The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-02-28
Mr.. TURVYTOP sEWs On a Blu PTON

child and had never sewed OH button, blu
thought she could If papa would only ALLOW
her to try.
But Mr.. Turvytop was well aware tina
sewing on button was no small matter
that to sew on button-especially Goa
button-well. required judgment to say tn
least.
So Mr. Turvytop decided to sew on his owl
button, with little of Matilda's assistance
perhaps.
Now. the first thing was to find needle
That was easy enough, of course, for Mrs
Turvytop was a model of order. and he
needle-book, which was in her work-baske
upstairs, was sure to be plentifully stocked
with needles of all sorts and sizes.
20 Matilda went upstairs, tip-toed into hel
mammals room, found the work-basket, the
needle book and needle, which she carried
straightway to her papa
"All right, so FART said Mr. Turveytop
"but thread will also be necessary, it'll,
daughter .sOh. yesi" Matilda had no
thought of that, but the thread was il
mammals room toe; So she went softly up
stairs again. again she tip-toed into hel
mammals room, found the box of thread, snC
carried it down stairs.
Every well" said Mr.. Turveytop, with al
will proceed To sew OH the button. But first
we must select some thread. Here it is in
every variety, blue, brown, green; which
shall it be. daughter?"
"Oh black thread, / should think, papa
on black coat" said the child.
Perfectly correct" said Mr.. Turveytop
uniformity of color. Ahem! Yes. Very
desirable; and here is the article in perfec-
- ioI
DEFY every effort to delach my coat button
the second time. But there seems to be some
thing wrong with this needle, Matilda. 1t re-
sists all my efforts to thread it"
bite the end, papa" said Matilda.
Mr.. Turvytop bit the end, but succeeded
no better than before.
"Fuzz it out, papa" continued the child
interestedly.
Mr.. Turvytop fuzzed it, or tried to, ac-
cording to directions, but all in vain.
Then Matilda wanted to try. She had
begun to do patchwork, and had learned to
thread her needle beautifully.
But you can't get this great thread
through the eve of the needle papa" said
the child, as soon as she had taken it into
her small hands.
"Oh, then the fault is in the thread" said
Mr.. Turvytop. ave must find something
else;" turning over and mixing up the
spools in a way that would have struck dis
may to the orderly heart of his spouse.
But there was nothing else in black thread
that would do at all; nothing indeed, but
some fine black silk, which Mr.. Turvytop
knew would be quite insufficient to hold the
button.
Mr. Turvytop reflected. after all, So
liloquized that gentleman, "the color of the
thread is quite immaterial. When button
is neatly sewed on the thread is not expected
to be visible. Here is plenty ofgood, strong
white thread, quite capable of holding the
button, and which L think will go through
the eye of that needle. On reflection, Matil-
da, think your mother usually uses white
thread when she sews on a button"
Matilda looked doubtful, but Mr.. Turvy
top proceeded to thread the needle with the
white thread But somehow it did not act
right. In spite of Mr.. Turvytop's most as
siduous efforts the thread would split, and
only half of it pass through the needles eye.
Something is wrong, L am convinced, y
said the gentleman, after repeated efforts and
failures daughter / think the fault is in
the needle. 1t was probably designed for a
smaller thread. Once more you may repair
to your mothers apartment, and see if you
can not find n needle with larger eye.
The child obeyed. and soon returned bring
ing the needle-book in her hand, that her
father this time might make his own selec
ton, thereby displaying degree of fore
thought which Mr. Turvytop considered as
quite in advance of her years.
There was no needle to be found, however
with an eye large enough to admit the pas
sage of the coarse black thread except the
darnng-needle, which Mr.. Turvytop knew
would not do ut MI. lie was we'll aware
that It would BIO very understandable to sew
on button with darning needle. Blu
after several trials needle was found which
Mr.. Turvytop threaded with white cotton
with perfect ease, and that gentleman heaved
a sigh of relief.
There is nothing like having plenty o
thread when one sews on button said Mr.
Turvytop, rs he pulled about two yard
through the eye, doubled it, and tied larg
strong knot in the end. There. daughter
every obstacle j. now overcome, and wei
have this button on in a trice." said MI
Turvytop.
But the button did not seem to want TO b
sewed on, for il kept slipping out of MI
Turvytop's fingers, and twice 1t rolled clea
across the floor.
There Is something here that don't quit
understand" said Mr.. Turvytop, strokin
his beard and looking puzzled ms Matild
measured her length on the carpet, Will
with the handle of the feather duster sh
tried to poke the button from beneath tn
secretary. "There must be some arrang,
ment for holding a button in place while il
being sewed on. Did you see anything j
the work-basket, daughter, which would al
swer that purpose?"
Matilda having recovered the button, r,
piled that she did not, but thought she coul
hold it while Mr.. Turveytop sewed it on.
The very thingw exclaimed the dehghte
parent. "Daughter, that little head Of your
Is worth as much to plan as my fingers are
execute. Between us both, this button wi
soon be firmly fixed in its proper position
But Just at this juncture the needle slippe
and went right into one Of Matilda's poo
pain and dropped the button.
Whether Mr.. Turvytop dropped it or n,
he was unable to say. For few momen
that gentlemans habitual selfpossessio
quite forscok him, and he was violentl
agitated.
Matilda was not to be allowed TO disLul
her sick mother with her cries, and a bres
and milk poultice must be Immediate
applied to the injured finger. as precautio
against lockjaw, to which Mr.. Turvytor
family we're predisposed Not that any OF
of them had ever had the lockjaw, but it w
very evident to Mr.. Turvytop that the
might have done so if there had been ar
occasion for it.