The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-03-01

thing" IL sOas hard upon the children,
for when any of these things went they
could not be replaced. They had been
purchased in the days when papa
thought his children must have every
thing nice to play with.
Finally, Johnny grew desperate, and
one day dragged in pieces of boards and
nailed a rough, patchy sort of Dashboard
all around the studding, close to the
floor. After this they managed to keep
the remainder of their playthings safely,
only the bali. Johnny had by this time
learned not to play with that upstairs Mt
all, for il would be sure to bound over
the Dashboard, and be of and gone like
the rest.
One day their mamma went away in
the morning for part of days work at a
neighbours, and left the m alone. They
were well used to this, and, being coy lit
tie things and well agreed in everything,
they had never failed to amuse them
selves in some way. But to-day they
sat on the floor in the middle of their
room and looked at each other.
"What shall we play, johnny" at
last said little Minnie.
uuuuO, duSWcIcu OOlIuyt CiOooiJs
We've wore out everything"
"Why, JOHNNY" spoke little Minnie,
cheering up, "we haven't wore out
everything either We could play go
visitin'. My doll should wear her new
hat, and lace cape-oh dear !" she sud
denly exclaimed, 81 forgot, she hasn't
got anything to wear now; most all her
go-to-meetin' things went down behind
the floor, that time when you tipped over
her trunk"
In the midst of her lamentations
Johnny gave sudden whoop, and turned
somersault upon the floor.
"Jingo know what I'll do Mover
you mind, Min, I'm going to fish up
those things some way !"
ooh, Johnny I" said the little sister,
fully believing her little brother could
do anything. "Won't that be good =
and she clapped her hands and danced
about. interfering much in her Joy with
her wise brother, who was hunting for
fish hook.
Don't you bother" said he, "and
I'll have some of 'em up here as quick
as a cat -
The boy evidently believed he could
do this, whether he could or not. He
tied string TO his fish hook and dropped
it over the rude Dashboard into the cav
ity below. 1t clinked little, aimlessly,
against the side of the house and
finally caught in a splinter. Johnny
gave it little impatient jerk and
drew it up. He then tied sinker "
on il, as he would if he had been fishing,
but the whole arrangement proved too
light and irresponsible. II danglcd, and
clinked, and clinked, but brought up no
fish.
A new thought struck the enterprising
Johnny. He ran down stairs and out to
the barn, and soon returned with his
own little fishing pole-light and flexible
just the thing for his experiment. He
split it little at the end, slipping in the
hook and winding a string around it to
hold it in place. This Vas just the
thing. He dropped the pole down and
fumbled about and brought up roll of
something which little Mirnie at once
seized with an air of ownership
pieces of her dolls clothes. Again and
again he poked about but got nothing.
He tried the next place. "Oh, Min
ME |" said he, excitedly, "here's where
I tipped ever your dolls trunk. Kee-ee!
Just look here !" And slowly and caIe-
fully he brought up one thing and an
other that the little girl had lost. Her
dolls lace cape, the embroidered night
cap-caught by one string-and, oh !
that pretty and well-beloved bed-quilt !
The little sister had stood by regard
,pe Inh, al, ,r,1,t
conjurer. In utter bewilderment she
had watched every fresh "pass" he
made, and her eyes grew big at the pile
of things upon the floor. But at length,
when her well-beloved and long mourned
quilt appeared above the edge of
the Dashboard, she just gave up, like the
little woman that she was, and sat down
on the floor and cried.
what an awful goose !" said Johnny,
stopping and turning around. "What
are you crying for, say? just see your
stack OF things! Guess won't cry, not
much, if / can get hold of my pearl
handled knife again, with four blades,
that papa bought for me !"
Though with all his luck it was hardly
probable that he would fish up any
thing SO heavy as that, yet he contin-
ued his search, going entirely around the
room and bringing mp the queerest as
sortment of things. Mixed in with
shavings and covered with cobwebs
they were, as might be supposed coming
from such place-snarls of string, a
top, pair of Johnny's pants which had
a long time ago disappeared unaccount-
ably; more string, rags, Minnies doll
things, piece or two of her precious
tea set which had caught in the crown
of the dolls night-cap, or some rags.
Johnny's knife did come up at
last in this way his "buzz" had come
up by the string, and two or three
old letters along with thick folded
paper with writing upon one end. This
happened to have some string wound
round it which the hook had caught in.
Johnny hadn't paid much attention to
this when he pulled it up. 1t was so
black and dirty for one thing that it
didn't seem as ii it could be of any i'm
portance. And then he was 30 excited
with his rush of luck, and so tired, for
it had been no easy job for little boy
like him, but, fortunately, the fun OF
seeing what he'd get next" had kept