un.
certain in his payments, Mrs Brown
would have been less severe; but she
could not have Mr.. Jones trifled with, and
Bess received a severe reprimand
Afler this there was comparative quiet
in the house for day or two, but it was
only the calm that precedes a storm. On
Sunday Bess undertook the descent of the
staircase by way of the balusters, with a
broom in her hand for balancing pole.
Long practice had made Bess both skillful
and daring in this sort of exercise, and
the descent would probably have been
successfully accomplished ON this Occa-
sion but for an unlooked-for accident
Just as Bess had started on her perilOus
undertaking from the second floor land
ing, Phoebe, the upstairs girl, appeared
on the landing below with waiter in her
hands, upon which was arranged with
great care the dinner for the hypochon-
driac old lady who occupied the second
story front. Bcss' attention was attracted
by the rattle of dishes beneath her, and in
turning her head slightly to one side, in
order to see what was going on below, she
lost her balance. Over she went with
her head downward, her feet in the air,
and the broom humping wildly against
the staircase and opposite wall. There
was a wild shrek from Phoebe, a wilder
yell from Bess, and a terrible cOmmotion
among the crockery, as the waiter fell
from PhGbe's hands with fearful crash,
and the plates and cups ana saucers rolled
frantically one after another down the
kitchen stairs. In less than minute
every inmate of the house was on the
scene; and in the center of the group
stood the wretched cause of all the excite
ment, with her head on one side and her
finger in her mouth, entirely unhurt,
while fragments of roast beef, potatoes,
and pudding lay scattered over her hair
and neck and dress, and little riyulets of
gravy and sweetmeats dripped from her
skirts. Bess had fallen upon the waiter,
and probably owed her life to Phebe's
| Of, ind IL, Latino nc "a