West-Jersey pioneer., 1880-06-10

"Towzer's dog, he said, In great excite
ment, "and daddy's bull-pup is gwiIe tel
have fight dis evenin'. Come on quick, il
yer wants ter see de fun"
Up jumped Hi, and the two boys were of
like flash. Not one thought to ISddleks'as
in the aoeW bucket.
In due time the the Pop family got home,
and Mother Pop, flaming herself, was in
dulging in the moral reflections suitable to
the occasion, when she checked herself sud-
denly, exclaiming, "But, land O. Jerusalem!
whar's 'Onymus an de baby?"
81 witnessed Hieronymus, said the ele-
giant Savannah, "as wandered from school.
He was with a multitude of boys, who
cheered, without sign of disapperation,
two canine beasts, that tore each other in
deadly feud.''
eyer don't mean ter say, Sissy. dat 'Ony'
mus Pop is gone ter dog-fghts''
''Such are my meaning" said Sissy, with
dignity.
''Den aohar's de baby?'
For answer, a long low wall smote upon
their ears, as Savannah would have said.
s.Fan mev' cried Mother Pop. "Dat's
| Tiddlekins's voice."
sNever min about fannin' nanny, y
cried Weekly, Savannah's twin, a youth Of
fifteen, who could read, and was much ad-
dicted to CORY tales of thunder and blood
''lets fin de baby. P'r'aps he's been mur
dered by dat rufian Hi, an dat's his ghos'
dat we hears callin'."
| A search was instituted-under the bed,
| in the bed, in the wash tub and soup-kettle:
behind the wood pile, and in the pea vines;
up the chimney, and in the ash-hopper;
but all in vain. No Tiddlekins appeared,
though still they heard him cry.
s:Shade of Ole Hickoryv' cried the father
Pop, ''whar, whar is dat chile?" Then,
with a sudden lighting of the eye, "Unchain
de dog" said he; "he'll smell him out.''
There was superanuated bloodhound
pertaining to the Pop menage that they kept
tied up all day under delusion that he
was fierce They unclaimed this wild ami
NAL, and with many kicks endeavored to
goad his nostrils to their duty.
1t happened that a piece of fresh pork
hung in the well, and Lord Percy-so was
the dog called-was hungry. So he hurried
with vivacity toward the fresh pork.
''De wellp' shrieked Mother Pop, tum-
! bling down all in heap, and looking some
how like Turner's ''Slave-Ship." as one
stumpy leg protruded from the wreck of red
flannel and ruffled petticoats.
"What shall we do?' said Sissy, with a
helpless squeak.
:Why, git him out" said Mr.. Pop, who
was the practical one of the family.
+ He began to draw up the well bucket,
aided by Weekly, who whispered, darkly,
''Dar'll be anudder hangin' in town befo'
long, and HS aoon't miss dat hangsn'."
Soon appeared little woolly head, then
half black body, the rest of him being Sc
curely wedged in the well bucket. He looked
like jack-in-the-bo box. But he was cool,
Tiddlekins was, no doubt of that.
Mother Pop revived at sight of her off
spring, still living, and feebly sucking his
thumb.
"Ef we had whiskey bath ter put him
imp she cried.
Into the house flew Father Pop, seized the
quart cup, and was over to the white house
on the hill in the wink of cats eye.
st4e stammered forth his piteous tale, "
said Savannah, telling the story the next
day to her school mates; ''and Judge Cham
bers himself filled his cup with the best OF
Bourbon, and Miss Clara came over to see
us resusirate the infant"
Mother Pop had Tiddlekins wrapped in
hot flannel when he got back; and with a
never. to- o-be-sufficiently admired economy,
Mr.. Pop moistened rag with ''the best OF
Bourbon and said to his wife, "Jes rub
him awhile, Cynthy, an see if dat won't
bring him roun'."
AS she rubbed, he eabsent-mndedly raised
the quart cup to his lips, and with three
deep and grateful gulps the whiskey bath
went to refresh the inner man of fiddle
kins's papa.
Then who so valorous and so affectionate
as he? Dire were his threats against, Hier-
onymus deep his lamentations over his
child.
s'My po' little lammiev' he sobbed.
"Work away, Cynthy. Dat chile mus be
saved, even if should have ter go over ter
de judges fur anudder quart o. whiskey.
Nuthin' shall be spared to save that prec-
iousest kid o. my ole age"
Miss Clara did not encourage his self sac
rifcing proposal; but for all that, it was not
long before Tiddlekins grew warm and
lively, and winked at his father so that
good old man declared-as he lay on his
back, placidly sucking pigs tail. Savan-
nah had roasted it in the ashes, and it had
been cut from the piece of pork that had
shared the well with Tiddlekins. The pork
belonged to neighbor, by the way, but at
such time the Pop family felt that they
might dispense with the vain and useless
ceremony of asking for it.
The excitement was over, the baby asleep,
Miss Clara gone, and the sun well on its
way to China, when small figure was seen
lowering diffidently about the gate. 1t bad
a limp air of detection, and seemed to feel
some delicacy about coming further.
'sThe miscreant is got back" remarked
| Sava nnah.
"Hieronymus, calls Mrs. Pop, ''you may
thank yo' heavenly stars dat you amt
murderer dis Summer day"
"A-waitin' ter be hung nex' wild-grape-
time.'' finished Weekly, pleasantly.
Mr.. Pop said nothing. But he reached
down from the mantel shelf long thin
something, shaped like snake, and qulv-
cred it in the air.