St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-06-23
HOW TOMMY WENT TO JAIL.

~ 4 "A q ~
HOW TOMMY WENT TO JAIL.
1t was 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. It was all very
bright and very pleasant, but Tommy
got very tired of it all; so he thought he
would 90 and see Carry Young, who
lived Just across the church lawn and
the iail-yard and in a 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 brown Holland dress,
with straw hat planted on the back of
his head-a pailful of dandelions in one
hand, and wooden shovel in the other.
He had 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
church lawn, he saw Carry in the jail
yard, and he ran over, calling to her.
She was very glad to see him, and they
played together for q long time, till
Carry said she was tired and hot, and
was going into the office to get cool.
So they both went indoors. Tommy
had never been in there before, because
his mother had always said that he
might play outdoors with Garry, but
must not 90 into the house. But, this
time, he had somehow forgotten that
Injunction.
The office was queer room, with
two doors that went outdoors, and two
doors that went indoors, and two more
doors that were not doors at 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 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,
Garry had gone, and Mr. Young was
just seating himself.
Would you like to go inside, Tom
my?" said Mr.. Young. 5
!" Yes, sir, said Tommy. 4A5
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 out whenever you want to come. :
Then Tommy felt comforted, and
concluded that he would 60 and see
what sort of a 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 flrst little gate, and there he saw a
very little room with bed and chair
in it, and on the bed was 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 a 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
ewes nXcQ OIL Gllc uOUI, duu uc WAS
thinking so hard that he didn't hear
Tommy at all as he came up and stood
still before him. The man had red
cap on his head, and a long red dressing
gown, with cord and tassel around the
middle. Tommy looked at him very
hard, and then thought to himself: "He's
as nice as my papa, and guess he's q
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 a pleasant
face and pleasant, kind voice. and,
after looking at Tommy for minute
with very wide open eyes, he said:
s.Why, how did you get IN here, and
how do you do3"