The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-02

That which Happened Tommy.
At first, I assure you, there was no
appearance of anything of the kind. On
the contrary, Tommy was pretty boy,
with a bright expression and lovely
mouth and eyes, and very long, dark
lashes; 1 would repeat, his eye-iashes
were very long.
One day, he came to my house to
bring back basket that had lent him
to take some cakes home in.
Tommy" said i, "did your mother
like the cakes9"
"Didn't have any," he replied.
"And pray why not ?" 1 asked.
"There wasn't any left for her."
"Why, you little pig |" remarked.
and thought no more about it. A few
days after, however, l did say to my Sis
ter Mary:
"Mary, have you noticed that Tommy
Slocum's eyes are not SO soft and sweet
as they used to be?"
"It's because his lashes are so short, :"
she said.
"Short / almost screamed.
"Short Why I never saw such long
lashes in my life, just like his mother's!"
The very shortest and whitest eve
lashes ever saw on anything, :" my sister
answered.
Twas so much hurt that I left the
room, and had to step out in the garden
and look at the gooseberries before
could recover my temper.
That was the beginning of it, to the
best of my remembrance. When he
next came to see me found that Mary
was right. His eye-lashes were short
and white; he blinked great deal, and
his eyes were pinkish at the edges of
the lids-so much so that 1 wept silently
after he went away.
Mary was so sorry she had hurt my
feelings that she brought down from
the garnet our rocking horse, and invited
Tommy and three of his cousins to take
tea with us.
Mary dislikes children. She thinks
it must be because they are always trip
ping one up-either under ones heels,
or tnmbling into the conversation or fire.
But she made this rocking-horse party
to please me.
Tommy came first. His voice sQueaked
badly, but still he was sweet and clean.
He jumped on the rocking-horse be-
fore speaking to us or taking off his hat.
He rode the horse to water in one of
Mays hyacinth glasses and broke it, and
stuffed her soft knitting in its mouth for
hay, and wiped it down with my kitten,
which scratched him.
am afraid he would not have per-
mitted his cousins to ride at all if 1 had
- .,14 l.
1 think it was on that same evening
that Tommy's mother found, when she
undressed him, short stubby white hairs
growing out all over him.
"What have you been doing to your.
self, Tommy?" she said.
"Do 1 do it, mother?" said Tommy
looking up at her, conscience stricken.
His expression was so piggish, and al
the same time so guilty, that his mother
could only fold him in her arms and CRY
over him.
Tommy cried little with her, for ht
Yves not yet all pig.
81 do try sometimes to be good" hi
said, "but there's something inside O
me that wants to have the best of every
thing and l will kick and bite ant
squeak if it does not get it, and it il
growing so fast"
At this time Tommy studied hard anc
played hard as well. There seemed n,
reason why he should not be favOrite
but, whenever his name was mentione,
there arose a chorus of 'sPig Pig
Pig! I" None OF the boys knew of hi
new growth of bristles, nor were the
jealous of his high standing IN his class
but when he refused to lend Frank Som
ers his arithmetic one day at recess, Bo
Jones said frankly
"What pig you are !
Tommy had two arithmetics an
should have given one to Frank, as h
was poor boy. Instead of doing SC
he teased him when he found him study
ing in Bob Jones book, and the affai
ended in fight.
Tommy was well whipped. Bo
Jones and Tommy could fight we
enough, but that he lost his footing 8
often and stumbled, 80 there was no flu
in fighting him.
When Tommy took off his shoes an
stockings that night, he found that hi
feet were horny at the toes. and SCENE
to be growing hoofish. Fancy what
night of misery for the poor little DO
to bear alone He took his poor littl
feet in his hands and tried to war;
them, and 30 fell asleep.
When he awoke he hoped he had ha
a very bad dream; but, even in on
night, his feet had turned to pigs fee
and by broad daylight there was no d,
nying it.
He rose very early and dresse
himself quickly, lest anyone shout
see his deformity. He filed u
the toes of his shoes with rags, cryin
bitterly when he found how hard il ws
to walk without stumbling. Once &
twice he thought of telling his new mil
cry to his mother, also about his selfisl
ness toward Frank Somers; but q ba
voice in his heart told him not to, an
he went down to the kitchen and kicke
at the door instead, squeaking at 81