The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-04-14
WHY TED BURNED THE KITCHEN


The baby always had been Ted's pet.
Ted was about eight years older than
the baby, and so he made it his business
from the first to make this little sister
happy. He would sit for hours anus
ing the baby or rocking her cradle
without sign of worry, and he would
carry her about, too, even after she
grew heavy, to show her the pigs and
chickens, until his sturdy short legs
could bear the burden no longer. In
short, he was the best brother that a
little girl baby ever had, and by the
time that she could walk and talk a
little, Miss Baby had learned to think
he was her own private property She
wanted Ted to lead her, Ted to talk to
her, Ted to show her whatever there
was to see, Ted to sit by her cradle I'M
til she went to sleep, Ted to do every
thing for her. And Ted liked it all, be-
cause he loved the baby better than
anybody else in the world.
But this is not telling my story. The
way of it was this: Ted's father, who
lived in Central Indiana, used to 90 to
Cincinnati every year, driving a big
drove of hogs to sell there, and he took
with him all the men and big boys he
could hire to help him drive the hogs,
for the trip was a long one, and there
were no railroads in that part of the
country in those days.
1t was at time like this that Ted s
mother was sent for to see her sister.
who was very sick This sister lived a
good many miles away, and the wealth
er was cold and stormy. Ted's mother
hot 10 IL IL
not take the baby with her in such
weather, and there was no one to leave
with her and little nine-year-old Ted.
"Ill tell you, mother" said Ted:
'you Just go along, and I'll take care
OF the baby till you come back"
But it is long way, Ted" said
the mother, land 1 may not be back
till very late"
"Wen, what of thatp" asked the
stout-hearted little fellow. "You don't
s'pose I'm afraid, do your" If you're
gone till midnight don't care. just
leave the baby with me and go along.
Ii you don't get back by bedtime, I'll
go to bed, and you can bang on the door
to wake me-"
The good mother hardly knew what
to do. She did not like to put such a
load of care upon the little fellow, but
the case was pressing, and there seemed
to be no other way. So, after LOOKING
to see that there was food enough
cooked for Ted's dinner and supper.
she mounted her horse and rode away.
Ted held the baby up to the window
and made her kiss her hand to their
mother as she looked back from the top
of the hill. Then he set to work to
"make a day of it with Baby. He
played horse and let the baby ride on
his back; he showed her all the pictures
in the big Bible; he. made house out
of the chairs and tables, and did a
hundred things to make the day pleas
ant for his little sister, and she laughed
Mt his funny pranks until she could
laugh no longer. Then he gave her
some bread and milk, and, taking her
in his arms, sat down in the rocking
chair and sang her to sleep. Ted
couldn't sing, as matter of fact; he
could only shout the words without get
ting within a mile of any tune, but
Baby thought his singing the very best
she had ever heard. and so it answered
every purpose.
Before the baby walked it had begun
to snow, and SO Ted had a new thing to
show her. The snow was beautiful to
look at, as it fell very fast, and the lit
tie girl was full of the fun of watching
1t through the window. So the day
passed and night came on. 1t was still
showing hard and fierce wind had
begun to blow. After Ted had put the
baby to bed, and piled a lot of wood on