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

Miss Arethusa Peppard was out q
temper. She said she was mad
But it must have been a mild kind Of
madness, for hH pleasant voice had only
q dash of shnrpness, and no fire flashed
from her soft brown eyes. But she udS
out of temper; no doubt about that, anD
mo wonder. She bad left her mite Of b
6ttage early that April morning, AM
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-Eer pocketbook, con
tanning her half monthly allowance, had
been stolen, and she had been obliged
to return to SHmmertown without the
young lettuceS and cabbayes and onion
sets and parsley aad radish seeds that
che had intended the very next day to
plant in her mite of q garden. And
eNery day lost in a garden in early
springSas everNBdy knows, or ought to
know, is a 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 Aapateur gardener
"Good,mornjng, Nil Peppard. How
backward you are This year. Your
radishes are just showing, and we've had
ut least~a dozen a day for three days
past. And our parsley's up, and our
onions doing nicely. And you used to
be so forward l'
So Miss Peppard, who was a dear
little sweet-faced, wonderfully bright
old lady, living in the neatest and most
comfortable manner ON a small income,
: with faithful colored servant-w oman Q
New years younger than herself, roly.
poly dog, tortoise-shell 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
"All the money / had, she said to
Peteona-called Ona for short-as she
rocked nerVously back and forth in hel
rocking chair, her eyes sparkling an6
!. ner cheeks flushed. "I. only wish
could catch NE thief. I'd send him tC
Jail q sure as grass is green"
''DAt's sho' enuf, Miss Peppar' y
Peteona alwas dropped the "d"-''an' i
d sarve 'em zackly right, wen dey aOdi
ketched, to be drug to de lookup by d.
HEELS" Then after a slight pause
which was Ona's way, she added al
afterthought: "Dono, dough; spose de.
might as well take de pore wretch by d
head"
GAN the money I had,," repeateC
Miss Peppard; "hve-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 an,
ready for planting, and Mrs. Brow
sets out her lettuces and cabbage plant
! tomorrow morning, and she'll be send
ing them here with her compliments
her compliments, indeed before our
have begun to head"
''If she do, I'll frow 'em ober d
fence" said Ona. "Better eat them
dough, guess. Her compliments can
hurt 'em."
Sand, oh my conscienoei" Mis-
Peppard went on (she could invoke he
= "conscience thus lightly, dear oil
lady, because she had nothing on it,
"baby's picture was in that pocketbool
And 1 can't get another. Polly said
D was the last, and the photographer don
come that way but once a year"
"Wel, well, you are pore soul,
sympathized Peteona, "to go an los
dat ar picter-dat lubly thing JUS like
borned angel An yer sisters onliei
chile-'eept five. Wish had dat rol
ber yere dis minnit; I'd box his ears &
he couldn't set down fur a week"
"He wouldn't be here long, said h