Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-05-07
Bub and Sis.


The entertaining stories of "Heen's
Babies" one would think, had exhausted
the subject; but STILL want to tell story
Of two small children who belonged to very
particular friend Of mine. The Oldest was
boy, a stout, robust little fellow, and he
had sister only eleven months younger.
She was a wee, puny little child, and it was
thought she never would live to be year
old. She did, however, and weighed eleven
pounds. She could walk when eighteen
months old, and such bit of little girl,
SO strong and active, was a sight to see.
When she was three years old and the
boy turned four, she was dressed in fan
mel blouse and drawers, like boy, and
turned out of doors to get strong in the
open air, and she and the boy were INSOFAR
able companions in all sorts of mischief and
fun, and not few escapes, and known by
everybody as Bub and Sis.
Sis seemed to make up in quickness of
perception and activity Of body for what
was lacking in size, and no monkey was
quicker or more mischievous than she. The
escapes those two had in some of their ad-
ventures were wonderful. They were bent
on initiating everything they saw done, and
the first mischief in that line was hair
cutting. Having seen some one cut hair,
they confscated very sharp pointed pair
of scissors, and went to the barn, to escape
observation. Bub cut off every lock of his
sisters hair as close as shears could cut, but
it was left so patchy and uneven that they
were taken to barber and had their heads
shingled, as it is called. Bub had cut off
his own front locks, which made it neces
sary to have both treated alike.
They enjoyed their hairless state very
much, and so did their nurse-t needed no
curling or combng now. The girl, always
almost coloress as to complexion, with flax
colored hair nearly as colorless, and pair
of large, shrewd, gray eyes, now looked more
monkey-like than ever. They upset knit
tingwork, seasoned the miuce.meat broke
eggs to find chickens, made medicines and
dye-stuffs, all to please themselves and al
though they would not do forbidden thing,
| so great were their resources it was impos-
sible to anticipate half the odd conceits of
their active minds
The climax of imitation came one morn
ing after they had seen some persons bap-
tiled in river near their home, the day
before. After breakfast they were missing,
| nd IF ,pt
be found. At last, man who was at work
in the garden said he heard them talking
about baptizing. This was enough to start
the whole family in race for the river, all
dreading to reach it lest they should be
too late.
Just as they reached ridge, before COM
| ing to the water, they saw coming towards
them two of the wettest children ever seen.
Drowned rats were no comparison to the
limp, streaming condition of poor Sis, while
Bub was trying to lead her, screaming,
Glory" at the top of his voice. They had
been in the water, and Sis had been under
water, where six feet from shore it was
waist deep. Bub was soundly whipped, but
an hour afterwards was heard telling some
big boys all about how he baptized Sis.
At last, to keep them out of scrapes,
they were sent to school. They would prom
Use to be good, and start on their half mile
walk, with pail of luncheon. Stopping at
every chicken coop, and pig-sty, and to dab
BILE in every d-puddle, they reached school
tired, and sleepy. The teacher would make
pillow of shawls, and put them under her
desk, on the floor, to have nap. Then
they would read, and be ready for noon re-
cess of an hour. Their own dinner gen
orally was fed out by that time, to various
Chickens and cats, on the road, and they
had their supply from other pals.
Once they brought home two wee bits of
chicks, in their pail, and when questioned
about it, said, "A woman had hundreds
and lots of chickens, and said they might
have some when they were bigger and they
had got bigger now, so they took some.
Their mother died when they were -four
and five years old, and an aunt took care OF
them for year, when a new mamma was
brought home. They had never seen her
and were rather shy. Sis evidently wanted
to be " friends" as she called it, and hung
about, Just out of reach, for some time. Al
last she climbed into a chair, and tipping
her white head on one side, thrusting heI
tongue into corner of her mouth, which
was trick she had, she stood looking into
the eyes of her new friend with look SC
very comical and ludicrous that the new
mamma laughed outright; and opening hel
arms she only said, " Come" and Sis jumped
into her lap and gave her such hugging a.
only she knew how to give From that mo
ment Sis was a new girl. She left off some
of her Tom-boy ways of her own accord, and
whatever new mamma, as she persisted il
calling her, desired, she was eager to do
Sometimes she fell into snares with the viii,
Bub, but they both grew up to young mar
and woman's estate two beloved children