Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-11-02
BESSIE AND THE JACK o. Ian.
TERN.

TERN.
Bessie's papa and mamma were
spending year in Europe, and Bessie
was staying with her grandparents in
the country. She had been in the
country every summer of her life, but
never had seen the great bare hills cov-
cred with snow. nor walked in the pine
woods on smooth, icy crust with
snow birds twittering in the lonely still
ness, and the sunbeams creeping in to
glitter on the icicles that hung like
necklaces on the bushes before. She
had never been up before daylight in
the morning to go by the light of u
lantern, which somehow seemed like a
glimmer from fairyland, to the barn,
with Joe to feed the sleepy cows and
impatient old Dobbin. The light of the
lantern always started the hens of their
perch, and the roosters would begin to
crow with such delight that one would
think all they cared for in the world
was to have it morning. She
never had been tucked away
in great bung with all the chill
dren in the nelghborhood on a snowy
morning, and carried to school
by Dobbin-bells jingling and the boys
shouting all the way. She had never
taken long, delightful rides into the
woods on Joe's ox-sled, nor coastcd
down long, steep hills, nor popped corn
over the Goals in the fire place, nor
made the kitten play vito the shadows
of the fire-light, nor had she eaten
roasted apples and hickory and butter
nuts while Abby, the hired girl, told
fairy stories of an evening. But now
she was enjoying all these delights, and
wondered why people d dn't go into the
country to spend the winter instead of
the summer.
But sometimes there was q little dull
spot in her existence, and that was on
evenings when grandpa read his news
paper and would not be coaxed to look
up from it, and grandma got drowsy
over her knitting, and Abby and Joe,
who were said to be courting, though
Bessie didn't know what that meant,
would go out early to spend the evening
with Abby's mother, or sit by the kitch-
en- fire and talk with each other without
paying any attention to her. Abby
wasn't always willing to tell "Cinder-
ella," or Jack, the Giant-Killer,n by
any means. Even the kitten, who was
fat, funny little thing, would some
times refuse to play on these evenings,
but would curl herself into little
round ball on the hearth-rug, and
try to go to sleep, and Carlo,
the great Newfoundland dog,
would good-naturedly go through
with all his tricks once or twice,
and then subside into q meditative
mood, from which it was impossible to
arouse him. Carlo was getting old and
enjoyed meditation more than frolics.
So all that Bessie could do would be to
sit and wish that it was eight o'clock,
which hour was her bed time.
But IN her aunt's house, which was
only little ways around the corner at
the foot of the hill, things were delight
fully different. There were six children
in the family, and such romps as they
indulged in before bedtime! Abby
had taken her there two or three times
in the evening, and sometimes she went
by herself in the afternoon and stopped
to tea, and either Joe or Abby would
come for her just before the clock struck
eight. But Bessie was never willing tc
60 home at that time. She would play
until midnight if she were allowed tC
do so, and eight O'Clock would Away,
come in the midst of some charming
game, or just before the end of one o.
Cousin Jennie's prettiest stories. ant
she felt like a very much abused indi
vidual when Abby insisted ON taking
her home and whisking her off to bed.
One dark, cold night, when the fros
was SO thick on the wihdow-pane thai
one could hardly get peep out-of
doors, and few Hakes of snow were
flying about in the bitter air, Bessie wa,
seized with stronger desire than eve
to spend the evening with her cousins
for Tommy, one of the boys, had an
nounced that he was going to make ,
"Jack O. Lantern" and VIII asked he
very particularly to come over, saying
that If she could come, they would hay,
a" candy-pull."
Now if there was anything in thi
world that Bessie enjoyed, il was
"candy-pull;" not that she cared mucl
for it by herself in grandma's kitchen
but onlywith a merry party of boys ant
girls who enjoyed it as much as she did
And then she did wish so much to Sc,
the "Jack o. Lantern" for never il
her whole life had she set eyes On sucl
thing, and she had been told that the,
were very funny. But she knew that |
would be of no use to ask grandma i
she might go, it was such very col,
night. Then Abby had a sore throa
and could not go with her. Joe wa
very busily engaged in mending har
ness which must be ready for use in tn,
morning, and grandpa was hardl,
able TO stir with an attack of rheuma
lism. So Bessie ate her supper il
silence and with very doleful littl
face. Grandma noticed 1t, and pro
posed that they should pop some corn
there were such nice Goals in front o
the fireplace, and told her that sh
would show her how she used TO pop
when she was little girl by covering /
up in hot ashes.
But Bessie wasn't interested in corn
popping just then. She said that sh
was tired OF popcorn and wished sh
had some one to play with. Then sh
scratched n little bit of the frost ava
from the window-pane and peeped on
Of doors, and, ifit was dark, it SCENE,
very CHEEKY. and not bit what Abb
called pokerish. A red lantern wa
flashing along the road. There was
sound of distant sleigh-bells, and th
wind was blowing merrily. A sudde
idea flashed into her mind. She NIGH
steal out of doors and run down to Aun
Mary's, and no one would know thin
about it. She would wait until grand
ms got asleep over her knitting In th