The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-06-20

of July was coming, and Carl had an idea,
not an original one, perhaps she wanted
to make some money. Surely that's not
original. So he thought and thought and at
| last
Father, wish you'd say yes"
ITO what, my boy ?"
"To-can have store just like you do,
day after tomorrow and sell candy and ap.
piles, an things. And have big ledger.
book to keep count in. Take the money
.ats in my frog bank you know you always
said I'll have to be Il merchantmen. Can't
| begin, Pile a.s.e, father ?'
Carl wasn't too much of man despite his
"ten-yesr-od next Fo'th o. July sir, to put
his arms right round his fathers neck and
give him a good, sound smack.
His father laughed and said -
| "Yes, | guess so how much money has
your frog swallowed?"
Carl didn't know; so the bank was brought
and the little boy sent out of the roo m
while the frog was made to dsgorge. Carl
wasn't allowed to see the process, lest he
might try it for himself some time. When
he came in again glittetng little heap of
silver lay on the table; the bank was empty
the frog perched innocently upon it with
mouth wide open as ever. When the money
was counted, Carl looked over his fathers
shoulder and croaking (he cant sing a
note J.
"The King was In the parlor, counting out his mon.
| ey,
| The queen was in the kitchen eating bread and
| honey"
all through the operation of putting the five
cent pieces into little piles Of twenty, and
the quarters into little piles of four. When
all was done, there were just ten piles Of
quarters and one over, three half.dollars and
eight great big coppers. How much money
was there p
| Fifteen dollars and ninety.eght cents
seemed quite fortune to Carl, and the
chance of, perhaps, doubling it by invest
ing it in "candy an apples an pies an
things ~ No wonder Carts swapping black
eyes shone big and bright with joyous an.
ticipation.
And you'll have Aunt Pattie Fields to
make 'em for me,-cakes, you know, an
pies" he said, throwing his arms around
his mothers neck, nearly choking her in
his esrnestness
Aunt Patty Fields, so-called by all the
village people, though she had neither kth
nor kin among them, had in her younger
days been a pastry cook in famous city OF
New York So since she had at one time
kept house three weeks for Carl's mother
and Carl bad, with her permission, stuffed
himself sick with delicious tarts and cake
and pie he had come to be her fast friend and
to believe devoutly in her ability to concoct
anything in the cooking line.
"Mayn't she, mother please?"
And his mother smiled and said eyes, "
too. People say they spoiled the boy, but
| don't believe that
So the next morning Aunt Patty came
and of all the sitting Of -four and of stoning
of rasins and picking over of currants and
measuring of sugar and spices and beating
eggs Carl had fnger-and sometimes
two or three of them--in each and every
pie. AT night there were rows on rows OF
cakes and tarts and pies on the Iantry
shelves. Perhaps that fact may account iui
Carls sudden and irresistible thirstines.
and his consequent frequent visits to the
kitchen for water.
The morning of the Fourth came at last
as all mornings, however anxously looked
for, do come. Carl was up earlier than he
had ever been before in all his ten-year.liie
carrying his wares from the pantry shelve,
to his little "booth"-he wanted store by
himself you know,-which had been erected
for him. He looked rather disdainiully
| am afraid, on other ten year-old boys
whose chief enjoyment seemed to be in snap
ping torpedoes and crackers.
Everything WAS so fresh and neat in Carl,
store that | wish you could have seen it
the narrow counter, made of rough boards
had nevertheless, a piney smell that quite
made up for its lack of elegance so Car
thought, and so | think,
| Well, he arranged his cakes and contec
tions along the shelyes, opened his ledge
took his pen and wrote on the clean white
pages in his scrawling, school-boy hand