River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-05

toiu illIh-yes, toId mini tolu MN all his
lines
Were Us rich with thought and fancy as Ne
vada is with mines;
swore his jingles set my mind, like GLASSES,
all a clink,
And he never even whispered, win you come
and take drink.
One of the Seven Ages.
rom the chronological journal.
"My gwaciousw | listened moment,
to hear if anything more would be said,
but the above expletiye was the beginning
and the end. My son, not quite six years
old, called by some the ''buccaneer," and
by others, "boseen, but whose given
name was Joseph, had been sent to the
adjoining apartment to mediate on his
sins. In the act of putting patch ON a
pair Of little breeches, which had been
rent from leg to waistband in climbing a
spiked, and on that account not forbidden,
fence, was naturally too much occupied
to rise and discover the cause of the pris-
oner's excitement There had been no
noise, consequently there could be no
mischief. Oh, fallacy of fallacies! What
could be more ridiculous than such con
clusion from such premisel
The "buccaneer" had five pairs OF
trousers, all in the same or like condi-
ton, and these were his Sunday ones
They had been worn once to sabbath
school, once to the park, and once on q
visit to a spiked fence. They were Sun
day pants no longer. That morning
had bundled off all his ragged clothes tc
be mended, and nothing remained be.
tween the best ones and Joseph at home
in his night-gown all day. The last was
a contingency too dreadful for moments
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the patching
"Remember, my son, that these are
your Sunday trousers" had said, witt
all the impressment l could command
and don't climb anywhere, and don't SIT
down in the dirt Do you hear me?''
'tYes ma'am."
"You can play for an hour in the lot, il
you will promise to be a good boy, and
remember what | have told you"
Eyes, ma'am."
"And remember, if you get Into any
trouble or pick quarrel with any Of the
children or strike one of them, | shall
punish you severely"
"Oh! the angel face that was lifted to
mine as | finished the last sentence
Raphael never painted cherub that could
approach it in innocence of expression.
''Josie never fight no MORE" said he,
"Miss Price"-Miss Price was the Angels
Sabbath School teacher-''says that It's
orfuI wicket to fight, and great big bears,
50 high"-pointing to the ceiling with
his chubby forefnger-"come down from
the great big high mountains, and eat
boys what fight, all up
The Bible stories were badly mixed
but there seemed certain safety in the
mistake, and let it go, for this time al
least.
s'Oh my gwaciousi = came from the sit.
ting room, this time little louder, ano
with touch of sorrow in the tone.
"What are you doing, Joseph?' ! asked
with some severity.
Paying horse, mamma"
"What are you playing horse WITH"
SsNo reply. / repeated the question.
with tings, mamma; don't be faid Y
came at last in wheeling manner | had
grown accustomed to when there was
mischief on foot.
do YOU hear me? What kind of things
are you playing horse withl"
"Only spenders, mamma"
A horrible thought flashed into my
mind, and at the same time strong odoI
of kerosene invaded my nostrils. Patches
and scissors, breeches and spools rolled
out of my lap as l flew across the room
What saw was this: How it had all been
managed without the slightest noise Is
only another connundrum which as a
mother give up without the slightest at
tempt at solution. Joseph had screwed
his fathers desk chair to the top notch,
and there he sat with piece of Irvine in
each hand These strings were attached
to his fathers wedding suspenders, which
nv own hands had embroidered. How
little dreamed, when setting these vari-
gated stitches that such fate would
oyertake them At that moment-it
twas wicked. / am sorry, butt couldn't
help wondering why girls ever get mar
ried
But to resume. The suspenders were
skillfully and destructively fastened to
the student-lamp, which the ''buccaneer'
had set on the floor minus the shade.
WIN minus the shade is given up with
extra pull had upset the lamp, flooded
the carpet, completely saturated one sus
pender and spotted and besmeared the
other. Two minutes after, Joseph was
sobbing in his crib, and ] had gone back
to my patch.
NV heart misgave me when | had again
taken UP my needle. Had not been I'M
necessarily harsh with the dear little fell
low? Strange how pathetic the little
breeehes had all at once become! |
thought of the half-worn shoes and stock
ings and tiny pants like these tucked
away in drawers where none but grievlng
mothers ever go, and-well, the patch
was finished, and ] would take a look at
the darling whose sobbisg had almost
ceased. Should / ever forgive myself If
tiff what? Oh. thought too dreadful
to be endured moment, and yet children
die. yes children die, and mothers who
love. even as | love, live on without
them.
Joseph's hands were very glimy, and
his face was not much better. What with
the borrowed dirt on his hands, and the
tears that had diluted without purifying
it. the effect was somewhat ludlcrous
There wasn't spot from chin to fore
head clean enough to kiss, so pressed
my check to the darling's sunny curis,
and left him to have his nap out
There's one Of them rowdy boys at the
door, who wants to see you minnlt,
said the cook, few minutes at
terward, as | vas beating eggs IN the
kitchen.
..Sav. Miss Smith, said the boy, as |
stepped to the door, ''your Joe is down
below here fighting like everything, and
he amt got no clothes on either, ne ain t.
Nv cherulp down the street q fighting!
Nv sleeping angel outdoors in his night
gown? It did seem, under these clrcum-
stances, a little hard TO believe, but hav-
inc lived with my son five years and
ought to have been, and
was, prepared for anything !
followed the messenger the length OF tina
street. In the center of an admiring and
enthusiastic group fla hundred boys,
Of all grades and nati0nalitIes, sat the
eheaub in his robe dc mutt, on the breast
Of a Young pugiIist almost twice his size.
One orimv fist chung to the enemy's top
not. and the other poised just IN front Ct
his nose. ready to descend Ok the slightest
"Aint you ashamed to be licked by
such little fellow ais that.' cried the
spectators: and then | made my way
through the crowd and took the aston
ished .buccaneern by the hand 1t IS
possible that Joseph might have walked
i little faster than was good for him con