The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-01-11
NO POCKET.
BY SARAH WINTER KELLOGG.

It was at Katie McPherson's Christmas
party that the announcement was made,
i'm the dining-room, where scores OF
bright children were assembled to par
take of the good things which Mrs. Nc
pherson had bountifulIy provided, -Jim-
NV Johnson made the announcement,
and this it was:
~Bushy Caruthers amt got no peck
ct ="
Jimmy delivered this in such tones
and witb such manner as he might
have used if he had said: " Bushy Car
uthers amt got no thumbs! :" or " Bushy
Caruthers amt got no nose !"
Hasn't he ?" said Bobby Smedley,
with as much eager concern as Jimmy
johnson, or, indeed, the most exacting
news bearer could have asked or desired
Hasn't be ," said also Dickey SimP-
kins.
There was that in Dickey's tone which
added, "I'm glad I'm not in Bushy'S
trousers
Nellie Partridge, who was one OF Jim
nv .yohnson's audience, opened her eyes
roundly and puckered her mouth into a
perfect O, and then gave vent to long
:, Why! :" of astonishment.
$40, he Amt got no pocket" Jimmy
repeated, with no abatement in his can
vou-beIieve-it manner.
..That's cause he's little boy,' said
Tommy Mayneer, who was large Of his
age.
With this explanation, Tommy thrust
his hands into his trousers pockets, DIRE"
himself up to the full capacity Of his
inches, and marched back and forth
few PAGES with great dignity.
Nellie Partridge, who, l much tear,
will in time grow to be gossip, hurried
ever to the group Of children IN the
next corner, and repeated, with solemn
eyes:
"Say! Bushy Caruthers amt got nc
pocket"
Did YOU ever ~ said one little audi
tor, It's too bad" said another
:. Wbv!" exclaimed a third, hurrying
away TO carry the news to the mex
group of children. Then the word wen
to the company of little folks collected
at the window thence to the children
outside the dining-room door in the hall
on and on, until everybody knew tina
Bushy Caruthers was 30 unfortunate a
to be at a party where candy and nut
and oranges and all manner OF goot
things abounded, and where there was
Christmas tree, and yet to have nj
pocket.
What made it worse was, that it was
Mrs. McPheBon's way at her Katie
Christmas parties always to insist upol
each little guest filling his or her pocket
with good things 10 take home"
Poor Bushy!
After a while the word reached Bush!
himself. OF course he knew he hadn'
any pocket before the children fOckeC
around him with their expressions o
coincidence and their eager inquiries anC
exclamations of concern but until h
had heard these, and seen the Consterna
ton of the little faces, he had no con
ception of the magnitude of his misfor
tune. When this really dawned uPOl
Bushy, he thought he ought to cry bu
that seemed too much like baby conduct
So he perked up his head with an heroi
look in his funny little face, and rolle'
his eyes from one to another Of his con
dolers, az if he would say, Well, if
amt got any pocket, Pm going to bea
nv trouble like a man"
"Wel, Bushy," Barney Williamson
advised, you eat all the candy and jell!
and nuts and cakes and oranges you cal
hold"
"What makes um call you Bushy
anyhow 2" asked Henry Clay Martin
You amt bushy bit you're slick a