Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-29

and went over the hills and FAR
away And the speaker paused to
execute a gyration of delight as she
recalled the scene.
But the children what did vCu 60
with the poor little children" inquir-
ed Mrs Wonder, her eyes unconscious
" filling with tears at the thought of
the little ones crying after their faith
ers. 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 them have run away,
though, an when they do that we never
let 'em come back-though it's f ;"
uttered the speaker in a reflective tone,
none of 'em ever attempted to-"
We'll, now," said Mrs Wonder,
"can yor tell me how l came here, and,
moreover, how can get away; for l
have a husband and two dear little
children at home, and can never be
happy away from them. want to go
back Immediately"
"Whyw exclaimed q half dozen
voices, 1--WE we've looking in at your
kitchen window the night we decided
to bring you away and you said you
wished there wasn't man or child Oh
the face of the earth;' an We thought
this would be just the place for you,
so we waited till you got your husband
off down town and 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 ard make US wait on 'em
just as they used to. Come, now," they
began to assume a persuasive tone,
'tyou 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 a
great saving of time and bother"
81 don't care anything about all
that" replied Mrs Wonder. ''Pd rath-
er be a slave and work on my hands
ard knees for those that love than to
live here or anywhere else away from
th6m."
just then it appeared that she saw
Mr. Wonder great ways off, leading
the children, and they appeared as if
Searching for something or some one
that was lost. She gave loud shrek
ofJoy and was springing 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 dream
ing about?' said Mr. Wonder, as he
looked kindly into her flushed face
and held her feverlsh hands a moment
in his.
20, nothing" she answered, evasive
ly, but to his unbouDded surprise she
bent over and kissed him as she start
ed away TO pick up johnny who at
that auspicious moment had fallen out
of bed and was crying Justify with
the pain from bumped nose.
Mrs Wonder 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 arm
chair and rocked him till his head and
heart were healed. then gently laid
him back in bed beside his sistel. Lit
tie Mittie had cried herself to sleep,
and the mother, with deep contrition,
gently bathed off the tear stains With
water, and 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 it paved the way for the hap
piest New Years 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,
and looking as pleased, and silly, and
happy as boy who had been CON-
mended for the act which he had till
then expected would bring him whip
ping. 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 most noon, or
how many told him he was looking
uncommonly we'll, or why he was in
hurry to get home at night, and what
the reason was that he didn't 60 down
town again after supper. This prying
into family matters isn t at all becom-
ing, and if anyone wants to know what
was done with the skeleton that was
dragged out of the closet of the Won
der family that New Years Eve, they'll
have to inquire of somebody else,
that's all.