The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-08-23
Little. Blossoms Step.mother

LlCCles DlOSSOnS OCep'llOtHtl'
Little Blossom sat on the vine,
wreathed piazza of her fathers house,
looking the very picture of childish des-
pair. Her fower-tint-face, which had
won for her the pet name of Blosso m,
flushed and stained from weeping and
disfgured b. a very decided frown.
In her chubby dimpled arms she
clasped 4 Maltese kitten, to whom, child
fashion, she confined her troubles.
"Papa is going to bring me home a
cross, hateful step-mother," she sobbed.
dixie Tommy Dyke has. Tommy says
his step-mother scolds him drefdl, and
last week she made him give away bis
little dog 'eause it knocked down he's
poll parrots .cagel Oh, dearl Oh,' dear!
Now suppose I'llhave to give you away,
you precious darling little kittie." The
thought of losing her pet caused 9 fresh
burst of tears and sobs, and she hugged
it 80 closely that it mewed with, pain.
At last her face frightened.
ttI know what ri do" she said WISE
lv: .sI'Il 90 down to Aunt Mary's and
tell her all bout it. Praps she'll let
me stay with her and be her little
girl" g.,
She had often been to her aunt's with
het father, and with no doubts about
finding the place disturbing her little
head she set out upon her Journey, With
her kitten in her arms.
But kitty did not like the idea Of be-
ing taken away from his home, AMI be-
gan scratching and mewing at great
rate, and at last escaped from the arms
of his little mistress, scampered away,
and was soon out of sight.
Blossom stood looking after it with 8
very mournful air, feeling almost heart
broken.
"Lost your kitten, little girl?" ques-
toned deep voice.
She turned round to see an old col
ored woman at her side, dressed In 8
yellow gown, a blue apron, and a red
sacgue fastened at the neck with al i'm
mense brass bteastpin. In her ears
were long black earrings, viii ch almost
reached to her shoulders.
In spite of her dark skin she had tath'
er a pleasant face; and her interest in
Blossoms lost. pet at once won the
child's confidence. . >" .-!
eyes, ma'am," she answered, land it
was such a pretty one, a real Maltese
papa gave it to me for a birthday pres,
ent: I was! taking it to Aunt Mary's
cause my step.mothef ill make me give
it away. I don't know 'xactly where
Aunt Mary lives, but guess l can find
it,"
81 know your Aunt Mary, honey
Lo with oUnQt CDni1p
"Come with me, dearie, and | will take
you to her."
"You know my Aunt Mary" sale
Blossom, eagerly; "ohl Pm dreffu glad ;
and putting her little hand into the wo
mans rough, coarse palm, she walked
along by her side as contentedly as i
she had known her all her life.
After what seemed to her very lonG
Journey they came to q little white
washed hut surrounded by sunfiowets
the tallest of which req ched sbOve the
roof:
Il lives here, lovey," said the woman
"come in and rest awhile and | will give
YOU something nice to eat"
Blossom obediently trudged after her
for she began to feel quite hungry.
But: once inside the house the wom-
ans manner changed.
''[ want your necklace" she sale
gruffly.
Blossom opened her blue eyes in
amazement' "My necklace!' she
echoed.
eyes! give it to me quickl to pay fol
all my trouble in bringing you here"
Blossom was too frightened and aston
ished to comply, SO the woman not very
gently unclasped the ornament from
the chid's neck, tore her pretty rings
from her fingers, disrobed her Of hel
lace dress, and even took the French
kid shoes and stockings from her feet
while her husband stood by grinnins
9ud rolling his ewes until nothing bn
the whites of them were visible.
"You are smart'un, Sally" he said
approving1y. "We will keep her an(
send her out to beg for
His wife gave him glance of wither
Ing scorn.
off, James," she interrupted. "Hel
folks are rich. and will spend d heap o
money to find her These 'tectives ar
getting SO foxy there's no escaping them
We have got her fix ngs, and now thu
best thing we can do is to get rid of he
as soon as possible"
Taking down an old dress of hers sh'
| cut it off around the bottom, then put
on Blossom, laughing at the conlical ap
pearance she presented in 1t. "No'
come," she said, se,zing her roughly b.
the arm, "and we will 60 to Aun
Mary's."
| Trembling Blossom followed her, to
frightened to utter word of complain
After long walk they reached tn
ask 1oft hn, fn1I I'M
her to 90 on little further and sh
| would come to her aunt's.
But none of the squalid tenement
with groups of dirty children playing i
front Of them bore any resemblance t
the grand ,brownstone mansion where
her aunt lived; and tired and huugr
Blossom sat down on doorstep ant
| sobbed bitterly. There q policeman
found her.
"What is the matter, little girl?" h
"Poor child" he said, pityingly.
Lifting her in his strong arms he tool
| her to the station house and gave her i
charge of the kind matron, who CAV
her a nice supper Of bread and mil
and put her to sleep in little cot in he
| own room.
The next morning she was awakene
by warm kisses falling on her face, an
her fathers voice saying fervently:
"Thank God. I have found you, m
darling" When she arrived home be
father led her up to a young lady, wh
was her Sunday school teacher, an
whom she loved dearly, and said, 9Th
is your new mother, Blossom"
They all laughed when Blossom thre
her arms around her new mother
neck and said: "Oh, Miss Lousie, if
had known you were going to be m
steDmother wouldn't have gone away.
When the lady clasped her close an
kissed her just as her own dear moths
used to do, she though that having
stepmother was not such dreadful thir
.oo.'"
'But when he tells his farmer, he sa,
No; you dead moder promise l sha
keep you till twenty-five year old. Yo
| cannot 90.
'sKnud say he very grief: but he wi
after all, and when the next day he
precious darling kitten found its wa