Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-09
JESSIE,s COURAGE.

They lived in a pleasant house on
pretty street, and had things neither
better nor worse than their neighbors.
But there was one object in the house
that Jessie declared was the sweetest
and prettiest and brightest in all the
world. She loved it dearly and spent
great part of her time playing with it.
II was an active, wide-awake, brown
eyed, mischievous little fellow; perhaps
ought not to say cit" about him, for
although he was still called "The Ba-
BY" Jessie's little brother Ben was
now about three years old.
He was as full of fun as "an egg is
of meat" as the up-country folks say,
and his yellow head bobbed in and out
of every room in the house from early
morning until bedtime, when his voice
filed the whole house at once with pro-
longed and indignant cries. For Benny
hated to go to bed as badly as you do,
and you know how bad that is, don't
you, dearP Especially when there is
company, ard you know that Bridget
has baked beautiful tarts and cakes all
| day on purpose for the evening treat
| Why don't grown folks have treats be-
fore they shy the youngsters of to bed,
wonder
But was telling about Benny. He
had a great many nice ways, and ever
so many naughty ones, too, but Jessie
didn't mind that! She loved him so
much that she only thought he was cum
ningl and have seen the time when l
thought he was only cunning, too, al
though l ought to have known better,
suppose, for ] am O grown-up old per-
son. He came down into the parlor one
evening, after he had been put in bed
and we all supposed he was asleep. He
was dressed in his little yellow flannel
night suit, made with waist and drawers
all together, and crawling out from
under the piano when his mother had
done singing, said in a very grave tone
of voice, Il want to mate a speechl"
We were all hushed in surprise, and he,
coming out in front of a reverend gem
tleman for whom we felt a great deal
of awe, said, "Boys want to be unused
tool" and planked himself fatty in a
chair.
Of course the little rogue was naughty
to do it-but his speech was a success.
He was amused to his hearts con-
tent for that one evening at least.
But there were some things he did
which were not so pleasant for others.
He would run away from home every
chance he could get. The house was
only three minutes walk from the rail-
road depot, and on that great through
line trains were constantly passing.
Many time have his dear mamma and
Jessie and all the servants been seen to
| T,.n,,, Ahn hn,Ysn -, 1i,.an
tion and some in another, trying to hunt
up that mischievous and trying little
bOyl
At last one of the bright ones in the
family struck an idea. She was quite
an artist, and she devised sign, with
the help of which she hoped to prevent
Benny from getting out of the yard.
The neighbOrs had shaken their sides
with laughter over and over again,
watching the wild performances Of the
family when the gate had been acci-
dentally left openl She concluded to
have the gate kept closed. For Benny
could not open the gate. He was not
tall enough, and his little fingers were
not strong enough, although he often
tried to do it, by tipping his cart up
against it, and then getting up on the
end, when the wheels would roll out
and he would 60 down, and the pole
would give him a severe knock on the
head for his painsl When all this hap
! pened he was always as silent as a
mouse, and not a whimper left his lips,
no matter how badly he was hurt.
Boys always keep still when they are
planning something naughty. When
you are very still indeed, advise youI
mamma to hunt you up So Benny
aunt-now don't suspect it is I-took a
fine, smooth board, and painted in large
handsome letters this motto:
PLEASE SHUT THE GATE,
FOR THE BABY RUNS AWAY.
Thomas then nailed the board onto
the gate, and all the family felt very
much more secure and comfortable.
They had not thought of what other
thing might happen, but they soon
found out. The house was situated on
a street where a great many people
passed. The gate soon became the
center of attraction. People driving
would stop their horses, look, read,
laugh, and 90 along chuckling TO them.
selves as if they had heard new joke,
Ladies on the opposite side of the
street, walking perhaps for the purpose
of hiring a house, and seeing this sign
a little indistinctly, would come across,
and getting nearer and nearer would
begin to smile, then grin and finally
laugh, either in iinified ladylike way,
or loud and hearty, as if they fully ap-
preciated it.
One old farmer and his wife drew W
their fat gray mare, and he, handing
the reins to his wife, said, al du de-
clare fort, if this ere house amt fun
salel Du let me read the sign
Whereupon putting ON a pair of big
round glasses, he began to haw-haN
until old Bess pricked up her ears, anC
his good wife was Just as mad!-becaus'
she couldn't see herself. and he couldn'
get breath to tell her. But as, it hap
pened, half of the gate was open tina
day, and he laboriously got down from
his wagon and carefully shut it. like |
good-natured old fellow as he wasl
But as the old saying goes, it is nj
use to lock the barn after the horse i
stolen, and in this case the little runa
way had gone before the farmer drov,
by. Jessie was the first to miss him
She was only eight years old, but sh
was thoughtful child for her age, an,
she had seen her dear mamma, and aun
and the servants so furried and fright
ened many time that she thought 4
herself, ''This time l will not let m
dear mamma be scared. l know Benn
, cannot be far away. am sure cd
find him myself. l will try" So. alp
ping her hat on her head, she weht ou