The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-09
TROTVi'S .N,SiiAP,

breath and much frightened, and then
out OF the window 10 her nephew, Trot-
". who was busily engaged building a
snow man just then.
Won't you come?' asked Tom.
anxiously.
IL suppose l husband trust to
Providence" replied Aunt Rachel, r;s- /
inc and putting away her work. But.
Judging from the look of anxiety on her
face, her trust in "Providence' was
not very secure.
"Thcre is no knowing what he llt;kc
into that head of his to do she said to
herself, as she put on her bonnet, look
ing Tro,tyward.
Aunt Rachel considered all boys as
unnecessary evils, and this particular
specimen Of the species she regarded as
one of her greatest means of grace: Not
that Trotty was particularly bad boy.
but.he ecos thorough boy, going from
one piece OF mischief to another with
untiring energy.
Just at present he was stopping with
Aunt Rachel. The twins had the meas
les, the baby was teething, and poor
mamma, between them all. was about
used up. So Aunt Rachel had beneyo-
lently taken Trotty home with her for
visit.
1t certainly did seem very nconsid-
crate in baby Jackson to take this time
to fall sick; but, since she had, Aunt
I,,1 <>,,)l nnnS0iannn pnftJSA
her aid. So. with many a caution to
Trotty, who appeared to have not a
thought in the world beyond his snow
man, and many foreboding, she set
forth.
She had not been gone five minutes
before he conceived the brilliant idea OF
arraying his image in her Sunday bon
net and cloak.
This seeming to him an unusually
happy thought, he at once set about
putting it into effect, without for a mo-
ment stopping to consider whether or
not Aunt Rachel would object. eth
be the funniest thing that ever was"
he chuckled to himself as he rushed ill.,
to the house. ,''.
The cloak, he knew, was hanging
in the hall closet, the bonnet was in its
box on the lower shelf OF the china
closet.
Alas for Trotty! another unlucky
thought occurred tc him as he opened
that door, and spied on the top itself
numerous jars OF preserves. Irotty
had one weakness. and that was plum
preserves, particularly Aunt Rachel $,
and never in all his life had he any
thing like enough. There stood a large
lar Of it right in front; did ever any
thing look more tempting!
TrottY deliberated a minute or two,
looked out of the window, down the
street. No sign of Aunt Rachel. Then
he looked up again. and a minute after
: he had the b g family Bible in the chair,
and was climbing up. 't.t
He had his hand on the JAR and was
slowly working it along to the edge OF
the shelf, when something happened
he never quite knew what, only dowr
came the preserves, chair, Bible ant
himself, all in heap on the floor
Such a looking child as he was-pre'
serve in his curls, eyes, on his JACKIE
and pants, everywhere but in his mouth
/ and for the first time in his life he hat
no desire to have it there. He was very
sure, in fact, that he would never wan
: to taste it again, no matter how long HI
lived. t@a r- H.g 40. - .N..
| But what should he do was the ques
ton he asked as he picked himsel
: slowly and sorrowfully up and surveyed
. the scene. r .'i4"
: "I-want-to see my mother" HI
> said, with queer little CULVER in hi
3 voice.
Q J Then, after another brief survey, h
A pulled his cap down over his stick,
8 curls, put his hands, likewise sticky
t into his pockets, and went straight GU
3 Of the house, down the street, ,lookin.
Q neither to the right nor lett.
3 Mamma had given the twins thei
r supper in the nursery, had undresse'
+ baby and was rocking him to slee]
q when the door opened, and queer lit
It tie figure came rushing up to her wit
8 outstretched arms. .,.Du'
$ '.I-fought I'd come home," h
g sobbed. ,. ..=. '.F j., 49,. 70
: Mamma put the baby down in tn
9 cradle and took the little wanderer NJ
g "How did you get here, my SOM
9 she asked, helping him off with hi
= boots, and holding his almost froze
l. little hands and feet in hers.
o II coined myself. l got lost two c
% free times, and / was awful tired, but
u kept Q coming. cause I wanted YOU
d Mamma waited in speeches. anxiety
1t What bud this little son OF hers been Dc
is ingP Had he set fire to Aunt Rachel
,r house. or what? n.r.. g .a.y ..
70 d'Well, dear. tell mamma all aboa
If it," she said at length.
ID II made q snow man, an Aul
d Rachel went away, an fought T.
ut dress it up in her tings, you know; an
r II saw the plum preserve-and--I-
r didn't think to say Get thee behind m
le kSatan, like YOU told me to land slippe
Is guess. and -it--broked and spilled
70 and came home to YOU
m That was Trotty's story, told wit
u many tears. Mamma drew breath
is relief; it was not 50 bad as it mig
V have been. But, nevertheless, Tro1
~ must not be allowed to view the matte
Ill in that light. and for a few minut
er mamma was puzzled to know what
or do with him. ,as- "
I'd "Ithink," she said, after what SCENE
cd long time to Trot.y, who was waiti'
At anxiously 10 know his punishment,
he think my little boy must 60 right ba.
nd will take you"
GO "Oh!' cried Trotty. in dismay,
be don't want to. You punish me you
on self, mamma, harder everything.
ey But mamma was firm. Trotty h
~ disobeyed Aunt Rachel, and to her
I -AQ- n II