Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-02-23
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
Gown Up" and make Up"

1t was the meanest thing l ever did.
/ don't believe any other boy ever did
such mean thing.
This is how it was. You see, my little
sister Allie-well, she isn't nay sure
enough sister at all, for she's my cousin.
Uncle Sam, was my uncle, and he was
Allies father.
He was the prayingist man you ever
saw in your life. He said his prayers
lots of times every day, and L don't be-
lieve he ever got tired and jumped up
and began tying his shoes or brushing
his hair before he'd got the last words
said, as do when l say 'em only once a
day.
Well, Uncle Sans father got sick, and
he's my mothers father too, and he's
my grandfather. So they telegraphed,
and Uncle Sam. and Aunt Sarah went
to see him, and my mother had a sprain-
ed foot, and cried because she couldn t
go too.
Before they went Uncle Sam took lit
tie Alice in his arms and prayed. l
heard him give her to the Savior for His
own, and rs He'd promised to take good
care of all His own little ones, he ex-
pected Him to keep His word and see
that no harm came to her. They then
left her at our house and went of on
their long journey.
Do you think they ever got there to
see their old fathere No, they didn't.
They went down an embankment. All
the folks that didn't get burnt to death
got drowned, and all that didn't get
drowned got frozen. That's the way
they went to heaven.
Grandfather, he waited, and waited,
and wondered why they never came,
but at last he went too. tell you, after
! went to bed that night after the news
came, l thought to myself could al
most hear exactly how the edear old man
must have said, well, well, Sammy
to think you and Sarah should got to
heaven before mep
That's how Allie came to be my sister.
Mother took her in her arms and cried
and cried, and said she'd take care of
her all her life, and if you know my
mother, you'll know that when the Sa-
vior and she take hold of a thing to-
gether it's pretty sure to be well DONE
Now I've got to the mean thing 1 did.
You see. .onelday little bit before Al
lies father went away he brought her a
NOdh . al h-d 3 lCoO OAS opACnOlu OuC- L
wanted it awfully myself wanted to
sail it on the water, but mother said it
would spoil it.
One day carried it off when nobody
was looking. Me and some otner boys
took tito little stream, and we cut
hole in the top and stuck in flag, and
then we put it in the water, and the wa
ter run quick and tell you it just went
skitin' along, and we hollered and run
too, and were having the biggest kind
Of a time, when all at once she went
down.
We tried to fish it up, but it came all
10 pieces. and lots of the animals were
lost. and Mrs. Noah was lost and some
Of the other passengers. ARi what was
left the paint was all off.
Did go and own up to ny mother
and Allie. and say was sorry? No, L
didn't. / only thought how / could let
on 'twasn't me. 1t rained hard that
night, and when it was dark l carried
all the pieces and threw 'em outside the
sitting room window.
The next morning heard mother say
to Allie, 30, you darling naughty little
grille, to drop your ark out of the win
dowip
Allie cried and said, look, Donny,
'ookt" but l never let on.
Ldidnt feel right, though, and didn't |
more and more. When l went to bed l |
used to wonder if little Allies father
knew how mean was to her, and what
hed think of it if he did; and one night
1 jumped straight up as 1 thought how
Jesus surely had seen me.and how she'd
been left in his care, and he was forty
times stronger than her father, and per-
haps he was getting ready " panish me-
But the worst of all was one day at