The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-04-02
The BABYs PICTURE

Miss Arethusa Peppard was out oi
temper. She said she was mad.
But it must have been q mild kind OF
madness, for her pleasant voice had only
q dash Of sharpness, and no fire flashed
from her soft blown eyes. But abe t0oS
out OF temper; no doubt about that, ant
no wonder. She bad left her mite Of
cottage early that April morning, ant
gone over to New York 10 shop, aud IL
the very first store she entered-a store
crowded with people buying seeds and
bulbs and iants-her pocketbook, con.
tanning her hall. monthly allowance, had
been stolen, and sue had been obliged
to return to SHmmertown without the
young lettuces and cabba yes and onion
sets and parsley and radish seeds that
she had intended the very next day to
plant in her mite of a garden. And
every day lost in garden in early
spring, as everybody knows, or ought to
know, is q loss indeed, and there's
nothing in the world so exasperating to
an amateur gardener, as every body also
knows, or ought to know, than to hear
from neighboring amateur gardener: |:
"Goodsmorping, Miss Peppard. How
backward You arc this year Your
radishes are Just showing, and we've had
at least'-a dozen day for three days
past. And our parsley's up, and our
onions doing nicely. And you used to
be so forward r.
So Miss Peppard, who was q dear
little sweet-faoed, wonderfully bright
old lady, living in the neateet and mest
comfortable manner on small income,
with faithful colored servant-woman a
few years younger than herself, roiy-
poly dog, tortoise-sheu cat, and three
birds, had two reasons for being sorely
vexed: the loss Of her money and the
loss Of the days which she had expected
would start the green things a-growing.
Gan the money had, +" she said to
Peteona-called Ona for short-as she
rocked neryously back and forth In her
rocking chair, her eyes sparkling and
her cheeks flushed. "I. only wish /
could catch the thief. I'd send him to
Jail as sure as grass is green.
'Dat's sho' enuf, Miss Peppar
Peteona alwas dropped the ''d',-''an' it
d sarve 'em zackly right, wen dey tVGT
ketched, to be drug to de lookup by de
HEELS" Then after a slight pause,
which was Ona's way, she added an
afterthought: ''Dono, dough; s'pose dey
might as well take de pore wretch by de
head"
Gan the money I had" repeated
Miss Peppard; Extraordinarily dollars
and can't get any more for two weeks,
for borrow I 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-morrow morning, and she'll be send
ing them here with her compliments
her compliments, indeed l-before our
have begun to head"
ssIf she do, I'll frow 'em ober d.
fence" said Ona. "Better eat them
dough, I guess. Her compliments can
hurt 'em."
"And, oh | my conscienoei" Mis-
Peppard went on (she could invoke he
"conscience thus lightly, dear old
lady, because she had nothing on it)
"baby's picture was in that pocketbook
And can't get another. Polly said
was the last, and the photographer don
come that way but once a year"
"Well, well, you are pore soul,
sympathized Peteona, "to 60 an los
dat ar picter-dat lubly thing JUS like
borned angel. An yer sisters onhes
chile-'cept five. Wish had dat rob
ber yere dis minnit; I'd box his ears 81
he couldn't set down fur a week.
He wouldn't be here long, said he