Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-03-22

thing wrong with the Gumps-so very
much wrong that Mrs. Gump couldn't
keep back the tears from her eyes aS she
went to and fro about the kitchen, just I'm
ishing up the weeks ironing.
I met Dean when was coming MP the
street. said Mr.. Gump. by way of chang
ing the subject. He did not like to see
Mrs. Gump cry-it made him feel as if he
depended on a broken reed.
Did you ask him to pay you the money
he owes; she said turning quickly around
Mo, he stammered, | thought of it,
but
But what2 said the wife
1.-THE truth is dear, | suppose | hate to
ask people for money
And supposed that would hate to see
my children starve great deal more
We are not going TO stsrve. dear he
said, trotting the baby who was begin
ning to whimpe: little. We must sell
few things, aud worry along somehow
till get another place
\ great tear dropped from Mrs. Gump's
eye. and fell kissing on TO the hot iron.
I've always worried along, she said;
and how can we sell anything to live by,
| don't see We can't spare anything. that's
certain. Besides, what will they give for
our trapsI They wouid think my dollars
too much Tor the whole lot.
We must try TO manage some way said
he
lou are a great goose. or you'd never
have lost your place; had 10 be told the
same thing over aud over hity times, and
then forgot it, suppose
Mrs. Gumps's hand went up to her eyes
Don't. dear. he said. entteatingly.
50 she sighed, and finished her ironing
without another word.
When Bessie Lane went home from
school that afternoon she ielt ia a very
different frame OF mind from lIcrculc.
She danced into the parlor where her pret-
Is Aunt LILY sat sewing. and laughed
until the tears fairly started down her
checks.
on. auntie, she cried, you ought TO
have seen lierhey Gump to daj. He lock
cd 50 funny oh. SO tuuny. Al, the >col-
r-laughed aud laurhcd. and even the
Teacher had to too. On, dear how funny
.did look!
MIR Lane had not forgotten how 'lnn
ny he looked a he dnNncd up the street iu
his green pants, but ,hc wanted ~ hear
Be-sie's account: 20 ~hc made h-r face
a, straight a. shc couli aud said
why dear, what made him iooA fanny
Guess. said Bessie. iu voice - iEli
of gur=ltng laughter that her fond aunt
had to stop right there aud hi>> her.
Hair cut >hort| she suggested.
No answered the little girl on. You
can never guess, | know. lie had on ju-t
the funniest green pants you ever did Soc
iu all Your lIte-just as green a. tue
-rAss ~ the fields aud every body laugh
ed Ike anything. aunt Lilly; and would
cu'i come home with hiu-l ran on ahead
i saw him this morning, dear. SAID
IL. lAs- lt.nE p.if Il,
Anything. can't think letting you 20 with
him any more told Mary 10 tell Harry 10
call for YOU. though he i not half 80 care
iul - that ridiculous child, What was hi>
mother thinking OF when she made such
u garment a. lhatF
Mrs Lane dd not know. and did not
take the trouble 70 think that perhaps hs
mother wa~ thinking how wrrtchedIy
poor tnev were when She made those aw-
Ia. paln-
had a letter from your mother, to-day,
Bc~-I-. She. said after = while. and she
l. coming after You IN about two weeks.
| shall bc very lonely without you, Att!c
Bessie
Never mind, auntie Ill come again.
said pretty, carclgs, Bessie. 4 woudrr
What mamma vii! brin- me. hope >he
will bring me little. lat White dog.
What nonsense" laughed her aunt; but
that very evening she wrote To her sister
To be sure 10 bring their petted darling
little dog, as fat and white a. she could
find
She was very fond OF Bessie, Yet some
how, people are sometimes 50 selfish in
their love. she did not think 10 pity little
Hercules with his freckles and hi, green
pants.
He wore them TO school the next Gay
and the next, and many days after that,
with patient sense OF enduring and never
| complaining which sensitive children
sometimes have.
II was poor tune, indeed. to complain
al home. for his father had a. yet no steady
WORK, only all odd job now and then.
which barely kept them from the poor
house; and his mother. managing ncr
best. grew thiner and aunter day Us day.
1, Was some title comfort that the chit
dren at school at last became tired uf
laughing und torme Itiu- him. aud with
the exception Of few attacks from street
boys he wore hi pants la peace. thuug
never without a CRUSHING sense of their
conspicuous ugliness.
One day, walking home behind Bessie
and Harry Llndeu-HeTcules would have
envied Harry had he known how-hr
heard Bessie telling, Ia gitciui tones. thar
her mother Was COMM. home soon. ana
She did hope that she would bring her q
/ little white dog. nice and clean and fat
Hercules had heart as forgiviug a, an
angels without being in the least consci-
Gus of 1t, and he hoped Bessie would not
be disappointed.
Bessie was SO pretty and dainty. 50 like
a perfect little lady, Liat his boyish heart
was warm aud loyal 10 her,
-
asked; Harry.
Tomorrow night | guess. Auutie and
| are going down ID the railroad station
to meet her. II she don't come to-mor
row night, she's just sure and certain to
come the next night
I'D rather have 4 black -and-tan than
white dO. s..u Harry, or ne added,
pointing over his shoulder with his thumb,
a green one, like lIerkey Gumps pants
Bessie laughed loudly aud mcrriIy, and
Harry joined. while Hercules dassed
across the street, up an alley and arrived
hObie in tears.
Mother, he cried, can't wear my
old pants: wouldn't care how ragged
they were. il could only take these OH
People all laugh at me-
Poor child said his mother. thin and
worried with overmuch managing to do;
have another pair; suppose they do look
odd
She was beginning TO realize that green
was not a fashionable color for pants.
anyway.
The next afternoon Hercules had an err
rand to do on kearney street. The
thoroughfare was little more crowded
than usual. but Hercules had sharp ewes.
ana he spied Bessie and her Aunt Lilly
and another lady, who, he guessed, was
her mother, walking just in front of him;
and Bessie. he saw, led by a, blue ribbon
round its neck, a fat little white dog.
Its name shall be Snow. because we
never have snow in San Francisco Bessie
had said; aud her mother and aunt had
both merrily declared it an excellent reas-
on, and agreed that its name must be
Snow.
Hercules walked along quietly behind
them. admiring the spotless Snow, and
Bessie and her mother. Her Aunt Lilly
hel didn't admire very greatly; perhaps he
onnidn.f haIp faalipv nal - WAS not vprv