The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-30
Baby Flake "Had TO-

Flakes mamma stood by the table,
rolling out doughnuts. Flake stood
near, drumming on the table with both
hands as if it were a piano, throwing
back her head, and screaming as loud
rs she could scream.
"There, that will do" said mamma;
81 am tired of the noise"
Flake stopped singing; but her little
feelings were hurt, and she said in a
grieved tone: Where's my papa p
he loves me, but you don't"
With that she stuck both thumbs into
a piece of dough.
"See, mamma, you cut cross-eyed
doughnut !"
She called it cross-eyed," because
the hole was not quite in the middle.
Mrs. Allen smiled at the funny idea.
go Flaxie," said she, "must / tie
those wee, wee hands?"
1t was very hard doing the Saturdays
baking with this little chatter-box at her
elbow; but Dora, the kitchen maid, had
gone to see her sick mother. At II,
she was coming back; and, at 3, Mrs.
Allen and her husband and Jane Abbott
were going to ride. Aunt Jane came at
2, with dear little Nellie. "Dodo,"
said Mrs. Allen to Dora, "you must
watch these children every minute; for
Flake is uncommonly full of mischief,
to-day" gma
"Yes'm," said Dodo; and she took
the children into the nursery, resolved
to do her best. In few minutes Flake
rushed into the parlor where her mother
and auntie were seated, and shut the
door hard. But both ladies heard
wailing in the nursery. "What's that
noise in there ?" asked mamma.
"Nellie's a'ky-in."
"What for 2"
81 striked her !"
"Why, Flake, what made you ?"
ooh, 1 had to, cause she wouldn't
give me the book"
When Flake did wrong, she usually
said, 81 had to-"
wasn't Flake naughty, naughty
girl?"
"Yes'm," replied the child, dropping
her pretty little tow head; but che
wasn't sorry a bit you would know
that by the funny quirk around her
mouth. Mamma saw she would have to
be punished. For the first time she
shipped the little pink-and-white hands.
1t was great surprise to Miss Flake
trizzle, and almost broke her heart.
sob, feel orfy," Dora heard her
say. And, by and by, she crept under
the kitchen table to the big dog Fowler I;
and said she: "Doggie, kiss baby; baby
feel very bad ~ t4
Fowler licked her face, and look of
tender pity came into his brown eyes.
1t comforted Flake. He loved baby,
and baby loved him, oh, so much better
than Kitty Gray, the cat, CO cause Kitty
Gray had pins in her feet" "Oh, / feel
orfy," she moaned again, and stole out
at the side door while Dodo was singing
to Nellie. She thought she would go
into the stable and tell the moolly COW
how her heart ached. But she forgot it
when she saw her papa's horse standing
at the front gate, harnessed to the car
riage. He was called Whiz, because he
travelled so fast. don't believe there
was horse in town that could toss bis
head and fly over the road at such rate
as Whiz; and nobody dare drive him but
Mr. Allen.
ooh, no." thought Flake; "guess
I'll tell hossy what my mamma did to
me-"
And she danced up to the carriage,
and set her little foot on the low step.
Who-up, hossy! Lee me get i'll My
mamma shipped my hannies; make baby
feel orfy "
Hossy turned around, looking very
pyeasapt." After that it didn't take
two seconds for Flake TO climb in and
catch up the reins, calling OUT
"Dap Dap"
Now if Whiz had only been hitched
But as he wasn't, what could he do but
gol As Flake would say, che had tc
CO." Rattlety-bang over the streets
pell-mell into the midst of wagon
wheels whiz around the cornersl just
think Of il and nobody to guide him
but that baby Was she afraid3 Oh.
no She kept jerking the reins, and
calling, ''Dap Dap ~ She was having
her own way, and liked it /; and Whiz
who didn't mind her half rs much as il
she had been fly, was having his Owl
way, and liked it, too.
Mamma was the first to discover wha
had happened. She and papa and Aun
Jane were in the front entry TALKING
about the new wallpaper. "Why
where's the horse ?" cried Mrs. Allen
opening the door. "Where' s the baby Z
cried Dora at the same moment. Sh,
had searched the barn, and backyard
and t-yard, and could not find her
Then you may know there was slime.
Dora wrung her hands and screamed
y uThe horse has run off with that baby
Oh, catch that precious, precious baby !!
But mamma, who loved Flake far bet
ter than Dora could, did not shed on
tear. She only said calmly to her hus
] band 3
seTell me, Charles, what shall we do2
And he answered, looking very pale
"If / only knew which way to go 7"