The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-11-29
How Ruth Got Under a Cloud.
BY MRS, NJ, Il. BUTTS.


Ruth Tracy was such wide
awake, sunshiny little girl, and hat
been'praised so much for her bright
happy disposition, that she hat
made up her mind that she wal
much better than ordinary boys
and girls.
at home that 81: .st>saIg lib her mis-
take. Rose, the w girl, fell sick
aud Mrs. Tracy could not get an
other servant for week. So Ruth
was needed to help do the house
work. Now Ruth had never been
used to work at home. Her nam
ma thought her lessons at school,
her music, and her calisthenicS
were enough to fill up a little girls
time so she never asked her to
wash dishes, or take care of little
Robbie, or do errands, or dust, or
even to take care Of her own room.
But now it was all different, and
our good girl suddenly grew cross
and sullen and tretful and sour-So
sour that her big brother called Il
little pickle, and asked her how
long she had been out of the vine
gar jar.
"Come, Ruth dear" said Mrs.
Tracy, the second morning Of Roses
sickness, 81 wish you to get up
right off"
"What, now? Why. it isn't
light yet, and Fm horribly sleepy ~
~ will light your lamp. 1t is
almost seven O'clock, and breakfast
will soon be ready. There is ever
so much for you to do before school
time.n
Ruth pouted and frowned, but
she did not dare disobey. SO she
put one little bare foot out into the
cold, and then another, very slowly,
and in the course of five minutes
she had dragged herself to the
register, and put on her stockings.
She worked so slowly that she was
soon very chilly, aud her fingers
were almost as stiff as sticks. just
as she was pouring out some water
Tor her bath, the breakfast bell
rang. That gave her such start
that she let the pitcher slip from
her hand, and split the water all
over her. Then she ocas in a plight.
She had no dry stockings upstairs,
and it was long way down to the
dlning-room where her mother was.
Oh, how cross our good little girl
became! She slammed the poor
Innocent water-pitcher into the
wash-bowl she took her stockings
OIL and threw them across the
room; she made faces at picture
that hung over her dressing table
she went to the head OF the stairs |
screamed for her mamma at the top |
OF her voice; and at last as her
mother didn't hear, she went into
her room, slamming the door after
her, aud sat down again by the reg
lister. Help her mother, indeed
1nere was an ugly slop of water
on the pretty gray carpet, the dell
cate blue wall was splashed, and
way, the stockings were wet; and
Ruth's temper was lost, and that
was all.
BY and by Mrs. Tracy came up
and found--not a neat, sweet, COM
pete little Ruthie, but a frowsled
tousled child, sitting bumped over,
ln bedraggied nightgOwn.
Mamma wasn't a woman to be
" taken inn by naughty, self-willed
children. She was a keen, sharp
eyed mamma, and she understood
ae state of things at a glance.
" Ruth is a naughty, ill-tempered
snrl, after ALL" she said to herself,
and | must cure her as soon as
possible. "When Ruth saw her
mother, she put her hands to her
mead, which had really begun to
acne by this time, and said:
~ mammal it was so early, and
| was so sleepy, aud my head"
" Don't say anything more be-
sah mamma. SECT right into bed |
my dear it is almost as easy to
nalt on two sick 'cssrsons as on one.