Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-23
Our Young Folks.
THE UNLIMITED GUEST.
" Molly, put the kettle on,
Molly, put the kettle on,
Molly, put the kettle on
We'll all faEo faao

potatoes over the fire to boil for break
fast. The kettle was tight fit for SO
many potatoes, and BonnY, looking on
with interest from his high chair by the
fire, remarked:
Full, mamma; amt itp''
-, "Yes, laddie. full as it can hold-just
| like our house,
''How it spatters and boils over.
mammal
"And our house spatters and boils
over with us, too, wee one"
Sure enough the Donald dozen did
live in such small tenement that it was
puzzle how they ever could all get
packed into it at once.
But then early in the morning the
father went out to his work; Alec fol-
lowed to the shop, Jeanie TO the store,
Nickie to sell morning papers, some to
school and some to do errands, till
Bonny and the baby would be left
alone with the mother. Then, shutting
the door after the last, she would say:
''Do you see how they all boil away,
BonnyP'' and she would sin g merrily as
she scrubbed, swept and cooked.
She did not sing SO often after father
Donald fell one day and broke q leg.
Nor did she fill the kettle of potatoes as
full either after that. Mr.. Donald lay
helpless, and worried about the place he
feared he should lose.
.'But I've worked for the house till
it seems 1 could not work anywhere
else. If they'd only promise to let
me back again when Pm able, I'd
bear the rest with an easy mind" said
the sick man, getting fevered and
flushed.
LAD. L can't have you fret so" spoke
his wife at last She took down her
bonnet and shawl. "Tu 90 and ask
the master myself. 1 don't believe he'll
refuse a woman, and you such faith
full hand. Bonnyis so good he won't be
any trouble to you, and I'll take the
baby along"
So Bonny climbed up by the window,
"boil away" like the rest.
Then Bonny played by himself long
while, it seemed to him. He built a
a church tower with his blocks, like the
tower he could see shooting up above
the low roofs. He changed the blocks
into street cars. and dragged them up
and down the window-sill He thumbed
his torn picture-books; he thumped his
rag doll. Getting tired of all, he flat
tened his dear little soft nose against
the pane, watching the people tramp.
tramping by on the brick sidewalks,
and the carts, drays, carriages, that
clamp, clamped over the stony street.
He liked this, and crooned over to him
self, contentedly, tunes that were no
tunes, and words that he made up as he
went along.
But time went on, and still his mother
did not come. Bonny grew hungry,
and crept down to ask papa about it.
Papa was lying quiet and breathing
heavily. Bonny had fairly sung his ia
Their to sleep.
1t occurred to Bonny, as he tiptocd
back, that there could be no good rea-
son why he should not 60 and find his
mother, or else Jeanne, or MCKEE, or
Ted. Jeanie's old red cape hung in the
corner; quickly he threw it over his yell
low head, and holding it fast under his
chin with one hand, he lifted the latch
and stepped forth.
He walked slowly and thoughtfully
off in the direction he had seen his
mother take, with short, nipping steps,
like a meditative chickabiddy's. He
had not doubt that he should come to
some member of his numerous family
before long, but meanwhile he was
thinking less of that than of the sights
by the way. Two boys were racing
velocipedes. To Bonny that was
splendid sight.
81 visit l had velehorsipede," he
whispered, with pensive air.
On and on he plodded, blissfully be-
wildered, absorbed in these enchanting
visions, until he found himself before
caterers show window, tempting with
crisp loaves of bread, daintily frosted
cakes, and unspeakable cookies, tarts,
jellies.
"Oh my! oh myr' cried Bonny, be-
{ inning at last to remember that he was
nobody but little hungry boy, Pm
SO hungry?'
While he stared with all his longing
eyes, he heard these words spoken loud
ly right by his side, "Come on then;
we shall be sure of good dinner"
Bonny turned round. Two men in
tall black hats were striding by, and
one, as he spoke, clapped the other on
the shoulder. The invitation was not
meant for Bonny at all. But that did
not make any difference to him. He
simply received the idea that if he fol-
lowed these two men he should get to
q dinner. So he pressed sturdily after
them.
1t was really not long before the two
tall hats were seen turning up some
low, broad steps. The painting Sonny,
Juggling after, followed unnoticed
through wide door into vast hall, all
paved with marble. Quite confused
and out of breath, Bonny suddenly
stood still. Where he had lost sight of
The two tall hats and the wearers of
them he did not know.
"Seems like another outdoors" the |
child thought, looking up at the high |
ceiling; "but where's the dinner?
There is dinner; 1 smell it; it smells
good. Seems to me 1 never did smell |
so much dinner in my life"
BY this time he also became aware of |
. cheerful clatter of dishes and voices:
and following the sound across the
wide hall, he pushed open great door
that stood half ajar.
Sure enough, there before him lay
,able after table, adorned with spotless
linen, and spread temptingly not only
with flowers and fruit, but with plenty