The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-12-17

And take, in His kindness, the will for the
deed!-Widc Atcdkc.
HOW CLARENCE SAT UP.
81 DON'T want to-I don't want to
90 to bed, said little Clarence, and he
burst into an outright fit of crying as
soon as his mother had said, "Come, my
little son, it is quite bedtime, you must
not sit up any longer
81 wish there was no such thing as
bed," sobbed Clarence. 81 always hate
to 90 to bed. I wish I were man and
wouldn't ever 90 to bed if didn't
like; would sit up all the time.''
"Why, you foolish little boy, l guess
you would soon be sorry enough if you
really couldn' 90 to bed"
mo, mamma" urged the child, pas
sionately. 81 wouldn't be sorry a bit,
l know I wouldn't; l know it would be
just the incest thing in the world.'
Mamma paused few minutes with
the lamp in her hand, which she had
taken to light him to his pleasant lit
tie room that opened out of her own,
and where Clarence slept, because he
was much younger than either of his
brothers or sisters, and so he was the
pet and darling of them ali.
Mamma paused-what could she be
thinking of? She never used to stop to
think of things, after she started to put
him to bed. Clarence looked up in her
face. His surprise was greater still
when he saw her slowly set the lamp
down again upon the table. Her face
was very calm, but little grave.
swell. Clarence" she said, Il am so
tired of having you make this same
trouble SO often, when you are told to
90 to bed, that have decided you shall
do as you wish tonight. You need not
60 to bed"
"What, not at all'' exclaimed
Clarence. in tone of delight, ''really
true. mamma, do you mean l may set
up all night, this once?"
"Yes, my son." said his mother, and
she looked just as if she meant it.
"You may sit up oil night. since it is
such dreadful thing to go to bed"
"Oh, is MT it jolly! Thank you. thank
you, mamma. And now, let me see,
what shall I do first? Only to think
what grand old time I have to do
everything inr'
So the little boy got out his box of
water colors and occupied himself q
long time in coloring some engravings
which his mother had given for that
purpose. When he grew tired of his
pictures he took up story boek that he
liked very much to read over and over
again because the words were all short
and the letters were very large and
plain, and then the stories were so
nice. that every time he read one over,
it seem just as good as at the first.
While he ives reading, his two sisters
left the room, and as they did SO they
each stopped and kissed him good night.
How queer it seemed to him to be
sitting there reading. like big man,
after both his sisters had gone to bed.
He treasured himself by glance at his
brothers, who were also reading. In
deed, he Strengthened himself consid-
erably in his chair. as he turned to his
book, for wasn't he doing just what
Charles and James did in the evening?
And it was nice to read late at night;
yes, he was pretty certain that he liked
sitting up.
But somehow the story made his eyes
ache after while. and then, too, he
kept gaping, though ne tried hard not to.
He began to feel strangely. This would
never do. He would get his kitten and
have some fun with her. He always
loved his kitten. He went out into the
kitchen and was astonished to find the
girl was not there and the kitchen was
dark. "Where could she be?'' 1t
flashed across his mind that she had
gone to bed.
| Il don't see what in the world she
wants to go to bed SO early for" grum-
bled Clarence; but calling his kitten.
she quickly sprang out Of the dark, and
he caught her up in his arms quite co n
! fOrted.
When he returned to the sitting-room
his brothers had both gone to bed. And
they hadn't said GOOD night TO him.
Why did he feel so badly about itf His
little lip quivered. How strangely he
felt about everything. The clock
struck eleven. Just a. he had counted
the last stroke. his mother pushed her
rocking-chair back from the table and
his papa folded up the newspaper and
with long yawn as if he were very