The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-11-16
(Which one?' says I, and some
thing seemed to choke ne when l said

it.
Il don't know" says John; (Which
do you think we can spare best?"
81 couldn't spare Mary" says l;
''She does most all the house work. |
couldn't get along without her at all.
An Johnnie an Joe, we need them
the worst way, too; they're good boys,
and help keep things together. We
couldn't spare them, John"
"No that's so," says he, "we can't
spare the three oldest. Well have to
let one Of the little ones go"
81 don't know which one." says l,
feeling a great lump in my throat !;
(which one would you think, John? =
q don't know" says he, slowly;
lets go and look at EN-"
So we took the candle and went up
stairs, where the children were all
asleep.
Dear me, maam, I felt somehow
as if they were dead, and we were
taking a last look at the dear things.
My hand trembled 50 | could hardly
| hold the candle.
"Of course we can't think of letting
Mary or Johnnie or Joe CO." says
John, and his voice sounded very
queer at must be one of the others" "
So we went to the bed where the
three youngest slept, and l sat down
on the bed and looked at 'em. Minnie
had little Georges head on her arm,
and his yellow curlS were all tumbled
over his face, and he was pretty as
any picture of an angel; and Dottie
Dimple, as we always called her-she
was such wee midget of a thing
was cuddled down beside 'em, with
her dolly in her arms, fast asleep.
81 couldn't think of letting Minnie
CO. says John, "she looks so much
like mother; and she's always took to
me, so she wouldn't be contented away
from me-" And then he reached over
and kissed her, and | saw a tear
shining on her face in the candle-light.
"An' little Georgie's always been
mothers boy says l, choking up
again at the thought of letting him 90.
He sets by me MORN the rest; some
way | wouldn't part with him. Amt
he pretty, John?' an | held the can
die 50 it could shine on his yellow hair
Yes, he is a bright, dear little
boy says John. proud as he could be
of the little fellow, if he was mothers
boy. "But you wouldn't think of let
ting him have DOttie Dimple, would
you?' an, declare, his voice shook
50 he could hardly speak plain.
"Oh, no, no" says I, breaking
right down, an [ reached down an
hugged little Dimple up tight to me.
"There shan't anybody have little
Dimple while I'm alivew
Il don't see how we can spare any
of en-" says John; - don't believe
we can.
1--WE can't," says I; "Tm willing
to work twice as hard, John, but l
d ga GAVE T@s EN- t4 to F is 4pe To GeepTah GeeP and FIT It
wouldn't be right.
And then, ma'am, we kissed EN-,
every one, and we wrote back to
Uncle William that we couldn't let
one go. And he sent down a lot
of things the next week-enough to
last us half the winter, till John got
WELL anyway-and he wrote he didn't
blame us a bit. 81 wouldn't have let
one go if I'd been in your place, says
he.
You see, ma'am, it's hard to tell
which one you can spare best, and
when you come to choose, you find
YOU need 'em all. Bless the dear
things, they're a deal of comfort, and
they do help us so much; more'n any
one'd think, ma'am. If we'd dozen
dare say we'd find it Just as hard to
let one go.-EJei1 e. Reatord, IN IN
door and ont.