The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-01-08

Here tile child nestled Ills lieitu uOWn
on the speakers arm. He always did
when this prt OF the story was reached.
"Well, Poppets," stroking his lair
softly, "as I was Sayin', we WINS driftin'
down slow an stcady like. When We
come under London bridge the moon
was sllinin' very bright indeed, an rs !
looked buck kind o natural like to SEQ if
We wIs goin' to clear the bridge, I sees
somctllin' lloatin'' on the wnter, right un-
der the bridge, Puppets-tloatin' up an
down with the tide
"Yes, yes, dad, go on" cried Pop
pets, eagerly. u,
"Ay, ny, lad! I'm eoin' OIL. Well,
snys j 'Hullo Ben, here's somethin'
wants Ioullin' to,'-an' Ben he comes
rlinnin' lor'ari; M hy.An-hye We gets
the somethin' out, an then We finds
shawl, IN then We finds some more clo'es
and artcr long time we finds baby,
an TINT baby WIS -
"Autl that baby was mel" cries the
child, iIelightedly. eco on, dad "
"An' tint baby was my Poppets"-
stoopiug to pat the boys cheek. "Well,
thcn. Ben IN me took YOU off wot you
WINS iyin' Oh (he- did not tell llim-poOr
baby-tElat it, was his dead mothers
heart), can We rubbed you and wrapped
you up warm, m by-and-byc you begins
to cry; au' my! how You did 80 on,
P0ppets! Says Den TO me, slloutin' out
cos 1 couldn't hear cos Of you-'Unele,
says he, 'lid You ever hear such a
screecher!' An says I no, Ben, an !
hopes never shall agNin. You may
laugh, Poppcts, but Ben an Inc didn't
10 much laughin' that night"
dad" sail the child, suddenly,
"did you ever know my mother?'
John Briggs turned away with little
embarrassed cough. "I've seen her,
Poppcts; but We wasn't very init
mate, SO to speak.
"Cause you said this "-toucliing n
little ring hanging from his neck by a
f,ldctl ri6bon-"w hers, and she left it
for me.
"Wcll, Poppets, an so size did; she
WINS n very respectable woman, your
mother, M she didn't want to have
notllin' to leave YOU, I s'pose."
"Wliat was she ike?' questioned
Poppets.
"Wcll, she was all dressed i'll black
wen see her, with widows cap IN.
She WIS IL VERY nice woman, i makes no
doubt, Poppets, but she got poor an
VERY discouraged afurc she died.
Then seeing another question moving
yn the cllild's.lips, he went on hastily:
"Look here, lad; this here isn't goin
on with our story. Well, You Just
screecllcd and scrccchetl, till Ben mn me
WIS most worn out, hut I wouldn't give
youup-no, l wouldn't; an you wis that
hungry, there was no SItiSfyin y0u; 50 !
says one rlay: Ben says I, go an'
buy g0at;' M Ben he goes nl' buys IL
gcat, an the next day overheard it goes,
IN Zen artcr it, -Nlf-eets Et1ir helm
drownilcd on account Of its bcin' 50 con.
trlry. Well, ut lust | takes ynu to IL
woman knows, an | asks her wUt's the
matter. ........
"Shc looks ut you nwhilr. an then
says she: 'IIe do screech like IL good
one, don't he?' An says I: Nobody
knows TINT better nor me, mIim.
"Then she looks ut you ugain, M
says SHE: His mind wants mmusin',
tlnt's it, says she.
"'As how, mum 2 sIys. 80
"Lorl love YOU, man., says she,
'how should I know? YoR'll have to
find ont. Children is very different
'alout that, she says.
$50 IwHlks of with yol, III my arms,
not lnvn' leNrncdso werrymucll arter Ill.
HOwsomcver, I makes you soft ball,
an' I hangs it by string, IN you'd lie
dabbin' Mt that there with your little
::..'ts, like n kitten for all the world.
Art2r while, you gives up screechin,
III. you'd laugh to me no pretty like, you
c1u.,l the pain i'll my heart wonderful:
Al. then wen yuu growed, l sent you to
school evcnin'S, and my how proud you
WIS wen you could read to yer dad, IN
yer dad, PoppetS, was just ms proud,
every. bit. Then artcr while, yOn say
you wlnts to 10 something to help yer
old dad. so l takes you to the shops anil
shows you what to buy, aM' then You
says yOn wants 10 50 alone, so one day
go alone il ii. Well, arter you'd got
started, | says 10 Ben: Ben, says |,
I'm awful oncasy bout Poppcts. An
aIys lie: j ku0wcl it; s'p0sc You 90
artcr him. So off | starts. We'll, I
kept yuu in sight for IL good bit, sleakin'
round corners an sk,lkM' hphin'l lar
rcls, for I didn't wnnt you to see NE, ye
sec. Ii Ia kept ut that business long,
POppcts, I'm sure I'll lH' took to pickin'
packets. Somehow I felt just like IL
thief. Well, you goes Nbont, l0okin' ~
big as anybody, an | was just lNugiin'
ut myself for bcin' so Uneasy bout yol,,
when all ut onct ! se0 IL lot o boys stop
YOU, an one on EN- tried to take yer bus
ket, but you held Oh to tlMt, an by-aM'-
bye IL big fellow steps up nm says lie: Il
SIy, yonngSter, just give mp yer basket,
or I'll punch yer 'cal, IN then yOu be-
gins 10 cry, M sHys yUu: oh, l wish
dad WIS llere!
~ was only wnitin' for that, 80 I sings
0ut: Stand by, my hcHrtics + mn l
mikes rush an knocks over the hig
fcllowlwith cuff on his cnr, An' then
they all takes to their heels like lot Of
little tishin' boats ii man.o'.w0r bears
down on EN-.
"Well, you walked on quiet for bit,
IN then you says: Dad, low did you
come llere?
"Well, says /, 'poppets, I thought
I'll like to take Il walk. Now, dHd,'
you say, lookin' straight ut me, 'yoN
know you come to look arter me- well,
l llad to sayI did. You thought awhile,
M then says yUu: Dad, s'pose yuu do
that fur little, fur | mint gom' to give
it up, says You, clutrlling yer little