The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-04-20
A Steam Chair


don't like Mr. Travers MS much as
did OF course know heis q very nice
man, aud he's going TO be my brother when
he marries Sue, and he used 10 bring me
candy sometimes, but he isn't what he used
10 be-
One time that was last summer--he
was always dreadfully anxious to hear
from the post Office, and whenever he came
to see Sue, aud he aud she and would be
sitting on the front piazza he would say;
Jimmy, ! think there must be letter
for me; I'll give you ten cents If you'll go
down TO the postofllce. And then Sue
would say: Don't run Jimmy, youll get
heart disease if you do" and would
walk way down to the post-ofiice which is
pretty nearly half mile from our house
But now he doesn't seem to care anything
about his letters; and he and Sue sit in
the back parlor, and mother says mustn't
20 in and disturb them, and | don't get
any more ten cents.
I've learned that it won't do to fix your
affections on human beings, for even the
best OF men won't keep on giving you ten
cents forever. And it wasn't fair for Mr..
Travers to get angry with me the other
night, when it was all an accidental least
most all Of it; aud dou't think it's manly
for man to stand by and see sister shake
A fellow that isn't half her size and espec-
tally when he never supposed that any
thing was going to happen to her even II
il did break.
When Aunt Eliza came to our house the
last time she brought steam ch'ir; that $
what she called it, though there wasn't
any steam about it, She bro ught it from
Europe with her, and it was the queerest
sort of chair, that would all fold up and
had kind OF footstool TO it, so that you
could put your legs out and just lie down
in IT, Well, one day it got broken. The
back OF the seat fell down and shut Aunt
Eliza up in the chair SO she couldn't get
out, and didn't she just howl till some
BODY came and helped her! She was so an
pry that she said she never wanted to see
~, '...n again lana You may have 1t.
u yon want it, Jimmy, for YOU are good
boy sometimes when you want to be.
So | took the chair and mended it, The
folks laughed at me and said | couldn't
mend it to save my life, but got some
nails and some mucilage and mended it ell
egantly. Then mother let me get some
yarnish. aud | vanished the chair and
when il was done it looked 30 nice that
Sue said we'd keep it in the back parlor.
Now I'm never allowed to sit in the back
parlor, 30 what good would my chair do
me? But Sue said, "Stuff and nonsense,
that boy is indulged now till he cant rest. "
So they put my chair in the back parlor
Just as if l had been mending it on pur.
pose for Mr.. Travers. didn't say any
thing more about it; but after it was in
the back paror ! took out one or two
screws that thought were not needed to
hold it together and used them for boat
was making.
That night Mr.. Travers came as usual
and after be had talked to mother awhile
about the weather and he and father had
agreed that it was q shame that other folks
hadn't given more money to the Michigan
sufferers and that they weren't quite SURE
that the sufferers we're worthy object
and that good deal of harm was done b,
giving away money to all sorts OF people
Sue said. "Perhaps We had better go into
the back parlor; it is cooler there and w
won't disturb father who wants to thinl
about something.
So she and Mr. Trayers went into TIN
back parlor and shut the door and talked
very loud at first about whole lot
things, and then quieted down, as they al
ways did.
was in the front parlor, reading Robin
son Crusoe, and wishing could go an'
do likewise-like Crusoe / mean; for
wouldn't go and sit quietly in back par
lor with a girl, like Mr.. Trayers, not fyo'
we're to pay me for it, | cant see whs
. some fellows see in Sne, I'm sure If Nh
I Martin or Mr.. Trayers had her pull theil
hair once the way she pulls mine some
0 times, they wouldn't trust themselve
alono very soon.
All al once we heard dreadful crash 4
/ the back parlor, and Mr.. Travers sal
I Good something very loud. and Su
shrieked as il she had a needle run int
g her Father and mother and ] and th
cbambe rmaid all rushed TO see what wa
4 the matter
4 The chair that had mended, and tbs
Sne had taken away fiom me, had broke
q down while Mr.. Trayers was sitting in !
I and 1t had shut up like a jackniie, an
!. had caught him so he couldn't get out.
! had caught Sue too, who must have run
help him, or she never would have been
!. that tir. with Mr.. Travers holding her b
!, the wrist. and her arm wedged IN 80 VI
couldn't pull i away.
|, Father managed TO get them loose, al
II then Sue caught me and shook till ! coul
n hear my teeth rattle, and then she ran u
stairs and locked herself up, and NJ
n Tnyers never offered to help me, but on
a said, I'll settle with you some day, youI
a man, and then be went home. But faith
sat down on the sofa aud laughed, and va
Is TO mother:
= II guess Sue would have done better
n. ,he'd had let the boy keep bis char. "
- I'm very sorry. Of course, that an ae'
ID den, happened 10 the chair, but I've got
up 10 nv room nov and I've mended