The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-05-25
A Pleasant Surprise
BY KITTY WHITE.

been talking through the stove hole tC
comfort each other. This hole is in the
wall at the side of my bed so if l put q
chair on the bed, and then climb up anG
stand on tiptoe, can see into Johnny'>
room, and we can have a good talk.
We're in trouble and this is how il
happened;
One day last week, our teacher read us
a story about little girl who had a sick
father; and he was going to starve tC
death cause he hadn't any money to buy
oranges and everything had gone wrong
inside. Well the good little girl heard
that dentist wanted some teeth, and
would pay we'll for them Il don't see
why he should pay money for teeth when
he could have his own for nothing.) The
little gill had fine teeth, so she went tO
the dentist and asked him to take some
out and pay her the money they were
worth, for her poor father. Then the
dentist made her tell him all about her
father; and he wouldn't take the teeth, but
he gave her the money all the same, and
went to see her father, and GOT a doctor
for him, 50 he didn't die.
1t was a beautiful story, and made me
cry. Johnny said it wasn't anything to
cry about; stories like that were for ex-
amples, and when we had chance we
must Just 90 and do likewise.
Well, this morning. when Father was
putting on his overcoat, Johnny and
asked him for penny. And Father, he
said we were always wanting pennies,
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
/ didn't know what would become of him,
and he was sick Of everything.
Johnny and didn't cry we only look
ed at each other.
While we We're going to school, Johnny
said this was our chance. Now We could do
like the gcod little girl, and be sup
port to our parents. Dentists always
wanted teeth, and we'd go to the dentist
right away after school, and have it over
And them says Johnny, 'if we've
made five 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
be out. | gotta black mark in arithmetic,
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
some?" And we told him, 'Nes."
We thought he would sit down and ask
| oil ~, Il
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 pull
ed ont one tooth, and then he pulled an
other. 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 disgrace the
family, Kitty White, by bowling"
''Now, my little lady" says the dentist,
'get into the chair, and III be as gentle
as | can" SO he helped me up, and tip
ped back my head, and looked.
''Iour teeth are crowded just like your
brothers" says he and then he begins to
pull
My, how it hurt. And didn't | make
noise | thought my head was coming
off. But it was over in a minute, and the
dentist told Johnny not to laugh at me,
cause my teeth came harder than his did.
When our teeth were out, 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 pleas
ant weather for little folks.
After while he said "Its four dol
lars"
We thought he had four dollars for us,
and held cut our hands, but he didn't
give US anything. Instead of that, he
said: "Havent you got any money p
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 letter that would make it all
right.
So he wrote letter, and sealed it, and
told Johnny to be sure to give it to Father.
He kept laughing all the time he was
writing it, and we thought he 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 at first was
glad we'd waited; for the roast beef was
too brown, and Father said: There
never could be piece of beef done right
in this house; and Mrs. White, my dear,
ityou could only have carving knife that
would cut | believe your son uses the
carving knife for Il ijackknife"
We felt so sorry for poor Father that
we thought we'd give him his surprise
then, so he'd feel better. Johnny took
out the letter and gave it to him. He
| sits next to Father, and | sit next to
Johnny. Father took the letter, and said
whats this, sir?"
And Johnny said: "Read it, dear Pa,
and see"
Then Father read it, and wrinkled his
forehead all up, and we thought he was
| going to burst into tears, like the sick man
did when the good little girl brought him
the oranges. But be didn't burst into
tears. He threw the paper across the
table, and said:
"What's this, Mrs. White? Have YOU
been running me into debt, after what |
told you this morning?7
And Mother said: "Pm sure l don't
know what you mean, dear" Then she
read the letter, and called us naughty
children, and chow dare you go and have
sound teeth out without my consent9'
And Father said that, "What we had
done was catamount torobbery; going and
| getting him into debt of our own accord :
and you may go to your rooms and think
about it till your mother and come.'
We've been in our room ever since, and
both Father and Mother said they were
under the necessity Of
Well, Johnny says switch is the worst,
but he doesn't know anything about a
slipper Anyhow, it's over for this time.