The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-23

miss my little girl tonight when want
the red stand drawn out for the drop
light; and I'm sure grandpa will need
his slippers"
Gay looked somewhat irresolute; but
her mamma here spoke:
81 think" said she, if you intend
to reach the woods before dark YOU
should start at once, for it is almost
two o'clock now"
Goodbye ev'ybody,'' said Zay
again.
And" said Lita, "rll carry the
gun down and open the front gate for
you"
Bravely the child marched out of the
room, out of the front door and gate.
Then Lita handed her the gun, but
after trying several times to walk with
it, she told Lita that she didn't know
as she would care for any wolf wish
bone with her butter crackers, and
asked her to take the gun back in the
house, and then she banged the gate,
hoping Mary saw her, with an air of
Importance, and battered off on fast
little dog-trot down the street.
Meanwhile we were all watching her
behind the blinds.
Don't lose sight of her. said
mamma, "but don't let her see YOU"
This is what Lita saw: A sturdy lit
tie figure walking steadily onward,
never looking back. At length it stops,
opens the little purse, counts its money,
but never noting that in the trouble
with the clasps the three little coins
fail, like three silver rain drops, to the
pavement. 1t goes on and on, till Lita
fears it will really 90 out of sight. Then
the little figure slows up'' again,
opens the little purse, and stops short!
All, the horrors of poverty! Lita I'M
derstands the poor little irresolute fig
ure. No money means no butter crack
ers, and no butter crackers means de-
spair. The little steps come home
ward The blue eyes are bent on the
ground She does not know that
grandpa has come quietly up behind
her, and found each little silver piece.
The little rebel appeared in the hall
just as dinner was carried in. There
was most savory odor of fricassee.
Grandma and mamma and Lita were
just entering the dining-room.
Well, LAY calmly announced, e.
'cluded not to 60 till after dinner"
SIS that so?'' quietly replied her
mother. but you might better have
gone on. Any little girl who wants to
leave nice home because she can't
have her own way needn't look for any
dinner here! Expected you to dine on
butter, crackers and bears
81 like chicken, l do" said proud
little Zay, with appealing eyes, but
no tears; "and then lost all my
penniesn'
In vain did the tender-hearted
grandma pull mammals dress-mamma
entered the dining-room and shut the
door; and up came poor Gay to the
room where | awaited my dinner, for
she had seen tray bourne hither. But
she did not know that her mammals
parting injunction had been, You
must not give her anything! | must
indeed, L wish to teach my child Il
| lessOn.n
Little sun-hat and empty porte
monnaie put away, quietly she seated
herself on the sofa opposite me, with
two little fat feet hanging dangling
down. Dignity kept her silent, and
amusement mingled with pity made
me so.
This state of things lasted for some
moments, while the dainties were
diminishing from my plate. Every
mouthful was wistfully watched At
length with grave old-fashoned face,
she asked, " Are you sorry for beggar
chill en-, Aunty?"
Very sorry indeed" replied, with
composure.
Then with tremor in her voice:
"Aunty, if you saw little child in
| the street starvin' to death for some
bread and butter wifi jelly on it,
wouldn't you give her some?"
| shook my head. Another pause,
and then with fat hands clasped, and
voice full of sobs, poor little Gay cried
out: so aunty, if you saw little girl
starvin' to death for sponge cake,
wouldn't you give her some?''
Glow could /, lay, if the little girls
mamma had forbidden it?''
All her fortitude was gone. She
burst into tears. She laid her head
down on the sofa and sobbed.
90, oh! and they had fricassed
chicken, with Mary's nice toast under
it; and you have sponge cake and wine
Jelly; and haven't muffin; there isn't
one single butter cracker in the houser'
At this climax of misery the house
resounded with her lamentations, in
which my tears would mingle; but for
tunately the dear grandparents soon
appeared to comfort their darling. And
so, somehow, upon grandpa's lap it be-
came easier to see how naughty it was
to annoy good old Mary, and how UNI
grateful it was to wish to run away
from home. And pardons were begged
and kisses were given, and the three
little silver pieces crept back into the
tiny portemonnaie, and Zay had some
of Mary's nice toast with lots of gravy,
and drumstick and wish-bone.
Zay is a young lady now, and pre-
sumo when she reads this story she will
pout and blush, and the more because
it is every word true. -Carrie Cronl-
nell Wright, IN Wide-A10Gke.