Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-04-04
THE BABY'S PICTURE.

ness, Tor ner Pheasant VOICE Hdu only
dash of sharpness, and no fire flashed
from her soft brown eyes. But she ioaS
out of temper: no doubt about that, and
no wonder. She had left her mite of Il
cottage early that April morning, and
gone over to New York to shop, and in
the very first store she entered-a store
crowded with people buying seeds and
bulbs and plants-her pocket-book, con-
tanning her half-monthly allowance,
had been stolen, and she had been
obliged to return to Sumnertown with
out the young lettuces and cabbageS
and onion sets and parsley and 1adish
seeds that she had intended the very
next day to plant in her mite of gar
den. And every day lost in Il garden in
early spring, rs everybody knows, Or
ought to know, is loss indeed, and
there's nothing in the world SO eXasper-
ating to an amateur gardener, rs every
body also knows, or ought to know, than
to hear from neighboring amateur
gardener: Good morning, Miss Pep
pard. How backward you are this
year! Your radishes are just showing,
and we've had mt least dozen day
for three days past. And our parsley s
~, and our onions doing nicely. And
you used to be 50 forward"
SO Miss Peppard, who was dear lit
tie sweetfaced, wonderfully bright old
lady, living in the neatest and most
comfortable manner ON a small income,
with faithful colored servant-woman
few years younger than herself, II rol-
ly-poly dog, u tortoise-shell cat, and
three birds, had two reasons for being
sorely vexed, the loss other money and
the loss of the days which she had ex-
pected would start the green things
a-growing.
cali the money | had" she said to
Peteona-called Ona tor short--as she
rocked nervously back and forth in her
rocking-chair, her eyes sparkling and
her cheeks flushed 81 only wish
could catch the thief. I'd send him to
Jail as sure as the grass is green"
Oats sho' enuf, Miss Peppar' Pc
teona always dropped the "d"-"an' it
q sarve 'em zackly right, wen dey tpa,
ketched, to be drug to de lookup by de
heels" Then after slight pause,
which was Ona's way, she added an af-
ter-thought: "Dono, dough; s'pcse dey
might as well take de pore wretch
by de head"
"All the money had, repeated Miss
Peppard: Five and twenty dollars; and
can't get any more for two weeks, for
borrow / never did and never will. And
there's the garden all laid out and ready
for planting, and Mrs. Brown sets out
her lettuces and cabbage plants to-mor.
row morning, and she'll be sending them
here with her compliments com
pliments, indeed before ours have be-
gun to head"
"'If she do. I'll frow 'em ober de
fence" said Ona. Better eat them,
dough, guess. Her compliments can't
hurt 'em."
"And oh! my conscience Miss Pep
pard went on she could invoke her
conscience" thus lightly, dear old lady
because she had nothing on it) "baby's
picture was in that pocket-book. And
can't get another. Polly said it was
the last, and the photographer don't
come that way but once year.
well, well, you are pore soul,
sympathized Peteona, "to go an lose
dat ar picter-dat lubly thing JUS like
horned angel. An yer sisters onliest
chile-'cept five. Wish | had dat rob
Der we're dis minnit; I'd box his ears SO
he couldn't set down fur q week"
"He wouldn't be mere long," said her
mistress. "Of all things in the wide
world, hate thief. I'd have him put
where he'd steal nothing for 4 year OF
two at least"
might be she; dar's she-robbers, y
suggested Ona; IAN dey's all wuss den
caterpiilars. Caterpilars takes yo'
things right fore yo' eyes-don't sneak
in yo' pock!t. Take cup of tea, Miss
An de cats ben a.sittin' on yer skirt
for half an hour, wantin You to notice
her, pore thing. She JUS come in of
de po'ch minnt ago"
Miss Peppard took the tea and spoke
70 the cat; but she couldn't help fret
ting; and she slept but little that night,
and awcke the next morning almost as
vexed as ever, and denounced the thief
at intervals Of about half an hour from
breakfast until dinner, although Peteona
emphatically remarked: Oars no use
cursin' an swearin', Miss Peppar'; can't
do no good. Wish | had dat robbin'
debbil here, dough-
But after dinner, for which Ona serv-
ed soothing little stew and cooling
cream custard, the old lady became a
little calmer, and retired to her own
room to write letter to her sister Polly,
who lived away off in in Michigan; and
she had just written: And | can't
make strawberry bed this summer as
intended, and III have to wear my old
bonnet, and, dear. dear how shall
miss baby's picture when Peteona
opened the door sans ceremonie, as she
always did, and walked in with a mys-
terious air. "Pusson want TO see you
Miss Peppar'-man pusson. Bout q
boys age, guess.
What does he look like, and where
did you leave him. asked the Old lady
laying down her. pen, and looking lit-
tie alarmed.
Out on de po'ch. ! lock de do
An he'sa dirty, ragged Teller dat looks
us like dirty, ragged Teller Shall
broom him of, Miss Pepparg Looks a.
dough he ort to be hroomed oH,-or