The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-05-18
A PLEASANT SURPRISE.

comfort each other. This hole is in the
wall at the side of my bed, so, if I put
chair on the bed, and then climb up and
stand on tiptoe, can see IL to Johnny's
room and we can have good talk.
We're in trouble; and this is how it
happened:
a story about little girl who had O. sick
father; and he was going to starve to
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. II don't see
see why he should pay money for teeth,
when he could have his own for moth
ing.) The little girl had fine teeth, so
she went to the dentist and asked him to
take some out and pay her the money
they we're 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 doctor for him, and he didn't die.
It was 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 go and do likewise.
Well, this morning, when father WAS
putting on his overcoat, Johnny and l
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 Elm began to cry cause father
said she couldn' have new dress this
Easter. Everything was going wrong,
and he didn't know what would become
of him, and he vas sick of everything.
Johnny and I didn't cry; we only
looked at each other.
While we were going to school j Johnny
said this was our chance. We could do
like the good 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.
9'And then" says Johnny. 'if we've
made Ave dollars for father, perhaps
he'll give us our penny, cause it'll be
such pleasant surprise to him."
We couldn't hardly wait for school to
be out. got 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? I said,
"Your teeth"
After school we walked about till we
come 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, Yes"
We thought he would sit down and
ask us all about it, just as the other dem
fist did with the good little girl; but he
only said
"Lets look at EN-"
l. 1>h al, mi bo
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 pulled out another. And
he said Johnny was a brave boy, cause
he didn't .holler.
1 asked Johnny if it hurt, and he said,
mot much, and don't you disgrace the
family, Kitty White, by Howling."
"Now, my little lady," said the den
fist, ''get into this chair, and Ill be as
gentle as I can" So he helped me into
the chair, and tipped back my head, and
looked.
"Your teeth are crowded together just
like your brothers" he says; and then he
begins to pull.
Ny, how it hurt! And didn't make
q noise! thought my head was coming
of. But il was over IN minute, and
the dentist told Johnny not to laugh at
me, cause my teeth come harder than his
did
When our teeth were out we thought
the dentist would pay us. He asked as
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
1--WE thought he had four dollars for
us, and held out our hands, but he didn't
give us any money. Instead OF that
he said: Haven't you got any money!
Johnny explained to him that we
thought be 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 vss writing Il, and We thought he was
the pleassntest man in the world.
When We got home, Jonnnv said we'd
better wait till after dinner to give
- 81 al