The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-18
TOTS, THE PEACE-MAKER.

TOTS, THE PEACE-MAKER. @
Tots was just upon the point of
stepping into bed, when an idea struck
her.
1t had been trying day for Tots all
the way through. From morning un.
til night this insignificant member of
the family had been in difficulties, and
a source of much discomfort to herself
and other people. 1t was hot, every
body was cross, and Tots, whose re-
sources in the way of entertainments
was limited, had had great troubles to
dispose of her time. In the morning
she had gone fishing in the duck-pond,
with crooked pin for hook, and a
ball of worsted for line. After wait
ing patiently for her prey for some
time, she had tired of this amusement.
owing to its nOnsuccess, and deter.
mined to 60 after some water-lilies.
When Tots grasped the water.lily, the
board upon which she rested her tiny
feet slipped from under them, and Tots
was summarily precipitated into the
pond. When she appeared at the farm
house, her bedraggled condition
brought down such a storm of decun-
citation upon her head that the unsuc-
cessful angler, who had expected moth
ing but congratulations upon her mar
row escape from drowning, was dis.
gusted. Aunt Susan dressed her, and
Tots suffered so much during the oper-
alton that she vowed never to 20 near
the pond again.
After dinner she had wandered out
to the arbor, underneath whose leafy
roof Flo Stanton was playing with her
clergyman.lover's heart, as if there
was so little pain in the world that she
could afford to manufacture more.
Tots listened to the whole interview,
and watched the minister go away too
well.behaved a young woman to inter-
rupt the tete-a-tete. But after having
furtively watched Aunt Flo cry as if
her heart would break, for the two
hours succeeding his departure, Tots
thought she might venture upon lit
tie consolation. 1t really was too bad
that her well-meant efforts only result
ed in pair of boxed ears, and abrupt
orders to s'go away
Then life became a burden. Tots
began to look upon the world as
melancholy place. There was nothing
TO do, and everybody was too full of
their own affairs to pay her any at.
tention. 1t was CLEAN of brightness
when the bell rang for supper. In
spite of her WEAKNESS and general dis.
gust with sublunary affairs, Tots still
retained her appetite, and her bread
and butter and strawberries certainly
did their part toward raising her spir-
it's. But after supper came the cul-
minating disaster Of the day. In a
thoughtless moment, Tots, in spite of
the warnings of past experience, wan
dered into the kitchan. The kitten Law
under the stove, and Tots made a rush
to take possession of her pet plaything.
Her foot slipped, she fell against the
table, and a big china dish went
humping, bouncing, crashing,on to the
floor. The altar upon which burnt
sacrifices were daily offered lay broken
in hundred pieces. Aunt Susan wit
messed the whole transaction, and in
two minutes Tots was seized, spanked
and sent to bed.
There is nothing to do but yield to
Fate and Aunt Susan. They are com.
bination too strong for Tots to over
come. So she toddles upstairs, lays
aside the garment she has worn dur
ing the day, and buttons herself into
her bifurcated night-dress,
Then it is that the idea comes to her.
Tots, Notwithstanding her tender
years, is devoted to fictitious litera.
ture. She cannot read herself, but
she takes great pleasure in listening
to Aunt Fanny, who sometimes enter.
tains the family by reading aloud.
Their last author was Dickens. and
Tots imagination has been greatly OK.
cited by the beautiful story of David
Copperfield and his child-wife, little
Dora. sc-.. ~
''If,'' says Tots to herself, 81 could
only marry somebody. Now Dora was
just as good for nothing as am, and
yet Dodo loved her, and nobody called
her a nuisance and boxed her ears. 1t
must have been very nice to live in
the little house with Dodo and Jip. r
wonder if could find anybody to mar
~ me?''
Then, all of a sudden, Tots thinks of
the minister. His name is David, and
he lives all alone in the cunningest lit.
tie cottage, with an old woman for
hOusekeeper.
ut would be just the thing thinks
Tots. I'll ask him."
With Tots, to plan is to execute.
She withdraws the foot with which
she has begun to scale the heights of
the bed, and goes to the window. The
moon shines brightly. She isn't a bit
afraid. In two minutes she has
scrambled over the roof of the shed,
. seized the bo1gh Of the old apple. tree,
lot horso1f nnietlv d0vvn IN tho nro,,rd 3