The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-02-09
Bobby.


Bobby.
Just as the clock finished striking,
Bobby's papa, at the foot OF the stairs,
called,
"Bobby Bobby"
No answer.
"Bobby, it's time to get up 7
o'clock.
Bobby evidently did not agree with
his father, for ne lay very still and said
nothing until he heard him shut the
door. Then he crawled out of bed and
crept softly across the floor to the look
ing-glass. He was somewhat disap-
pointed IN the picture he saw there. The
face was little too healthy to suit him.
Sick boys faces generally looked thin
and white, and sick boy was what he
had made up his mind to be, for the day
at least, so he crept back to bed again.
In few minutes he heard the door
open; some one was coming up The stairs;
it was his mother, he knew; so he put
on as woe-begone an expression as he
was able, and calmly awaited his fate.
She knocked at the door and softly
said, Bobby, are You upa"
"No marm," mournfully answered
Bobby; and, as she opened the door,
said, in a most miserable voice, 81 don't
feel very well to-day"
my dear child, what's the matter r.
"My throat's kind of sore and my
head aches awfully," family answere
Bobby from the pillows. He really
tried hard to think so.)
"Throat sore Let me see," she said,
bending over him.
Bobby submitted to her examination
like a martyr.
81 hope you're not going to have the
diphtheria, dear.
II hope not, family echoed Bobby;
in fact he was not quite so much afraid
of the diphtheria as his mother.
"Ill go down and get some medi-
cines. Do you feel able to come down
stairs z"
Bobby didn't think that he did, but
CT think I'll have my breakfast sent
up" added he in more audible tone.
"Will Bridget toast me some bread, do
you think 2"
His mother smiled; she did not fear
the diphtheria now as much as she did,
and as she went down stairs she said:
"Well, if he is sick, medicine will do
him good, and if he isn't, which think
is probably the case, it certainly cannot
hurt him." So in a short time, armed
with glass of medicine in one hand
and small piece of dry toast in the
otner, she again went to Bobby's room.
He did not seem to be much worse, and
bravely swallowed the medicine, but as
his mother left the room he looked
rather scornfully at the toast and said,
"Pretty small rations for boy of my
size, but" with grim smile, :" 1 a0on',
20 to school to-day if 1 starve." he
quickly made way with the toast, and
Law back on the pillows again.
He heard the first school bell ring, and
he smiled family to himself; ne heard
the second school bell ring, and ther
with the school off from his mind, his
thoughts wandered down stairs. He
wondered what they were having fol
breakfast. 1t was strange that his father
did not come up to see him before he
went down street. He wondered If he
would bring him an orange when ht
came to dinner. He had faint remem
brance of the time when he had the meas
les. and oranges were not merely things
of the imagination.
At last 1t seemed 10 MIN That IL mus
be about noon. His mother came W
stairs again. Bobby hoped she would
ask him to come down stairs ard lie Oh
the sofa, but his hope was not fulfilled
Mrs. Hammond sat down by the sid,
of the bed and felt of Bobby's pulse
mt her cool hand on his forehead, an(
aoftlv smoothed his hair, and said sh,
Thought it was time for more medicine
Bobby made up face in the pillow.
"Let me see, 10 o'clock" she said
thoughtfully: -. -,
!" Ten O'Clock 2" said Bobby, wit
more animation than he had as yet dis
plaved. "Ten o'clock-is that all"
att isn't 10 yet" his mother answere
quietly. .,.,
after all, this being sick.