Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-08-30
A WONDERFUL DREAM.

The new kittens lay upon an old coat
on top OF barrel OF shavings in the
wOOdshed. There were six of them
perfect beauties; two all black. two
black and white, one of no particular
color and one lively little tiger-cat,
black and gray with yellow stripes.
"Well.' said Grandma Thompson,
when she had admired them duly, 1--WE
will keep one. think this one is the
prettiest,' and grandma touched the
little tiger-cat with her foretinger; ''but
you may choose, Mary. Silas will drown
the others in the mill-pond.'
"Ohr' Mary looked at Grandma
Thompson with vague idea that she
had ,urned into monster. like the wolf
in .'Red Riding-H Hood but as grand
mas face wore its usual peaceful aspect,
instead of 20 grandma. what big
mouth you've got' Mary ventured to
say: go grandma! why can't we keep
them all! Poor, poor little thingsr'
Grandma Thompson laughed one of
her funny laughs. First she tossed her
head to one side and half shut her eyes.
so that you would not have thought that
she was going to laugh at all, then came
little scream, another pause, and ut
last such Jolly cha! ha! ha! ha-a-a-ar'
that all the merriment of her soul
seemed to be coming out in little bub-
bleS.
80 Mary! seven cats in one house!
It's enough to distract person to think
of it. Why. their noise would drive me
wild, and besides. they would eat us out
of house and home"
But poor Tabby'll miss them sou
pleaded Mary.
"Poohr' said grandma, contempt
uously. "she won't care; she can't count,
you know, and if she has one left, it will
be all the same to her," and Grandma
Thompson waddled OF into the house to
take her afternoon nap.
Grandma Thompson lay down upon
the wide lounge-it Lad to be wide, for
grancma was so fat that she reminded
one of the pictures of Santa Claus-and
little Mary sat down upon a hassock.
with box of saudy-colored paper and
a pair OF scissors, to cut "paper-hash"
for the doll s breakfast.
Pretty soon grandma began to toss
and moan in her sleep, and to wave her
arms wildly. Mary. who had been
taught what she must do when grand
ma did that, went and patted her gent
ly, saying:
Wake up, grandma! wake up, It's
only a bad dream
But it seemed to take grandma long
time to wake up. Even when she had
SO far reused herSelf as to sit up, she
still kept her eyes shut and moaned.
But when she really was fairly awake,
she laughed until the tears rolled down
her fat cheeks
20 Mary, Mary, childr' said grand
ma, Il have had such dream"
Mary brought her hassock and sat
down at grandma's feet, to prepare for
the treat which awaited her. for Grand
ma Thompson. who was great dream
or. loved dearly to tel her dreams, and
Mary, who was the only one in the
house who liked to hear them, thought
they were as good as fairy-tales.
Il dreamed" began grandma. ''that
we were all in India. At least, the
boys were; I'm sure don't know where
l was" Grandma Thompson stopped
to wipe her glasses, for her seven sons,
two OF whom slept beneath the daisies
on the hillside, while the rest were in
foreign lands. were still ''the boys to
her, though they were brown and beard
ed men.
II saw them all, Mary said grand
ma. impressively, "sitting around a
campfire. I tried to get to them, but
the jungle was so thick that Icould not.
I called them, but they only said: The |
wind is rising and once, when broke
a dry twig, they sa d: There is wild |
beast near Oh, it all seemed SO realn'
Grandma stopped to laugh again,
though l do not bel eve that the tears
which she wiped away were entirely |
caused BY her laughter.
And then," she continued, II heard
a terrible roar. and looking around
what do you suppose, saw? 1t was
Tabby and all the kittens. but they had !