The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-07-26
A Mis- blev Day.

A "Mis'ble" Day.
"Mamma! namma Alice I'm mis'ble
n lonesome. It's mis'b day. Miss
Davis has gone and hided, Dicky won't
sing, and Betsey is fracliJus. Why
wasn't two little boys stead of one?
Then L could play with the other one,
and be chifful all the time. 'Tisn't
any fun playing with yourself when you
are the same little boy. Ii l had been
two twins what would you have named
the other of me, and which one of us
would you have loved best?'
Poor mamma Alice 1t was "mis'ble
beating against the windows on one side,
and Trottikins' salt tears dripping down
upon the sill ON the other.
She looked up from her sewing and
across the room at the small and some
what roly-poly figure of her son, and
sighed--sighed most dolefully; for it
was made evident by every word, look
and motion of that small individual
that he was not only mis- BILE an lone
some," but that he was thoroughly and
wretchedly cross.
Trottikins," she said gently, "why
don't you play with your Noah's Arks
Bring it here by me and L will play with
you" g
CT don't like No lark. The sheep
are as big as the eiefants, and the paint
all scrubbed off the peoples faces when
L put EN- in a Deluge in the washbowl
the other day wish L had something
new to play with. l wish L had little
baby sister like Harry Coloron's. L wish
[ could put on my rub-boots n go n
splosh round. What's the use o. having
rub. boots n kee ing 'em in the shoe
closet all the time? Ii you had rub
boots, mamma AlIce, you'd want to wear
EN- some, too, n not have 'em all crack
up with dryness J.
Mamma Alice looked at the little fig
ure again. Such a disconsolate little
tigure AS it was, with the snarl of string
hanging out OF one pocket OF the comical
little short-legged trousers, the wrinkles
on the white forehead and the tear
streaks on the smooth cheek (Trotti.
k us has the popularity of ways crying
grmy tears.) Such pitiful little figure
with the strip of red flannel around Its
throat
Trottikins, she said, 81 would much
rather that the boots should all crack
up with dryness than that my little
boys throat should become worse. Come
here and sit dow by me ana let me ell
you about Jack and the Bean stalk. >"
But Trottikins looked at her sidewise
unuer his long eye-lashes and was obdu-
rate
- don't want to hear bout Jack. I
don't want to hear any stories. / don't
feel story-hungry to-day. / don't want
any thing there Is in this whole house.
[ want 1t to clear off so't l can go out II
play. think it s real mean, do !"
" rrottklns -
One of Trottlkins' little shoes came
against the wall with startling force as
he made that last statement, and man.
ma Allce's blue eyes gazed at him very
gravely and sorrowfully.
Where is my good, gentle, little
boy gone this morning ?" she said CT
am sure he was with me when l first
awoke; but now l don't see him any
where, and naughty little spirit has
come to take his place and make bis man
mas heart ache. Tell me where has
my little boy gomez"
81 guess I'll go and see Betsey," said
Trottiklns, evading the question and
walking very raight across the room,
"p'Iaps she got good-natured again by
this time. Anyway, 1 guess she'll
be more pllte to me n you
are. You called me names, you did
mamma Alice, aud papa Fred told me
the very other day tnat twas the un-
p'litest thing any body could DO to call
names; and guess you'll feel or'fy sor-
ry bout 1t by-n-by." And so the door
closed behind him, and mamma Alice
was left alone.
Presently loud burst of weeping
was heard from the kitchen, together
with Betsey's voice raised in earnest ex.
postulation. Mamma Alice rose from
her chair with a wearied little sigh and
went out to discover the cause of the
outcry; and, on reaching the kitchen
door, she was met by Betsey holding
Trottikins by the shoulder-and such a
TrotCikins Were it not that tears had
made portion of his face visible NAM
ma Alice would have had hard work to
recognize her child, for from head to
foot he was as white as flour could make
him.
"[ just took my eyes off him for one
minute, ma'am," explained Betsey,
land the next thing 1 knew he had
whipped into the pantry and was in the
-four barrel head first, with just his feet
sticking Out"
81 was just a-tryipg to reach some
-four with a spoon, to make cake fol
Miss Davis" said the culprit, gasping.
ly, wIpiDg away his doughty tears with
his hVury knuckles, "'n twas 30 ia,
down l had to get up in a chair, n the
chair sided away. That's how twas
mamma, n Betsey ought to have taken
better care % me n then 1 shouldn't
have done it.
And then mamma Alice, with an
other sigh for the sewing she so wanted
to finish that day, devoted tn,
next half hour to the task o.
metamorphosing this dol~ful and al
together disheartenipg little image be