Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-24

| the school house, where she had been sew
ing green letters upon a strip of PASTE
| board, to say welcome! in the very loudest
kind of voice to every one who might
| come to the festival.
"Sakes alive, father she exclaimed.
| stopping short in the middle of the room,
| what forgetful body 1 be; left that
work basket over to the school house,
When thing is lost it is a great comfort
to remember just where you lost it, and
Mr.. Dunning, who had been helping his
| wife hunt for the spectacles by uucovering
the jar of yeast and looking into the tea
kettle, settled himself at once in his chair
| with the remark,
"Oh, we'll, I reckon it won't run away
fore morning; your memory does seem to
be kinder failing on ye, mother"
By and by he looked up from his paper
| to ask,
did you want them spectacles for any
thing particular? If you do, you might have
mine for SPELL"
Now you must know that it was a tri-
fie provoking to lose your spectacles and
work basket, and be told your faculties
were failing in one evening, SO good Mrs.
Dunning must be excused if there was
little less than her usual sweetness in the
way she answered.
''Much good your spectacles would do
me! haint got 80 old as to have to read
through telescopes if my memory is fail
ing, and should like to know who it was
that went to church with only one side of
his face shaved, and went away to the
north pasture to salt the sheep with an
empty measure in his hand?"
Mr.. Dunning rubbed his stubby chin
and looked little foolish, but presently
he laughed good naturally and said.
"Well. well, mother, you've got the best
of me there; your wits amt failing, any
how, and if you're anyway pestered about
that basket, I'll step over and get it. I
really ought to look in before bedtime to
see that everything's safe; seems kinder
risky leaving such big fire over night"
Gin fact, father said Mrs. Dunning,
very humbly, II more'n half believe put
that twenty dollar bill you got for the
heifer into my spectacle case, twas kinder
careless IN me, that's FACT
''Well, we'll, WE'LL" said Mr.. Dunning,
though he meant the very opposite thing,
and putting on his buffalo overcoat, he
took the lantern and started for the school
house. By this time the fire was 80 low
that only one little red eye shone through
a hole in the stove, as if it was Watching
the children and saying, cts all very well
while I'm here, but I'm going away, and
you'll be cold enough before morning.
The CLEAN of the lantern struck upon
the wall as Mr.. Dunning came nearer,
moved slowly around the room and dis
appeared as he came to the door and
opened it, letting a cold draught rush
over the floor. He went directly to the
stove. almost tumbling over the green nest
where the boys lay, not whit disturbed by
his entrance. They were quite used to be-
ing stumbled over and stepped upon, and
kicked out of the way as they lay upon
the rags and straw in Towelli's cellar, and
they did not even wake when Mr.. Dunning
stopped closer with the lantern, and said
in the gruffest of kindly voices, 'Well, we'll,
wellp'
Of course he did not mean we'll, for any
one could see the marks of cold and hun
ger, and all sorts of abuse on the little
tramps. But when he took Carl by the
arm and tried to rouse him, the little fell
low sprang to his feet in a terrible fright
and poured out {. torrent of Italian, which
Mr.. Dunning did not at all understand, but
which really was prayer not to be beaten,
while at the sound of his voice Antoine
started also, and before his eyes were fairly
opened, plunged his hand among his rags
for the few pennies that had been given
him. l don't know what the kind old man
would have said if ne had known that the
boys mistook him for their cruel master,
but presently they were awake, and re-
membered where they were, and what had
happened. Antoine explained that they
had only stopped for the night; they did
not mean to do any harm; they would go
right away; but after few questions Mr..
Cunning took Carl up in his great shaggy
arms, gave Antoine the lantern to carry,
and hurried away to the farm house, leav-
ing the basket behind him, after all.
He marched into the kitchen, and put
Carl down in the warmest corner, while
Antoine stood wonderingly by, for in all
his life he had never actually been inside
of a comfortable home. Mrs Dunning was
in the pantry setting her sponge for bread,
but she came out presently with -four on
both hands and the tip of her nose.
"What on earth, fatherv' she exclaimed,
stopping short and staring at the children.
1.-TWO little tramps, mother; found 'em
in the school house, asleep on a pile of
green's; they'd have froze stiff before morn
ing. l reckon they're some of them I-tay
Hans, CnaI the SCHOOL ma am was telung
about, that's owned like little slaves by
raskills that thrashes 'em and sends 'em
out Begin and playin' on the fiddle
Poor little SOULS" said Mrs. Dunning,
and she made Antoine sit down on stool,
and took off Carl's shoes to warm his frost
bitten feet, while she prepared them S ONE
hot bread and milk.
"'Pears to me, mother" said Mr.. Dun
ming, I'D give 'em something more filling
than bread and milk if was you," but his
wife only laughed.
II reckon it would be just like you to
feed children with meat vittles and mince
pie at this time of night, but it's lucky I
know better"
'Well, you ought to know; you've
brought up enough on 'em to know" and
Mr.. Cunning sighed as he remembered the
seven boys and girls, of whom not one was
left in the old home.
While the children were eating. Mrs.
Dunning hustled about, bringing a wash
tub, coarse towels and soap, and finally
two red flannel shirts which she hung ov er
chair by the fire.
Carl and Antoine watched the mysteri-
Gus preparations with wonder and sus-
picion. Never in their short lives having
heard of bath, they were not without fears
that these strange proceedings were pre-