The Van Buren press., 1878-08-06
yewell's Wife. and Gen. Tom.
Thumbs Sistcr-in Law.

Mluuleporo, M.s's', oh Aue'""'' with
n chiiapco. ,;a w. ,,;u only \
aea.h Vi Hi. "a.ie -, very
~ emu inc pupi'e "PPo"i P.i;' "uI - instrll
III lnuiap P"i I zine
oao'o ne n';aa IT. '' - heads
,vsician sooner, her life might ~ :, m ova
been saved, although her child heolt
have been lost to her. But she saarc1 -
not until it was too late. During MI ;ngnc
,kncss she seemed to think of moth w;,h >
1 tho baby she soon hoped to press A NJ
bosom. Chan,
shall live she said to her sister, ~" % i,
,outhworth, and after her baby was ,ho II -
she said. with smile, i knew ing a
/ live take mo and rock me. The ar.; ii
TOOK Minnie III noi oi,'i', 10 NJ, ~ Swed
an infant. bon VI sS',' s' ~ 70 mira
snail i've lnfo"sl ~ ''pa' w., u, by NJ
little, she SAD, fotN nio on wy ~ " Nj
side, sister, Mrs. Southworth did boau
ID Minnie was quieta little while. tom
neth she said, with sigh, Il don't shnr
whether | shall get through, after by 4
Please put me on the bed | feel cane
badly; Pm afraid can't live g To
Ugh it, The sister put her tcndorly me
g bed. In few minutes without are
Ter word, and with only gentle ;. So
Minnie dieJ three hours after her Dau
was born. The baby was Il beau Ara
child, robust, and Weighed just ono, we'll
lth of Minnio's weight, six pounds. es g
was the youngest of family OF TAX
children, all Of whom, except her. the
md her sister Lavina, now Mrs: Tom of {
NIB, were of ordinary size. When pel.
1ie was eleven years old, she joined lbs
Tom. Thumb troupe, and for fifteen illu
= she travelled almost continually, onl
iag nearly I'LL the civilized parts OF scsj
riobo. She was forty inches hi height cen
never attained weight to exceea col
ounds, being considerably shorter, MI
more slender than Mrs. Tom. Thumb. Pa
was q years of ago at the time OF
death. To pretty face she added
SAINT disposition and winning ways
Ishe became the fast favorite OF Mr..
nun as we'll as the public. When
N Thumb was married to Lavlna
.ren, the general opinion was that
,modore Mutt would take Minnie Tor
bride but the little commodore had
4is 4tidsi AitlsctipDsnss ps ssfesnhtFsd en- ryn"' anu ms III
Il will take care Of you now, littl
sister," said Nelly, putting her arm
around her. well, what do you say
boys p
Thad and Joe looked at each other
1--WE had made Il sort of engagement
said Thad ''but we'd rather 20 will
you, and-we will &C" he added, resolute
| ly.
Mr.. Bigelow had left the table and wan
dered aimlessly to the window. Nelly
ran after him and caught his hand |
was like caressing q wooden statute.
"Papa,--you will go with US p
Il, Nelly, OH party of pleasure!
He stared down at her. The colo
actually rose into his withered check
"You don't think l could, my child
You do not want poor old man lik
me 2"
Something in his look revealed to Mel
ly the truth-the utter loneliness OF tn
totd mars life, the hungry craving 70
love and companionsllip, which she ha
never given him She held his hand i
hers moment, stroking it, then kissed i
She could not speak.
81 will 60, my child"
Her fathers voice was strangely alte
tered. He went into his own room, an
did not come out again.
Nelly WAS busy until late in the nigh
There was q tongue to boil, and a CO.
tain kind of cookies to bake. The boy
hoycred over her, happy, meddling /
every turn, but singularly gentle au
affectionate.
Mother used to make this kind {
cakes. Arn't they nice p
Alice had her sleeves rolled up and ht
apron on. Never was anybody MOI
busy es more important. Nelly joke
and laughed, aid made more fun out {
the packing of basket than was eve
made since time began. But her hcal
was sore within her, What tri1e wa
needed to make these children happy
and to bind them to home How soltar
and cheerless her fathers life had bee
these many years A little out spoke
love, little cheerfulness, was all tha
was needed, and sle had boon blind to
all these years!
The picnic was very simple matter
People who can afford pleasure ever
day would have lughed at it. The
went out to the park in the horse cars
Then they sailed up the broad, brgh
river to Rockland. Then Mr.. Bigclo,
found dark pool, and rugged his oil
rods, and taught the boys how to fish
They found out he had been famou
fisherman in his day. He told wonder
full stories of old exploits, brought II
old jokes, and was not little vain of th
boys shouts Of applause.
The children actually never had hear
their father talk before. They felt the
knew him for the first time. Thad wa
moved to con6de his scrapes with tn
Latin teacher to him, and little Joe fcl
asleep with his head on his knee.
Don't take him away, Nelly" saiC
the old man, when she would have re
moved him. " If only my children
would come closer to me in this way
Perhaps they will"
Nelly left Alice to preside over th
dinner. She spread it on q big rock
Her father and the boys kindlcd a fire
and Mr.. Bigelow cooked the three iis
| they had caught