Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-24
Our Young Folks.
THE UNLIMITED GUEST.


Donald family, as she set the kettle Of
potatoes over the fire TO boil for break
fast. The kettle was tight fit for so
many potatoes, and BOuny, looking on
with interest from his high chair by the
fire, remarked:
Full, mamma; amt itP'
Yes, laddie, full as il can hold-iust
like our house,
How It spatters and boils over,
mammal
"And our house spattor5 and boils
over with US, too, wee Onc.n
Sure enough the Donald dozen did
live in such asmall tenement that It was
a puzzle how they ever could all get
packed into it at once.
But then early in the morning the
| father went out 10 his work; Alec fol-
lowed TO the shop, Jeanie 10 the store,
Nickie to sell morning papers. some TO
school and some 10 do errands, till
BOnny and the baby would be left
alone with the mother. Then, shutting
the door after the last, she would say:
"DO you see how they all boil away,
BOnny?' and she would sing merrily as
she scrubbed, swept and cooked.
She did not sing 80 often after father
Donald fell one day and broke a leg.
Nor did she fill the kettle Of potatoes as
full either after that Mr.. Donald lay
helpless, and worried about the place he
feared he should lose.
but I've worked for the house till
it seems / could not work anywhere
else. If they'd only promise TO let
me back again when I'm able, I'd
bear the rest with an easy mind" said
the sick man, getting fevered and
| flushed.
Lad. can't have you fret 50, " spoke
| his wife at last. She took down her
| bonnet and shawl. "Tn 90 and ask
the master myself. l don't believe he'll
refuse woman, and you such faith
ful hand. Bonnyis 50 good he won't be
any trouble to you, and I'll take the
baby along"
So Eonny climbed up by the window,
end watched his mother and the baby
"bOil away like the rest.
Then Bonny played by himself o long
while, it seemed to him. He built a
a church tower with his blocks, like the
! tower he could see shooting up above
/ the low roofs. He changed the blocks
/ into street cars, and dragged them up
/ and down the windOw-sill. He thumbed
his torn picture-books; he thumped his
rag doll. Getting tired Of all, he fiat
tened his dear little soft nose against
the pane, watching the people tramp,
tramping by on the brick sidewalks,
and the carts, drays, carriages, that
clamp, clamped over the stony street
| He liked this, and crOOned over to him
self, cOnteutedly, tunes that were no
tunes, and words that he made up as he
went along.
! But time went on, and still his mother
| did not come. BOnny grew hungry,
and crept down to ask papa about it.
| Papa was lying quiet and breathing
heavily. Bonny had fairly sung his ia
| ther to sleep.
1t occurred TO Bonny, as he tiptoed
back, that there could be no good rea-
son why he should not 70 and find his
mother, or else Jeanie, or Nickie, or
Ted Jeanie's old red cape hung in the
corner; quickly he threw II over his yell
low head, and holding it fast under his
chin with one hand, he lifted the latch
and stepped forth.
He walked slowly and thoughtfully
off in the direction he had seen his
mother take, with short, nipping steps,
like meditative chickabiddy's. He
had not doubt that he should come to
some member Of his numerous family
before long, but meanwhile he was
thinking Rss of that than of the sights
by the way. Two boys were racing
velocipedes. To Bonny that was q
splendid sight.
90 wist l had a velehorsipede,n he
whispered, with pensive air.
On and on he plodded, blissfully be-
wildered, absorbed in these enchanting
visions, until he found himself before a
caterers show window, tempting with
crisp loaves of bread, daintily frosted
cakes, and unspeakable cookies, tarts,
jellies.
"Oh my! oh myr' cried Bonny, be-
ginning at last to remember that he was
nobody but little hungry boy, Pm
hungry-rm so hungryn'
While he stared with all his longing
eyes, he heard these words spoken loud
ly right by his side, "Come on then
we shall be sure of a good dinner"
Bonny turned round. Two men in
tall black hats were striding BY, and
one, as he spoke, clapped the other on
the shoulder. The invitation was not
meant for Bonny at all. But that did
not make any difference to him. He
simply received the idea that if he fol-
lowed these two men he should get to
dinner. So he pressed sturdily after
them. He had to walk fast, and some
times he almost lost sight of them in
the throng. But Bonny was so hungry
by this time that he was very much in
earnest. He did not stop to watch the
people, nor to look into any more shop
windows
1t was really not long before the two
tall hats We're seen turning up some
low, broad steps. The painting honny,
tugging after, followed unnoticed
through wide dolr into a vast hall, all
paved with marble. Quite confused
and out of breath; Bonny suddenly
stood still. Where he had lost sight Of
the two tall hats and the wearers of
them he did not know.
"Seems like another out-dOors,n the
child thought, looking up at the high
ceiling; "but where's the dinner?
There is a dinner; L smell it; it smells
good. Seems to me l never did smell
so much dinner in my life
BY this time he also became aware OF
a cheerful clatter of dishes and voices
and following the sound across the
wide hall, he pushed open a great door
that stood half ajar.
Sure enough, there before him lay
table after table, adorned with spotless
linen, and spread temptingly not only
with flowers and fruit, but with plenty
to eat.
How should little Bonny know that