The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-04-15
| Bes lRrRr COLLINS MISSED 4 -ISR1H
H4RK


BGe k1rPr c9LLIgS MISSED 4 -IsRDK
BARK
Elhcr Collins had never been marked
abseui Oh tardy since his first going to
school nSeptember, and 1t was his am
hition to iulsh the whole year without
''mark, partly because he liked 10 he
prompt. aul partly because he thought
ii would h5 SO nice to see his name IN
the paper a. the end of the year.
December had come, and the short
moruIg, were very lively ones in his
motbeI $ little kitchen, because of so
manvthings 10 be done before the 9
O'Clock bell There was the wood-box
20 i'll. thccauary 10 feed, and generally
fine cradle to rock: while the mother at
taulc, To- such work as could be done
best Nhila there was some one TO look
after tie baby.
ON ills particular morning, however
the msher had gone to Mrs. Browns,
around the corner. for a cup of yeast,
and hat become SO interested IN re-
cipe fol chocolate cake, a pattern for
bov's b0use, and the pound party at the
Methodist minister's, that she entirely
forgot he time of day.
Meanwhile. little Elbcrt, with his over
shoes and scarf ON, and cap IN hand,
rocked he Grade, and kept his eyes on
the clok Five-ten minutes passed
away. The long hand was crawling
alarming near the last bell time. He
tied his scarf. pulled his cap over his
ears. AMI rocked harder than ever. Still
no moUer. Then he went to the door,
-l.-4 4..-,-.,v1 4l,a aarI
sent ont lusty shout: "Mamma-a-a,
come lD-o-omcl' l' but no one responded
evceptthe baby. oh dear dear - he
exclaimed, as he rushed back to the
cradle: and Just then his eXpectant ears
heard .he first slow cling-clang of the
last bell. 1t would ring for five minutes;
the scaool-house was only three streets
away. and there was time enough yet If
le could only start One thing was GER
tain-he would never leave his little
laby sister. He remembered the story
IS the poor baby who was burned to
death because her brother, who had
promised to take care of her, left her,
asi ran out on the street to play.
= went to the door and shouted again.
1t Was SOM tnIhg me me case OI C3tssss-
blanca. But when two mothers are talk
ny about patterns, who ever knew them
D notice every little outside noise 2"
Elbcrt's shout ended in a big sob. 4
man going to lose his entire fortune
c,nldnt feel worse than this little fellow
did, with that dreadful ''tardy' mark
hanging over his head.
Then a happy thought flashed into his
mind Running to the cradle, he caught
ND the baby, scattering pillows and
blankets right and left, bundled an old
shawl over her, and snatching her half
filed miIlz-bottle, dashed out of the
house. and ran of IL the direction of
that Changing bell as fast as his stout
young legs could carry him. The baby
was a little mite, only two months old,
and Elbert was nearly SIX years, and
large for his age.
He met two women whom he knew,
who commenced, ''Why ElbertI and
'tWhat on earthl' but he bounded past,
and reached the school-house Just as the
bell gave Its last clang, and handed over
his funny burden to his astonished
teacher
Il couldn't leave her, and | couldn't
be late. She'll go to sleep and be real
good. he said, as the teacher began to
unwind the shawl.
And then the whole room saw sur
prised. half-smothered-lookin nttle
babv. still in her night-gown, one bare
foot sticking out, and her little hstS
tightly clinched, as if defying any body
to send her home.
The teacher was n good-natured young
lady. and she laughed so that she almos
dropped the baby ON the floor, and theT
the whole room laughed, and finally El
| bert Joined in; for he was glad he haC
escaped the tardy mark, and the bab.
/ certainly did look funny in school.
| OF course there could be no order
/ Nearly all the scholars had babies a
| home. or were well acquainted wit
/ those Of their neighbOrs; but they acte'
| as if they had never seen n baby before
| and every movement of the little PIN
| hands, and every turn of the small bal
head made them scream with laughter
until the principal of the school cam
into the room to see what the disturb
ance was, and after trying to look sever
for five seconds, he laughed, too.
And while all this fun was going on
Elbert's mother was running Wild
through the four rooms of her littl
house, calling her boys name, and fee
ing sure that the children were eithe
killed and thrown into the cistern, {
else carried off, like Charley Ross, an
Iostforeyer. Just then the woman whoI
Elbert had met stopped at the gate, an
said to the mother who was coming hui
ridly out, 'Is anything the matter, Mr.
Collins?"
80, I-don't know where my childre
arel left them while ran into Mr.
Browns a minute. and I'm afraid"
why, we Just now met Elbert wit
the baby, kiting along like the winC
Leastways, we supposed it was the bah,
from the way he carried it. And
never"
"Merciful mani he's taken her 1
SCHOOL,
Ten minutes later a hustered lit
woman raped at the door of the Fir
Primary room, and inquired for bab,
1t was handed to her, along with ;
empty milk bottle, and wrapping the
both ia red cloak which she carrie
she thanked the smiling teacher, al
walked home.
At first she had felt very angry towa
Edbert; but when she remembered h
horror of being late she softened towa
HIM considerably, and by the time s.
had got the baby home, and found b
none the worse for her little runawa
she had her laugh also; and being fai
minded woman, she told Elbert, VIII,
ne came home to dinner, that it w
very thoughtless In her to have staid
long at Mrs. Browns. And Elbert ga
her hug, and said he was glad
didn't leaUe the baby, cause she mig
| haVa loar, h,,r,,aJ ~, ,-o,,