Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-12-22
| Pease at that very minute.
I'm little Ipjun pudden!" walled Pop

Pease.
"Once she had a sou-ou-oup with a
BONE into it!" added Popsy, drawing in
his breath and tasting his own lips.
I'm cold, Popsy!" said Pesse. begin
n ing to cry 2 if she had never cried be-
fore in all her life, and had found rev
and absorbing kind of occupation by which
to pass the time.
You get bread 'nlarsyl" sobbsd the
baby. "Plsase, Popsy. bread 'nlarsy!"
Sweet Pease put up her little blus lips
and kissed Popsy in the neck; just as she
did when she leased him for his old bro
Ken top, or his two marbles. or her turn
to plague the landlady's yellow cat wait
ing for mice upon the stair.
don't know how we can explain to one
mother why this seemed to Popsy the
ardest thing that had happened yet
How shall we?
Popsy jumped down from his chair, and
tod still in the middle of the room. He
looked at Pease. His breath came fast
like that Of a boy who is fighting. He felt
! like man And Sweet Pease, sitting
there, looked like little woman to poor
Popsv.
''I'd ought to take care Of my little sis
rerl said Pnpsy. with grand look. After
| that he stood and thought little more.
"Pease, i" said Porsy, then more softly.
81 know. But we'll say our prayers first -
| Sweet Pease stopped CRYING. and P"psy
got hold Of her hand and they knelt dow n.
But it was just as cold for all that. Then
Pease said, Now lay me-" and Popsy
id, ''Our Father" for they did not know
| What else to say. and then Pease began
Dear Zhesus. ever at my side''-but
couldn t remember the rest of that prayer
and Popsy raid he guessed that was
Enough, and so they got up again, and
Pease began to cry again. And they were
just as hungry rs they were before.
"Ravver have bread 'nlarsy!" sobbed poor
Pc Sc. ''R aver have bread 'nlarsy zan
payers, Papsy!''
'You walt" said Popsy. Importantly.
"We've got some business to tend to-"
so Popsy went to the cabie-drawer
where hi de dead mamma kept things
not many things, to be sure--but all she
had. And in the drawer hs found PEN
Gil and a half sheet of paper. Aud when
Pease said,-
"Wh41 you doin'. PopsyY"
''Wr tin letters" Popsy said. you
hush up Peasie!'
But he sat down and wrote for all that.
And he looked grander and grander as be
wrote.
Now Popsy couldn't write, exactly; but
h. could trint. He told Pease he wonder
ed if they could re I'd printing; and Pease
sked, "Whos"
The folks I'm writing to- said Popsy.
So be wrote on and on. Aud as he
wrote be looked grander and grander.-
Sweet Pease had never seen him look SO
grand. Y ct he had gentle look, and the
tears were wet upon his cheeks.
By-and-by the letter was done. And
P"psy said,-
Now wei! come 10
But Sweet Pc .se never asked him where
and went at once.
50 Popsy tied the plaid tippet round her
head; and he put his old cap on, what
there vas of it; and they started out.
They started out into The storm. They
had each others hands. Popsy held Sweet
Pease very hard ard tight; he thought she
might blow away.
The landlady saw them 60, and cried
out, Good riddance to them 70 and Tim
Jogeins saw them, and he said, they'd
better go to the p'lice-for Tim was not
very drunk, and little kind But Popsy
said,-
Never you mind where we gol' And
he held up his head and Looked as grand
as very small boy could look in a very
big storm. But to Prase he said
''I'm goin' on business. Pm goin' to
post my letter.
So by-and-by they came to letter-box.
1t was covered with ice and snow. So
was Popsy. So was Pease. So was the let
ter. too.
So was the letter-carrier, coming at
that moment down the street, far away.
and dim. and white, yet seeming TO move
% istlly and swift, like the angels that we
see in the background ct pictures.
1t was SO snowy that it was all Popsy
could do to stand on tiptoe long enough to
70 slip his freezing lettsr into thu ffoz IN
box When he had done it. Pease began to
cry. She said she was so cold aud must 60
home.
Il wanted to wait for ar answer" said
Popsv, reluctantly. But Popsy cried twice
as hard as ever.
IL s'pose must go home with her,"
said Popsv, talking to him self "She is my
little sister. 1 musn' let her stay n ciy.
| can come back and get nv answer
Sn Pnpsy turned md trnd led away. The
storm beat upon them. The two little Gg-
ures seemed to bend and sink within it.
Young ones!' aid The letter carrier,
as he came painting up. He shaded his
eyes with his and, and looked THROUGH
the b tier sleet. The little figures faded
ard departed in 1T, Popsy holding Sweet
Peasa by he hand.
''Pity." thought the carrier. And then
he thought no more ato IT l..
He thought no "ore about it. till he
took GU i lunch of letters to sort them
under cover from the wet. Then all at |
once he stopped and said,-
"Wh-ee-eew',
And he said nothing more till he got to
the post-office. But when he was there,
he heckoned TO clark and stopped again.
"What's np?" asked The clerk.
"I-vum," said the carrier.
"We all know that. You frequently |
do,' said the clerk, impatiently. "What
do you yum to-day?"
look at this-vummed letter." said
the carrier more softly,