St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-08
LITTLE TOMMY TUCKER.

LITTLE TOMMY TUCKER.
Once, not very long ago, little Tommy
Tucker cried because he couldn't have
whole mince pie and big piece of
cheese for his supper.
slack Horner did," he pouted.
"Then Jack had the stomach-ache
afterwards said Mamma Tucker.
YOU'D have to take castor oil, Tommy.
How would you like that?''
But Tommy didn't have to take
castor oil, because he didn't have the
pie; and because he didn't have the
pie he got up in his high chair behind
the door and cried as loud as he could
cry. Wasn't he foolish little boy?-
because crying wouldn't help things a
bit, you know.
After while Tommy began to under
stand that, SO he stopped crying and
began to think, with his lips pouted out
and scowl on his face; and he thought
he would go away and stay so that
Mamma Tucker would think he was
lost, and then she would feel, oh,
dreadfully; and the next thing would
be mince pie for his supper.
'I'Il go up to Uncle Dar's,' said
Tommy; but then he thought they
would find him there, first thing. Be-
sides, it was cold and stormy.
"rll 90 down cellar and hide in the
brick closet" said Tommy, then; and
there was just where he did go, creep
ing down the stairs as easy as mouse.
He didn't believe anybody could hear
him; but somebody did. Somebody
saw him, too. 1t was Papa Tucker,
who was stopping leak in the cistern.
It was very dark in the brick closet,
because there wasn't any way for the
light to get in when Tommy had shut
the little door behind him. The brick
closet was made in one of the three
great chimneys, under the parlor fire.
place. Sometimes pies and cakes were
kept there; but the pies and cakes and
Tommy didn't happen in the closet at
the same time. That was a trial, but
Tommy didn't have great while to
think about it. The floor of the closet
was hard, but Tommy was sleepy-it
was past his ed-time-and while he
was wondering why Mamma Tucker
didn't come to find him, he went fast
asleep.
/ will tell you the reason Tommy
fuckers mamma didn't wiring her
hands and go looking upstairs and
downstairs for her little boy. when she
found he wasn't in his high chair be-
hind the door. 1t was because Papa
Tucker had seen Tommy and heard
him; and knew just where he was.
"We'l1 have to teach him little les
son." said Papa Tucker. So he didn't
go to bed when everybody else did, but
locked the cellar door and sat down be-
fore the fire to read, right over Tom
my's poor little sleepy head.
By and by Tommy walked up. AT
first he couldn't think where he was,
but pretty soon he remembered. Poor
little Tommy Tucker! He was SO hun
grv he didn't know what to do-be-
cause he hadn't had his supper, you
know; and he ached dreadfully, the
floor was so hard. But the floor didn't
seem so hard to Tommy as the thought
that his mamma hadn't tried to find
him-nobody had tried to find him.
And they had all gone to bed, and left
him alone; he knew they had gone to
bed-everything was SO still.
Tommy began to cry again.
t.Oh dear, dear mei'' he walled. II
wish didn't be down here-I dor But
wishing, all alone, doesn't do any more
good than crying; and may be Tommy
wouldn't have done anything but wish,
if he hadn't just at that minute heard a
little rustic somewhere around-any-
way he thought he did; and a rustic in
a cellar where there isn't anything to
rustic, you know, is dreadful thing.
So Tommy Tucker thought.
..Oh DEAR he cried again; and he
pushed open the closet door and went
out and felt along in the dark to
the cellar stairs; and he went up
the cellar stairs and tried to open the
door, which was locked, as have al
ready told you.
How Tommy screamed when he
found he couldn't get out himself!
" Papa! mamma! 0 mammal
And, Of course, then Papa Tucker
came in haste to unlock the door.
"Why, Tommy said he, how came
you herep''
Ill was down in the brick closet, -
said Tommy, with a sob; s.and | was
scared-orfe scared. And I want a
piece of bread and butter, papa big
large piece.
And SO that's what Tommy Tucker
had for his supper-though his name
wasn't really Tommy Tucker. = Youth $
Companion.
Boys, Make the Most Of Yourselves?