The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-01-04

nRVln Dluletl MY ultic Blil anu DST iuotilSi
that very same week.
Here the child nestled his head down
on the speakers arm. He always did
when this part of the story was reached
! "Well, Poppets, - stroking his hair
softly, cas- L was sayin', we was driftin'
down slow an steady like. When we
come under London bridge the moon
wns shinin' very bright indeed, an as
looked back kind o natural like to see if
we was goin' to clear the bridge, L sees
somethin' floatin' on the water, right I'M
der the bridge, Poppets-foatin' up am
down with the tide"
eyes, yes, dad, go ON !" cried Pop
pets. eagerly.
cay, ay, lad , I'm goin on. Well,
says / sHullo Ben, here's somethin'
wants lookin' to,'--an' Ben he comes
rinnin' for'ard; an by-an-bye we gets
the somethin' out, an then we finds a
shawl, an then we finds some more clo'es
and arter a long time we finds baby
an that baby was -
/ "And that baby was mel" cries the
child, delightedly. sGo on, dad -
can that baby was my Poppets -
STOPPING to pat the boys cheek. "Well,
then. Ben an me took you off wot you
! was lyin' on" Che did not tell him--poor
baby-that it was his dead mothers
! heart), "an' we rubbed you and wrapped
you up warm, an by-and- bye you begins
to cry; an my! how you did go on,
! Poppets Says Ben to me, shoutin' out
! cos l couldn't hear cos of you-' Uncle,
says he, did you ever hear such II
screecherl' An says L: No, Ben, an
hopes / never shall again You may
laugh, Poppets, but Ben an me didn't
20 much laughin' that night"
+ Dad" said the child, suddenly,
"did you ever know my mother?'
John Briggs turned away with little
embarrassed cough. Give seen her,
Poppets but we wasn't very init
mate, SO to speak.
"'Cause you said this touching a
little ring hanging from his neck by a
faded ribbon-' was hers, and she left it
for me-"
. "Well, Poppets, an so she did; she
! was a very respectable woman, your
mother, an she didn't want to have
nothin' to leave you, s'pose. "
"What was she like % questioned
Poppets.
"Well, she was all dressed i'll black
wen [ see her, with n widows cap on.
She was very nice woman. [ makes no
doubt, Poppets, but she got poor an
very discouraged afore she died"
Then seeing another question moving
yn the child's lips, he went on hastily:
"Look here, lad; this here iesl't goin'
on with our stony. Well.-you Just
screeched and screeched. till Ben an me
was most worn out. but | wouldn't give
7 ,-,,,l,l,,'+. +I,,,[
hungry, there was no satisfyin' you. 50 7
says one day: Ben says 7 o. m
buy goat so Ben he goes an buys a
goat, an' the next day overheard it goes,
an Ben arter it, an gets near bein
lrowndei ON account or its bein so con-
trary. Wei, at last [ takes YOU t. a
woman | knows, an [ asks her .wot' : the
matter.
"She looks nt you awhile, an then
says she: He do "creech like Il good
one, don't he?' An says [: Nobody
knows that better nor me, mum.
"Then she looks at you again, an
says she: His mind wants amusin'.
that's it, says she
"' As how, mum q [ says.
Lord love you, man, says she.
how should ] know? You'll have to
find ont. Children is VERY different
about that, she says.
- So walks off with You III my AIMS
not hayin' lennedso very much arter all.
Howsomever, [ makes you a soft ball,
an hangs it by string, an you'd lie
dabbin at tina there with your little
Its, like kitten for all the world.
Art2r while, you gives up screechin',
Al. you'd laugh to me so pretty like, You
cul~1 the pain III my heart wonderful;
al. thea wen you growed, ] sent you to
school evenin's, and my ! how proud you
was wen you could read to yer dad, an
yer dad, Poppets, was Just as proud,
every bit. Then arter n while, you say
you wants to do something to help yer
old dad, SO / takes you to the shops and
shows you what to buy, an then you
says you wants to go alone, so one day
go alone it is. Well, nlter you'd got
started / says to Ben: Ben, says T.
I'm awful oneasy bout Poppets.' An
says he: L knowed it; s'pose you go
arter him. So Oft l starts. Well. l
kept you in sight for good bit. sneallin'
round corners an skulkin' behind bar
rels, for | didn't want You to see me. We
see. If I'd kept at that business long, 4
Poppets, Inn sure I'd he took to picllin'
pockets. Somehow l felt Just like il
thief. Well, you goes about, lookin' as
big as anybody, an [ was just laughin'
at myself for bein' 80 Uneasy bout you.
when all at onct L see lot o boys stop
you, an one on 'em tried to take yer bas-
ket, but you held on to that, an by-an'-
bye big fellow steps up an says he: Il
say, youngster, just give up yer basket,
or I'll punch yer 'ead, an then you be-
gins to cry, an says you: 'Oh, l wish
dad was here =
81 was only waitin for that, SO sings
out: Stand by, my heRrties an l
makes rush an knocks over the big
fellow with cuff on his ear, an then
they all takes to their heels like lot of
little fishin' boats If a man-O-war bears
down on 'em.
"Well, you walked ON quiet for bit,
an then you says Dad, how did you
come here?'
"'Well, says I, 'Poppets, [ thought
I'd like to take walk Now, dad,
you say, lookin' straight at me, you
know you come TO look arter me- Well, |
[ had to say Ibid. You thought awhile, |
an then says you: Dad, s'pose you DO .
that fur little, fur | amt goin' to give I
it up, says you, clutching yer little /
basket-'an then some day you leave of
when don't know it, an then I'll feel
Just as safe thinkin' you're there, an
then arter a while / won't mind. Oh ! ,
YOU always was terrible strange child,
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