The Columbus journal., 1882-07-12
"Jim,ny's" Experiments With Steam
ChSir.

"Jimmy's" Experiments with . Steam
Chsir.
don't like Mr.. Travers as much rs
did. OF course know he's very nice
man, and he's going TO BE- my brother
when he marries Sue, and he used 10
bring me candy sometimes, but he lsn
what he used to be.
One time-that was LAST summer-he
was ALWAYS dreadful anxious to hear
from the Postoffice, and whenever ne
came to see Sue, and he and she and 1
would be sitting on the front piazza, ne
would say: Jimmy. l think there must
be letter for me; I'll give you ten
cents If you'll 60 down to the Post
office" and then Sue would say: Don t
run, Jimmy; you'll get heart-disease If
you do;" and I'd walk way down to the
Postoffice, which is pretty near half q
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 60 in
and disturb them; and l 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 Civ
ing you ten cents forever. And it WASH t
fair for Mr.. Travers to get angry with
me the other night, when it was all an
accidental least most all of it; and |
don't think it's manly for q man to
stand by and see sister shake fellow
that isn't half her size. and especially
when he never supposed that anything
was going to happen to her even if it
did break.
When Aunt Eliza came to our house
the last time. she brought a steam chair:
wasn't any steam about it. She brought
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 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 somebody came and helped
her! She was so angry that she said she
never wanted to see that chair again,
and you may have it if you want it
Jimmy, for you are a good boy some
times 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 l
got some nails and some mucilage. and
mended it elegantly. Then mother let
me get some varnish, and l vanished
the chair, and when it was done it
looked so nice that Sue said we'd keep
it in the back parlor Now. Fm never
allowed to sit in the back parlor. so
what good would my chair do me? But
Sue said: ..Stuff and nonsense, that
boys indulged now till he can't rest"
So they put my chair in the back par
lor, just rs if I'd been mending it on
purpose for Mr.. Travers. l didn't say
anything more about it; but after it was
in the back parlor took out one or two
screws that thought were not needed
to hold it together, and used them for q
boat that was making.
That night Mr.. Traverse came as
usual, and after he had talked to mother
awhile about the weather. and he and
father had agreed that it was a shame
that other folks hadn't given more
money to the Michigan sufferers. and
that they weren't quite sure that the
sufferers were worthy object. and that
a good deal of harm was done by giving
away money to all sorts of people, Sue
said:
"Perhaps we had better 90 into the
back parlor; it is cooler there, and we
won't disturb father, who wants to think
about something"
So she and Mr.. Travers went into the
back parlor, and shut the door, and
talked very loud at first about a whole
lot of things. and then quieted down. as
they always did.
l was in the front parlor, reading
Robinson CrusOe," and wishing l
could 60 and do likewise-like Crusoe,
l mean; for 1 wouldn't 60 and sit quiet
ly in back parlor with girl, like Mr..
Travers. not if you were to pay me for
it. can't see what some fellows see in
Sue. I'm sure if Mr.. Martin or Mr..
Traverse had her pull their hair once
the way she pulls mine sometimes, they
wouldn't trust themselves alone with
her very soon.
All at once we heard dreadful crash
in the back parlor, and Mr.. Trsvers
said Good something very loud. and
Sue shrieked as if she had a needle run
into her. Father and mother and and
the cook and the chambermaid all
rushed to see what was the matter.
The chair that l had mended. and
that sue had taken away from me, had
broken down while Mr.. Travers was
sitting in it, and it had shut up like a
jackknife, and caught him 50 he
couldn't get out. 1t had caught Sue.
too, who must have run to help him;
or she never would have been in that
fix, with Mr.. Travers holding her by
the wrist. and her arm wedged in so
she couldn't pull it way.
Father managed to get them loose,
and then Sue caught me and shook me
till could hear my teeth rattle, and
then she ran up stairs and locked her
self up; and Mr.. Travers never offered
to help me, but only said: "Tll settle
with you some day. young man." and
then he went home. But father sat
down on the sofa and laughed, and
said to mother:
II guess Sue would have done better
if she'd have let the boy keep his
chair"
I'm very sorry, of course, that an &C
ciient happened to the chair, but I've
got it up in my room now. and I've
mended it again. and it's the best chair
you ever sat in" JiDsany BroWn," in
Harper's Young People.