The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-12-09

of the family. A square stand and
sewing. machine completed the furni-
ture. Not stray newspaper or maya
zine. not half-read Sunday-school
book, with its dog-eared pages, peeped
out anywhere, for Mrs. Newton dis
liked to "see things lying around"
All was horribly grim and ugly. The
children, indeed, made two or three
futile attempts to render. the place more
attractive, by making a couple of wall
they were finished they looked so pretty
that their mother said they were just
the thing for the spare chambers, and
they were accordingly hung there.
1--WE might just as we'll not have
made 'em," pouted Lily. "Of course
they make the house look pretty. but
nobody ever gets to see 'em, poked
away off up there"
The swing on the back balcony,
which the little ones had gleefully
planned. was never put up. "1t would
bring all the children in town here, and
the porch floor would be tracked from
one end to tho other. No. indeed. you
can't have a swing" said Mrs. Newton,
and that settled the matter. Nor did
the projects of the separate playhouse
and the quadrille party meet with bet
ter success. Dance on my body Brus-
sells. indeed! They must be crazy!' was
her indignant comment.
"Bothe ration! l wish We hadn't
bought good carpets for our house,"
grumbled Sam. II think oilcloth or
mating would have been ten times
nicer. Then we needn't always be so
'fraid of spelling it, and could have
some fun occasionally, like other
boys" ~
"You ought to be ashamed to talk
so, SAM" replied his mother, severely,
"when YOU have better home than
any boy Or girl in Brompton. There
isn't one of 'em but would be glad to
exchange their little cramped up house
! for ours"
"Oh, know our house is nice, but
somehow said Sam, drawing his
brows together with a perplexed ex-
preston.
The knowledge that their new house
was more costly than their neighbors',
and was supposed to be attractive in
every way BY their associates, who saw
only the outside glitter and show, die
not satisfy Sam and Jack Newton, when
they felt. though they could not express
it, that their fine surroundings lacked
the essentials of a home.
The long winter evenings now came
on, but the pleasant spectacle of a FAM
! lily group gathered around capacious
table, or which there was plenty of
room for elbows and books and states
and games of work. was not found with
in the cramped sitting room-of the New
tons. The little stand was never drawn
out from its place against the wall, and
even had it been, it was not large
enough to admit of much more than the
lamp being placed on it. The house
was heated by a furnace, so that the
cheerful glow of fire-light was wanting,
and it is not strange that the juvenile
Newtons wearied of this dismal corner
of their fine cage, and painted to get out
among less favored children.
II had notion to invite Johnny
Lewis to come up here this evening to
get our arithmetic lessons together; but
if had, don't know where we could
have slowed him." observed Jack,
modify, one night as they came in
from the kitchen, where they had been
eating their suppers. "a fellow cant
get within ten feet of that lamp! But
I'm going to have the rocking chair,
any way;'' and he made a spring to-
ward it. just as Lily. who had foreseen
in it.
81 got here first, and I'm going to
keep it, said the girl, stoutly, trying
to shove her brother off.
"No, you re not. You sat in it night
before last for whole hour, and you
just now heard me say I wanted it, and
You thought you'd head me off, and that
isn't fair" retorted Jack, pepsisting in
his efforts to secure the coveted seat.
"Tut. tut! What's all this hubbub
about?" inquired Mr.. Newton. coming
in at that moment. "You can't both
sit in the rocking chair, children. Go
into the sitting-room, Jack, and bring
out another one
The children stared. Did father
really mean it? But Mr.. Newton had
already started back to his office, and
Jack, instantly recovering his senses,
fearful that the order might be counter
manded by his mother, hurried into the
front sitting-room and reappeared a
moment after. hauling gayly up
holstered folding chair, which he drew
| up before the stand just as his mo Their
appeared in the do orway.
"Dear me!' she exclaimed. 81
don't see what your father means by
allowing you to have that nice chair out
here to spoil. The cover will be so
black in week that til never do to be
put back into the sitting-room.
swell, what's the use of putting it
back there to be shut up and never put
to any good use? It's the very thing
to rest "a tired boy,'' laughed Jack.
The Lewises have a chair like this in
their sitting-room, only not quite so
stylish; and l tell you they take solid
comfort out of it. think their sitting
room is the prettiest place in Bromp-
| TOM
''They haven't got very many nice
things in it-not half SO nice as ours"
lisped Jenny, the youngest of the five.
''lt's for use. and not for show, and
it's pretty enough for any body, too;7 and
wish ma would let US go down there
every evening. They always have
such good times at their house," an
swered Jack.
II don't see why you children can't
be more contented at home, :" remarked
Mrs. Newton. IF we had a palace
of gold, verify believe you'd be sigh
ing to get away from it to spend your
evenings in somebody's garnet. But
that's the with some people-they
never know wLes they're well off, and
she sighed nsa e think how lit. little her
ings.
Notwithstanding all their supposed
advantages, the discomfort of the New
ton children did not grow less, and
their desire to spend their evenings at
the homes of their school fellows in
creased. Their playmates rarely visited
them. intuitively feeling they were not
very welcome to the female head of
the house. Youngsters always make
such a muss and q racket" was her
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