Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-05-11
A PLEASANT SURPRISE.
BY KITTY WHITE.

: We've been talking through the stov
hole to comfort each other. This no
is in the wall at the side of my bet
, so, if l put a chair on the bed, an
then climb up and stand on tiptoe,
can see into Jobnny's room, and W
can have a good talk.
We're in trouble; and this is how
happened:
One day last week, our teacher rea
us story about good little girl VIII
had sick father; and he was goin
to Starve to death cause he hadn't an,
money to buy oranges; and everythin,
had gone wrong inside. Well, che goo
little girl heard that dentist wantet
some teeth, and would pay well fo
them. | don't see why he should pa,
money for teeth, when he could havr
his own for nothing,) The little cir
had fine teeth, so she went to TIN
dentist and asked him to take som,
out and pay her the money they wer,
worth, for her poor father. Then tn,
dentist made her tell him all about hel
father; and he wouldn't take the teeth
but he gave her the money all the
same, and went to see her father, ant
got doctor for him, 50 he didn't die
1t was a beautiful story, and made
me cry. Johnny said it wasn't any
thing to cry about; stories like that
were for examples, and when we had
"A chance we must just 60 and do like.
wise.
Well, this morning, when father was
putting on his OYercoa., Johnny and |
asked him fer a penny. And father,
he said VIC were always wanting pen
MES, and he wasn't made of money
and then he went out.
Sister En- began to cry, cause father
said she couldn't have new dress this
Easter. Everything was going wrong,
and he didn't know what would become
of him, and he was sick of every
thing
Johnny and 1 didn't cry; we only
looked at each other.
While we were going to school, John.
ny said this was our chance. Now
we could do like the good little girl,
and be support to our parents Den.
fists always wanted teeth, and we'd 60
to the dentist right away after school,
and have it over
"And then," says Johnny, "if we've
II ale live dollars for father, perhaps
he'll give us our penny, cause it'll be
such a pleasant surprise to him"
We couldn't hardly wait for school
to he cut. | got black mark in arith.
metic, cause when Miss Stevens asked
me if you had an apple, and if Samuel
Smith ate it up, what had you left?
said, "Your teeth"
After school we walked about till
we came to dentists, and we went in,
and asked him if he wanted some teeth.
And he said, "Why? Did we want to
lose somep" And we told him, "Yes."
We thought he would sit down and
ask us all about it, just as the other
dentist did with the good little girl;
but he only said:
Lets look at en-"
Then he made Johnny climb up in
the high chair, and tip his head back;
and then he said, "You want these two
out that crowd the rest" Then he
put an iron thing into Johnny's mouth,
and pulled out one tooth, and then he
pulled another. And he said Johnny
was a brave boy cause he didn't holloa.
| asked Johnny if it hurt, and he
said, "Not much, and don't you dis.
grace the family, Kitty White, by howl
ing"
"Now, my little lady," says the dent
ist, "get into the chair, and I'll be as
gentle as l can" So he helped me up,
and tipped back my head, and looked.
"Your teeth are crowded just like
your brothers." says he; and then he
begins to pull
My, how it hurt! And didn't make
a noisel l thought my head was COM
ing off. But it was over in minute,
and the dentist told Johnny not to
laugh at me, cause my teeth came
harder than his did.
When our teeth were ont, we
thought the dentist would pay us. He
asked us whose little boy and girl we
were, and where we lived, and said
this was pleasant weather for little
folks.
After a while he said; 1t's four
dollars"
We thought he had four dollars for
us, and held out our hands, but he
didn't give us anything. Instead of
that, he said: "Haven't you got any
Then Johnny explained to him that
we thought he would pay us for our
teeth, so that we could help our poor
father
The dentist began to laugh, and said
he didn't pay for teeth; but he would
give us a letter that would make it all
right.
So he wrote letter, and sealed it,
and told Johnny TO be sure to give il
70 father. He kept laughing all the
lime he was writing it, and we thought
ne was the pleasantest man in the
world.
When we got home, Johnny said
we'd better wait till after dinner to
give father his pleasant surprise. And
1t first | was glad we'd waited; for
he roast beef was too brown, and
'ather said: "There never could be
piece of beef done right in this house,
md Mrs. White, my dear, If you could
'nly have a carving.knife that would
'utl l believe your son uses the
'arving-knife for a jack.knife."
We felt so sorry for poor father that
We thought we'd give him his surprise
hen, so he'd feel better. Johnny took
nut the letter and gave it to him. He
its next to father, and l sit next to
Johnny. Father took the letter, and
aid:
"Whats this, sirp"
And johnny Haid "Read IL, dear pa.
nd see." f''s
Then father read II, and wrInk)ed his
0glsaPfad W upr and We thought hcgAs