Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-01-13
And the speaker paused to execute gy-

| And the speaker paused to execute gy-
ration of delight as she recalled the scene.
"But the children-what did YOU do with
the poor little children? ?" inquired Mrs.
Wonder, her ewes unconsciously filling with
tears at the thought of the little ones CRYING
after their fathers, as they must have done
when they saw them going away, likely to
never return
"Oh, we bundled the boys off with their
fathers, an the girls we kept with US. Some
of 'em have run away though, an when
they 40 that we never let 'em come back
though it's fact" uttered the speaker in a
reflective tone, "none of em ever attempted
to-"
"Well, now." said Mrs Wonder "can
YOU tell me how | came here ? and. mere
over, how can get away for have hus-
band and two dear little children at home,
and can never be happy away from them.
| want to go back Immediately
why" exclaimed half-dozen voices.
1--WE were looking in at your kitchen win
dow the night we decided to bring YOU
away, and YOU said YOU wished there was
not a man or a child on the face of the
earth; an We though. this would be just
the place for YOU. so We waited till YOU had
spl NOuI uuNbdlu Ou uONU Town ana the
children in bed, and when YOU went to sleep
IN your chair we took YOU up and came
| away. You'll have to stay here now; for if
We should let you out you'd tell Of US, and
then them men might hunt around and
break into our territory, and in time get Us
back and make US wait on EN- Just as they
used to. Come. now'-thev began to as
sumo a persuasive tone-"vou better make
up your mind to stay here. We live the
easiest life imaginable. We don't have to
make or wear fine dresses, you see. cause
there's nobody we care for. It's great
saving of time and bother"
Il don't care anything about all that"
replied Mrs. Wonder. I'D rather be a
slave and work on nv hands and knees for
those that | love than to live here or any
where else away from them.
Just then it appeared that She saw Mr..
Wonder a great ways off, leading the chill
dren. and they appeared as if searching for
something or some one that was lost. She
gave a loud shrek of JOY, and was spring
ing away from the hands that would have
detained her when she awakened and found
the arms of real live man about her as he
lifted her back to the chair from which She
had fallen.
why, Hannah, what was YOU dreaming
about? ?" said Mr.. Wonder as he looked
kindly into her flushed face and held her
feveri>h hands a moment in his
go, nothing" she answered evasiyelv :;
but TO hIS unbounded surprise she bent over
and kissed him as She started away to pick
up Johnny, who Al that auSpiclous moment
had fallen out of bed and was crving Justify
;th the pain from bumped nose.
Mrs. VI unt.e- didn't spank Johnny, as she
usually did when he was so careless as to
fall out of bed in his sleep but brought him
out in her armchair and rocked him till his
head and heart were healed, and then gently
laid him back in bed beside his sister
Little Matte had cried herself to sleep. and
the mother, with deep contrition, gently
bathed off the tear stains with water. ana
some tears not the child's were left on the
cheeks instead and many kisses on the soft
red lips
Then Mrs. Wonder went out and sat down
beside her husband and told him her dream; :;
and though there were few comments on
either side when it was done, Yet il paved
the way for the happiest New Year 's-day
the family had ever seen. Mr.. Wonder slid
out of the house after his wife was abed
and asleep, and for half-hour after his re-
turn was undoing parcels with the slightest
noise possible and tip-toeing around in his
stocking feet in the most ridiculous manner
you could imagine, looking as pleased and
silly and happy as a boy who had been
commended for the act which he had till
then expected would bring him a whipping.
And We haven't any business to tell what
they did and said the next morning, or why
Mr.. Wonder wasn't seen at his office until
almost noon, or how many told him he was
looking uncommonly well, or why he was
in a hurry TO get home at night, and what
the reason was that he didn't 20 down town
after supper. This prying into family mat
tiers isn't at all becoming and if any one
wants to know what was done with the
skeleton that was dragged out Of the closet
of the Wonder family that New Years-eve
they'll have to enquire of somebody else,
that's all.