The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-11-05
DARKEY JIM.


"Where under the sun is Darkey
Jim?p said Pnkie to herself, as she
turned over and over in bed irving to
find him. Il don't believe Kitty put
him to bed at all"
Kitty was the nurse, you know, and
Darkey Jim was the black rubber doll
that Santa Claus brought last Christ
mas time. | don't know why Pnkie
always wanted Jim to sleep with her,
because he was torn most to pieces.
The big dog got him once and ate a
whole leg of, and one night Jim was
lett outdoors in the rain. and was
| dreadfully soaked out of shape. But
| Pinke loved him better than any of
her other dolls. Pinkie had a little sis
ter, Ruth, who slept in another room,
just through the doorway. so when
Darkey Jim wasn't found that night.
| Pinkie called out:
Ruth, are YOU asleepP"
But no answer came.
81 believe she's got him herself, and
won't tell, said Pinkie.
"Ill 60 and see, anyway"
So she got out OF bed and went into
the next room.
"Ruth, have you got my Darkey
Jim?' she asked, as she came to the
crib. Ruth didn't answer, and so Pinkie
| began to feel all about for the doll, and
at last she found it. But do you sup
pose that Ruth was really asleep? Not
bit more than you are at this moments;
and, when Pinkie tried to lift Jim out
OF the crib to take him to her own bed,
she found out that Ruth was wide
awake and had tight hold of jim 5 leg.
go wayn' cried Ruth, sitting up IN
bed and Juggling with all her might to
keep hold OF Dlrkey Jim.
Hes mine, Ruth Vail, and you
| know il" answered Pinkie. $50 give
/ him to me-
They were both dreadfully cross, it
seems to me, but they were dreadfully
sleepy, too.
Well, the end of the quarrel was that
mamma, who was down stairs, came
running up TO see what the noise was
all about. Ruth was crying, but Pinkie
WASH tt because she had the doll.
Hes mine, and | want him." said
Pinkie, GROSSLY,
Il got him first, and l think | might
keep him, do" sobbed Ruth.
Now look here" said mamma, TAX
ing Darkey jim away from Pinkie,
"this is too bad to make all this noise
and fuss, and neither one willing to
give up to the other. | tell you what
/ must do. I'm going to stand Darlley
jim up here against the door between
the rooms and have him sleep there all
night. He'll be just as near one of you
as he is to the other, and hope my
little girls will be atisied-althOugh |
must say that ! think Ruth shOuldn't
have taken jim at all, because he didn't
belong to her."
So that was the arrangement made,
and mamma went down stairs again,
leaving the children in bed, and jim,
standing on his one lee against the door.
Pinkie hadn't been in bed two min.
utes before she began 10 think.
al don't see what use Jim is to any.
body, over there"
Then she thought little more.
81 don't think | was very good tC
Ruth, particularly as she gave me hal
her peach to day. | know what i'D
going to do. I'm going to get Jim anC
put him straight in Ruth crib!'
Now it happened that Ruth hadn''
been in bed two m nutes, either, be
fore she began to think.
- expect | was real cross to Pinkie.
Then she thought some more, too.
IL don't see what good Darkey jim.
doing over there all alone by himself
! know what I'm going to do. m 90
ing to get him and put him straight il
Pinkie's cribn'
So both the little girls got softly ou
of bed at Just the same time, and Wen
carefully across the floor.
81 must be very careful, so Rutl
won't hear me-, said Pinkie to herself
4" must be very care al, so PinkiC
won't hear me" said Ruth to herself.
SO they felt along the wall, and pu
out their hands, and ran bump agains
each other in the dark.
"You take him." said Pinkie.
"You take him." answered Ruth
Hes yours, you know-and I'm rea
sorry"
But you gave me the peach, and
was cross" said Pinkie, holding on
Jim in the dark.
And how do you think they made i
all rightp
Why, they both got into the same
bed, and Darkey Jim slept between
!hem!-N y. Tribune.
Am l One OF Theml
Children, if you wish to have every
,I, 81