The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-08-09

TOMMYB PANTS.

That night when Tommy climbed into his
crib, mamma told him that when he
walked in the morning he would find
something very nice in the chair beside it.
He thought ii would be very hard to
wait so long; but it only seemed a minute
or so before he walked up and heard the
robins singing with all their might out
in the cherry trees. Mamma was brush
ing her hair, moving about very softly, SO
as not to wake baby, and Tommy sat
right up and looked about him, rubbing
his ewes with his fat fists Sure enough,
there was something on the chair
where he had left his plaid dress and ruff
fled panties. A new dress? No, not a
dress at all, but the prettiest little suit
Jacket and pants of soft, gray cloth, but
toned with shining pearl buttons. and
trimmed with braid. Tommy could hard
ly believe his eyes, but he was on the floor
in twinkle, laughing and chuckling, and
trying to put his pants right on over his
long might. gown.
"Just like man." giggled Tommy,
thrusting his hands into his pockets; and
baby lifted her precious little head from
the pillow, and stared at him with her
great, blue eyes, as if she wondered who
that boy was. fsg
SO She don't know me-" said Tommy,
in still greater delight. She won't new
er have pants, will she ?" he added in a
tone that was partly pity and partly tri-
umph.
81 suppose you won't care about eat.
ing peanuts and candy any more," said
Uncle Jim, as he went away.
Tommy was walking about with his
hands behind him, trying TO make his
shoes squeak. He stopped and looked at
Uncle Jim, 10 see if he was in earnest.
There was twinkle in his eye that reas-
sured Tommy, so he went on squeakine
his shoes, and wondering what Billy
would say to him. He determined to go
over Immediately and see, but mamma
spoiled that plan by telling him not to go
outside the gate on any account, or DC
anything to soil his new clothes, because
his papa was coming home that very
morning, and Tommy must look his best.
Tommy papa brought him music
box that would play three tunes, and set
of toy horsemen rode up and down to the
tune of "Captain Jinks," when you
turned the handle of the box they stood
upon, so of course he had to go over after
dinner TO show his treasures and his new
clothes to. Billy. The result was dread
fully disappointing, so far as the new
clothes were concerned, for that young
gentleman shifted up his nose at them il
decided disapproval. s,s,sEa t,j.
"Ho!'' said Billy, !" they're most like {
girl; only come to your knees, and M
galzuses. l don't have my clothes tha
way" -
Tommy stared with his big eyes, and
wondered what I" galluses'' might be, but
had not doubt that there was but one
proper way to make clothes, and that was
iust like Billy's. Now, Billy's mamma
never troubled herself about the spring
fashions, or any other fashions. She hao
half dozen boys, and when the oldel
ones outgrew their clothes, che just cut of
the legs a little, patched the knee
and elbows, and passed theln on dowr
the row. Billy'spresent pants happened
to be little long and a little bag
gy. but that was fault time wouiC
remedy; SO, after inspecting them mo
ment, Tommy unbuckled his little trou
sers at the knee, and stretched and
smoothed them down over his scarle
stockings. 1t was no use; al the very
best they would not reach his ankles.
"Telf We what" said Billy, If ye hat
some galluses them pants would reacl
down." s5
"Y-e-s,' said Tommy, in bewilder
ment. .e..,,.
The inventive Billy went directly Il
work, and manufactured apair OF slls
penders out of some old red reins. Th,
short trousers were unbuttoned from tn
Jacket and let down to desirable length
the /" galluses' fastened on with pins ant
twine and then Billy surveyed his wori
with triumph.
To be sure, there was noticeable gal
between the top of the trousers and tn
bottom of the jacket, but the red sus
penders bridged it over, and Billy re
membered to have seen the same lack upol
Jake, the hostler, so both boys were SAT
isfied.
"There, now" said Billy; now yo'
look something like.
He didn't say like what, and TommI,
didn I ask; but they played with the sol
diers till Ellen rung the bell for tea. The
papa and mamma, looking out at the pal
ior window, saw funny little figure com
ing across the yard, with gray trouser
dragging over its feet, red suspender
stretching down in front across 9 pun
plaid flannel skirt. and q gay little plal
banner streaming bravely out in the rear
| Tommy's papa laughed and shouted, an
| felt like rolling on the floor, and he Gale
Uncle Jim and he laughed, too; bu
though Tommy went to the window tn
minute he got in, to see what the fun wa
he couldn't see anything at all.-WAs
Tommy Did