Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-06-15
HOW TOMMY WENT TO JAIL.

HOW TOMMY WENT TO JAIL.
1t was a hot morning in early June.
The sun shone brightly, the grass was
very green, and the saucy little dande-
lions looked like dots of gold thickly
sprinkled on the grass. 1t was all very
bright and very pleasant, but Tommy
got very tired of it all; so he thought he
would go and see Carry Young, who
lived Just across the church lawn and
the jail-yard, and in house that was
really part of the Jail, for her father
was the county Sheriff.
So off he trudged-a pretty little boy
of five years, with blue eyes and yellow
curls, wearing a brown Holland dress,
with straw hat planted on the back of
his hcad-a pailful of dandelions in one
hand, and wooden shovel in the other.
He had a tussle with the latch of the
gate, but at last he got out, and as soon
as he had tugged up to the top of the
yard, and he ran over, calling to her.
Shewas very glad to see him, and they
played together for a long time, till
Carry said she was tired and hot, and
was going into the office to get cool.
L
had never been in there before, because
his mother had always said that he
might play outdoors with Carry, but
must not go into the house. But, this
time, he had somehow forgotten that
injunction.
The office was a queer room, with
two doors that went outdoors, and two
doors that went indoors, and two more
doors that were not doors mt all, but
iron gates. Tommy went and looked
through one of the gates, and thought
it was the funniest place that he ever
saw in his life, for there was a long,
long entry and big windows on one
side, and on the other many other iron
gates-only they were little ones, not
nearly so big as the one he was
looking through. He pressed his face
against the bars, and wondered what it
was all for. When he turned around,
Carry had gone, and Mr.. Young was
just seating himself.
Would you like to go inside, Tom
mypn said Mr.. Young.
"Yes, sir, said Tommy.
So Mr. Young took down big bunch
of keys and opened the gate, and Tom
my went in, and Mr.. Young swung the
big gate together behind him and locked
it with great jangling of keys. Then
Tommy was scared, and he puckered
up his forehead and mouth, and big
tears came into his eyes. Mr.. Young
was watching to see what he would do,
and seeing, the tears, said: "Oh! I'll let
you outwhenever you want to come"
Then Tommy felt comforted, and
concluded that he would go and see
what sort of place he had got into
for this little boy was very curious, and
always wanted to find out about
things for himself. So he walked on to
the first little gate, and there he saw
very little room with bed and chair
in it, and on the bed was Il man who
seemed to be sound asleep. Tommy
looked at him for little while, but he
didn't speak to him, because he felt
sure he must have headache, or some
illness, to be lying down in the day
time. His mamma had headaches, and
then nobody ever spoke to her; so he
went on to the next gate.
There sat man leaning forward, his
eyes fixed on the floor, and he was
thinking so hard that he didn't hear
Tommy at all as he came softly up
had q sort of red cap on his
gown, with cord and tassel around the
middle. Tommy looked at him very
hard, and then thought to himself: Hes
as nice as my papa, and guess he's a
Prince; they wear long red gowns and
things"
The man sat very still, and Tommy
looked at him for what seemed long,
long time, and then he said: "Good
morning, SIR"
The man started so that Tommy
jumped, too, and dropped his shovel on
the floor. But he need not have been
scared, for the man had pleasant
face and pleasant, kind voice, and,
after looking at Tommy for minute
with very wide open eyes, he said:
"Why, how did you get in here, and
how do you doP"
"Tm very well," said Tommy. "Mr.
Young let me come in. play with
Carry"
"0h, you dol" said the man. "What
do you playp And what's your namep"
"Oh, lots o. things. Carry and me
has planted garden. My names Tom
my. What's yoursP"
"MineP" said the man. "Well, 1
haven't any just now"
They chatted on for minute or two,
and then Tommy said 'Let me in there,
want to sit down"
Aqueer look came over the mans
face. II can't open the door, he said.
"You sit down on the floor"
"Why can't you open itP" And
Tommy looked very much puzzled.
because it's locked, and l haven't
got the key" said the man; and then
he said, half TO himself: "Wish had I"
"I'll get the key" and Tommy turned
to 60 back to the big gate.
"No, no." said the man, in a quick,
sharp way, and Tommy looked at him
and was half scared again. But by the
next minute the man looked as pleasant
as he had at first, and so Tommy sat
down ON the floor in front of the gate,
with his legs crossed in front, .his little
pail of fading dandelions on one side
and his wooden shovel on the other,
and, with little dimpled hand on each
knee, prepared to have a nice talk
for Tommy was q very sociable boy.
He looked at the man very intently
for q minute, and then he said, with a
solemn look in his blue eyes: "Have
you been naughtyp"
The queer look came into the mans
face again. and he said "What makes
you think sop
"'Cause once was naughty and my
mamma shut me up all alone in the
nursery, and / didn't have nice door
like this. / had big, hard door, and
couldn't see out at all, and / didn
like y Hqps you been naughty-sayr'
"Wgll," said the man. "yesi I'm
Afraid I have"