The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-05-08
THE BABY'S PICTURE.
lHarper's weekly.l

lHarper's Weekly.1
Miss Arethusa Peppard was out of
temper. She said she was mad" But
it must have been mild kind of mad
ness, for her pleasant voice had only
dash of sharpness, and no fire flashed
from her soft brown eyes. But she was
out of temper; no doubt about that, and
no wonder. She had left her mite of a
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 pocketbook, con-
tanning her half-monthly allowance, had
been stolen, and she had been obliged
to return to Summertown without the
young lettuces and cabbages 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 a garden in early
spring, as everybody knows or ought to
know, is loss indeed, and there's moth
ing in the world more exasperating to
an amateur gardener, as everybody also
knows, or ought to know, than to hear
from an amateur gardener: "Good
morning Miss Peppard. How backward
you are this yearl Your radishes are
just showing, and we've had at least
dozen a day for the three days past.
And our parsley's up, and our onions
are doing nicely. And you used to be
so forward p
30 Miss Feppard, who was dear
little, sweet-faced, wonderfully bright
old lady, living in the incest and most
comfortable manner on a small income,
with faithful colored servant woman
few years younger than herself, rolly-
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 expected
would start the green things a growing
All the money 1 had," she said to
Peteona- called Ona for short-as she
rocked nervously backward and forth in
her rocking chair, her eyes sparkling
and her cheeks flushed. 'sI only wish
I could catch the thief. I'd send him
to Jail as sure as grass is green"
"That's sho' enuf. Miss Peppar' y
Peteona always dropped the y" an
it'd sarve 'em zackley right, wen dey
was ketched, to be drug to de lookup by
de heels" Then, after a slight pause,
which was Ona's way, she added an
after-thought: "Dono, dough; sp'ose
dey might as we'll 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, fol
borrow l never did and never will.
And there's the garden all laid out and
ready for planting, and Mrs. Brown sets
| out her iettuces and cabbage plants to
morrow morning, and she'll be sending
them here with her compliments-hel
compliments, indeed before ours have
begun to head"
If she do, I'll frow dem ober d.
fence" said Ona. Better eat them
dough, l guess. Her compliments cam
hurt 'em ;"
"And. oh! my consciencer' Mis-
Peppard went on (she could invoke hel
conscience" thus lightly, dear ole
lady, because she had nothing on it)
"baby's picture was in that pocketbook
And | can't get another. Polly said i
was the last, and the photographer dom
come that way but once a year. D.
"Well, we'll, you are poor soul,
dat ar picter-dat lubly thing JUS lik
borned angel. An'.yer sisters onlies
chile-'cept five. Wish Il had dat rot
Der yere dis minuit; I'd box his ears s.
he couldn't set down fur a week"
He wouldn't be here long," said be
mistress. "Of all things in the wild
world, hate thief. I'd have him pu
where he'd steal nothing for a year O
two at least"
Might be she; dar's she robbers,
suggested Ona; can dey's s all wuss de
caterpillars. Caterpillars takes "
things right fore yo' eyes-don't snea
in yo' pockit. Take a cup of te.
Miss Peppar'. Dar's no use frettin' nj
NOR. An de cats been settin' on ye
for half an hour, wantin' you to motto
: her. pore thing. She JUS came in o
of de po'ch minnit ago."
Miss Peppard took the tea and spok
to the cat; but she couldn't help fre
ting; and she slept but little that nigh
and awoke the next morning almost
vexed as ever, and denounced the thi,
at intervals of about half an hour fro
breakfast until dinner, although Pet
ona emphatically remarked: Oars I
use cursin' and swearin', Miss Peppar
can't do no good. Wish 1 had dat ro
bin debbil here, dough-"
And after dinner, for which On
served a soothing little stew and cocliI
cream custard, the old lady became
little calmer, and retired to her oW
room to write letter to her sister Poll
who lived away off in Michigan; al
she had just written: And car
make a strawberry bed this summer,
1 intended, and. dear! dear! how l shs
miss baby's picture when PeteoI
opened the door sans ceremonie, as s
always did, and walked in with my
terious air. Pusson want to see yo
Miss Peppar'-man pusson. Bout
boys age, guess"
What does he look like, and whe
did you leave him?' asked the old lad
laying down her pen, and looking
little alarmed.
"Out on de po'ch. l lock de do. A
he's dirty, ragged feller dat looks j
like a, dirty, ragged Teller. Shall
broom him off. Miss Peppar'2 Looks
dough he ought to be broomed off :
glib sumfn to eat-pore bony, dil
SOUL"
"I'll cnme right dowD," said Mis- P
pard and down she went. And tn
on the porch stood a dirty, ragged, (
lorn looking boy about twelve years