The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-07
POLLY'S THIMBLE.

POLLY'S THMBLE.
Hard times for Polly Pardoe! Only
that morning her mother had said: This
will never do. Here you are, most nine
years old, and can't sew with thimble.
You must begin to-day" and forthwith
brown towel was carefully basted and
placed in Polly's unwilling hands; a
thimble (cast aside by Sister JEANNE, a
world too large for the little finger and
half filled with rags to make up for too
much room in its upperstory) fitted to
her "thimble finger" and the struggle
began. And hard struggle it babe fair
to be. Polly had learned to hem, and
run seams, and was about mastering the
art of overcasting"; but all had been
accomplished without a thimble. She
had worn little hard spot on the palm
of her hand which answered very well in
place of that article-in fact Polly liked
it much better, and declared she "never
could sew with that clumsy brass thing"
| And indeed it did prove a decided him
drance to her progress with the hem.
Every minute or two off it would tumble,
and lose the scraps of cotton out, and
| Polly would have such a time getting it
right again. But at last she finished one
end of the towel, but there was the other;
and Polly thought if she might only
throw away that ugly thimble how quickly
she could finish it and be free to run out
to the beach to play with Jean and Tom
Jerrold. Just then Toms head appeared
at an open window.
81 say, Polly" he shouted, "come
down to the cove and help US sail the
Dreadnaught. We are going to Switzer-
land this trip; so come alongw
Now this was very kind in Tom, for
big boys seldom like to have little girls
in their plays; but Tom Jerrold always
stood up for Polly, and Polly thought
Tom was the incest boy in all the world
Polly held up her towel with wo-be-
gone face.
"Mother says must finish this before
l can do another single thing" she said,
land if it wasn't for this old thimble l
could do it in jiffy. But must learn
to use it, sol can't GO" And Polly heaved
a doleful sigh, and took the other end of
the towel in her clumsy little hands. OF
course the thimble fell off again, and
this time rolled close to the doorsill, and
lodged there. Toms face disappeared
from the window like fash and before
Polly knew what he was doing he had
darted around to the door, seized the
thimble, and put it in his pocket.
"Therew he said, with a triumphant
smile: " in two minutes and half it will
be where you'll never see it again; and,
remember, you don't know where it is
and you can't find it. Dye see? Now
then, rush, and get that hem done and
come down to the cove. The Dread
naught is al laden with American prod
uce, but | made Jean wait till l got you
to see her go. So hurry up, and we'll
wait And off she darted, leaving Polly
to her own reflections. She was glad
just a little bit-that the thimble was
gone, but she had an uncomfortable feel
ing that Toms advice was not just what
she ought to follow She would be de
ceiving if she made her mother think
the thimble was accidentally mislaid,
when she knew that Tom had spirited it
away, and that with her knowledge. But
she was wild to help launch the ship, so
she stitched steadily while her thoughts
were busy with this subject. In a short
time the hem was finished. Polly longed
to leave it there and steal to the cover
, without meeting. her mother, for she
hoped Tom would give the thimble back
to her; but she knew this would never
do; so she folded her work neatly and
carried it to the spring house"
It's done, MOTHER" she said; and
! nd ma IN, hp1n oil IL
ship. Can l 90 now" Polly looked
flushed and uncomfortable. The ques.
ton she dreaded came:
Where's your thimble?"
con, said Polly, hastily, cit dropped
J off my finger and rolled to the door, and
don't know where it is. l finished the
hem without it,"
, "Well," said Mrs. Pardoe, "let it &C
now; but when you come back you must
) look for it,"
Polly darted off, glad to get away. but
with an unaccountable choke in heI
throat. The ship was splendid one
built in imitation of a genuine sailing
vessel, and was a present to Jean from
his father, who was a sailor, and was
now off at sea in vessel of which Jeans
! ship was aminiature Polly's father wa.
native of Switzerland, and Polly's
greatest delight vas to listen to hi,
stories of his native country, which was
4 to her the most wonderful land in thu
A: world. The children were all enthusi
: astic on this subject, and playing Swift
= zerland" was their play of plays. A lit
| tie dell across the cove they named afte
! this favorite country the cove itself an
5 swering to Lake Geneva, and line o
7 sandhills to the westward they called tn,
e Alps, To this port the Dreadnaugh
5 was now bound. Tom greeted Poll,
t with shout and sly chuckle as he in
quired if " she had finished up that hen