New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-09-17
LITTLE SAM.

money as they knew how to take care
OF, popular verdict declared it to be the
Deans; and nobody grudged them
either their money or their loveliest Of
homes. In one of the city suburbs
where pavements and lamps had not
yet stretched, where the country ways
were overhung with elms and beeches,
and every house was set in lawns and
gardens, stood this home of theirs an
old stone mansion, with bays and bal
comics overgrown with Virginia creeper
and wistaria whose stems had inter.
twisted themselves with the masonry at
every crevice, and were as stout and
strong as ropes-ropes here and there
stretched 50 tightly that they sang in
the wind like Eolian harps. Within
the house the hall was laid in old tiles,
and covered with rugs, the noiseless
and beautiful drawing-rooms and IL
brary were filed with inherited treas
ures. and. to say nothing Of sleeping
rooms and nursery, the play-room was
. fairy place, and nothing less. It was
the only room in the house that Mrs.
Dean had changed when she came in to
reign; but she had arranged this great
sunny place to please her own fancy,
and not that of her husbands ances-
tors. On the wall she had q paper
hung, contrary to the canons Of art,
she was told, but delightful to the eyes
of her boys and girls, where on skyey
background blush-roses climbed all
over gilded trellis, birds built their
nests and tilted Ion the sprays, and chill
dren's faces peered in and out the gar
lands. The floor wore a thick felt that
allowed no tumbles to hurt the tumbler,
and that deadened every noise; and for
the remainder there was no contriv-
ance to amuse the children that the
mother had not amassed in that room.
There was the big white rocking horse
nearly as large as her own ponies, :. al
saddled, all bridled, all fit for a
6ght;" there was the mimic nine
pin alley, the bagatelle tables, the
philosophical apparatus and the
telescope, with which Mr.. Dean
used to perform for the children. and
give them glimpses Of the :. fairy tales
OF science when the other fairy tales
palled. and of worlds beyond when the
pleasures of their own were not enough.
And then there were tho walking and
talking dolls, with q multitude Of other
mechanical toys, and there were paral-
lei bars, and, yes, q low flying trapeze.
A happy little set of savages they were
that had the freedom Of this delightful
room when the day 8 spelling and null
tipiying were over. There were Robin
and Matte, the twins, and Ned; there
were the two orphan cousins that had
been added to the number; there were
usually more or less OF the neighbors'
babies; and there was Cyrus, the pet
and darling of them all, fair-faced.
blue-eyed little fellow, with his long
yellow curls floating over his shoulders
too lovely, it seemed to that
household, for common flesh and
blood. A precocious little creature,
too, for his four years. full Of mischief.
his old nurse said. as a nut IS of meat
and full OF sweetness, too. Singing
about the house from dawn till dark.
kissing the dog, which felt him pecu-
liar charge, worrying the cat, feeding
the birds, vanishing the chairs with
the mucilage, decorating the wall with
his fingers dipped in the ink bottle.
breaking the precious flowers from the
stem for some unwelc0me guest, know
ing no difference between servants and
masters, and having kisses for all, al
ways serious and always loving in the
midst Of his preoccupation and mis-
chief, the little fellow was the idol of
home and Of the region round about.
One night as they all sat in the play
room by fire Cit being rainy outside),
when the games lad failed any longer
TO amuse, each one recited some verse
already learned; and while thus en-
gagged, it was found that Cyrus had
been printing on the bit Of q black
board, in uncouth but very recognize
BILE characters, the letters Of tho alpha
bet; and when the others had said
THUR say, he came and stood by his
mothers knee. and repeated the !: Bet
ter Land. :" in his sweet, serious voice
and baby patois.
As Mrs. Dean went through the play.
Dom, later, with q candle in her hand,
hose characters on the blackboard
fared up like the handwriting on the
wall, and made her shiver, Is she after
ward remembered, she knew not why.
She passed through into the nurseries,
and saw her little people all gently
sleeping there; but somehow her heart
seemed to lnger the longest round
Cyrus, as he lay with the coverings
tossed to the winds, and his yellow
curls streaming round his face In It's
rosy slumber ike : nimhus.
The next night that little bed was
vacant, and bands Of men were search.
ing the country far and vide for Cyrus;
the father rode, half frantic, from one
place to another; the mother, after the
first, staid 81 home and wrung her
hands, the other chill ren clinoing dumb.
and aWe-struck to her skirts. The bov!
had been stolen. '':
Only those that clasp their own b.
bies, and think Of what might bafall the.
darlings ii some such dreadful I'M
known, can realize the agony that
night and day brought % those parents
for weeks and months. Its idle To-
tell Of that CRIED, Of the efforts that
were made, of the fortune that VS.
spent. Of the uselessness 81 Il III. Tho
picture Of the little head on IL pillow
that last night huns const antly before
the mothers eyes; III his charming
little aaVin0a WanA In kar MI 4 s. ahos