The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-06-30
KING WINTERS WIFE.

There was no mistake about one thing
Charlie had the measles. He had been
feeling little out of sorts all the morn
ing, and came home at noon from school
with headache, which he didn't like to
own to. for wasn't tomorrow Washing
tons birthday, and weren't the boys AL
going to celebrate ?" Under such cir
cumstances he was not the boy to COM
plain, however he felt, not he but it
seemed impossible to eat anything.
Mamma, who sat beside him, was just
about to remark on her little boys loss
of appetite, when Claude, Charles
eldest brother, who was rather late to
dinner, and had just taken his seat at
table, ,exclaimed:
"Well, youngster, who's been painting
your face? l guess somebody has, for
you have blue under your eyes, gray on
your cheeks-and declare your nose is
as red as cherry, and your cheeks as
speckled as old Chloe's guinea-hen
Mamma, isn't something the matter with
him ?"
Mamma was already leaning over and
studying her little boys face, while his
sisters, Fan and Debbie, began declar-
ing both at once:
"Charlie's got the measles; some of
the other boys have taken it. o, Char
heP
Nine-year-old Charlie didn't feel very
heroic then there was lump in his
throat, which almost made his head spin;
but mammals gentle hand was drawing
away his chair from the table, and un-
fastening his napkin.
"Come, my boy, we'll go up to the
nursery, she said, land see if we can't
feel more comfortable there"
Kind Brother Claude picked him of
his feet, and in twinkling carried him
up to the nursery far ahead of mamma.
"There, young gentleman" said he,
laying him on the lounge, "circum-
stances alter cases, you know, and you'll
have to celebrate the birthday of the
father of your country in hot blankets,
with sage or camomile tea, instead of
taffy and pop-guns. But remember,
one can be hero without Ratchet.
Good-by, boy |" and away he went.
Mamma, full of sympathy, was a real
comforter, and soon persuaded Charlie
10 go to bed. And once there, he had
little desire to get up and eat taffy or
shoot his toy cannon.
According e nursc'S account next
incoming, the measles had conc out
Anely;' on hearing which, Claude sent
up a teasing message to know if Charlie
"would have his portrait taken" But
all bad things have an end some time,
and a day came when Charlie was al
1owed to go down stairs again, though
not out of doors, because of the damp,
windy weather. Tea was just being
served in the back parlor, and, as the
room was very wanm, Debbie opened
the window of an adjoining room.
Suddenly a shadow seemed TO fit
across the ceiling, then another, and
YET another. Charlie. looking up, ex-
claimed
"Oh, lcok ! There's bird in the
room !"
"a bat ! bat ~ cried several voices
at once. And sure enough bat it was.
Round and round it flew, sometimes al.
most touching the tea things, then very
near to papa's head, now near the CRATE,
now near the ceiling
" Debbie, quick Shut the folding
doors !"
And Debbie quickly shut off the front
parlor, and papa put out the lights and
swung the hall door wide open, while
Fan hurriedly set wide the outer house
doors, and soon the bat, attracted by the
hall light, left the back parlor, and was
shut out into the darkness.
That was great episode, and the ex-
citement kept Charlie awake long after
he had been tucked into bed. Once
asleep, however. he had the queerest
dream. He fancied himself near the foot
of the garden, the sun was shining, and
he had just been sliding down one Of
the paths on his sled, plump up to the
fence, but as he touched it heavy sigh
caused him to look about sharply. Not
seeing any one, he was about to get off
his sled when he heard another sigh.
Then he saw, to his surprise, sitting on
one of the stones of the low wall, the
funniest little old woman one could mag
Inc. She was no taller than your hand
and her face was brown, like leather,
and full of wrinkles and seams her ewes
were like two bright black beads, and il
she had any hair it was invisible, for she
wore white fur hood, with deep cape,
which covered her shoulders. She also
wore funny little boots, with very high
heels, all furry outside, heels and all.
and fastened together by little brown
thorns from the wild rose-bush. A
string of tiny bells hung around each
ankle, and bells just like them were
dringed around the bottom of her scarlet
petticoat. She had on beside an i'm
mense white apron which nearly covered
her up, while very big pair of shears
dangled from her belt by string of
braided grass.
Charlie was too much astonished to
say anything, but she spoke herself, in
a minute more, in shrill, cracked, pip
ing voice, 80 that he felt almost like