The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-07-12
THE STORY OF LITTLE POLLY
FLINDERS.


"Little Polly Flinders sat among the cinders
Warming her pretty little toes!-
Her mother came and caught her,
And whipped her little daughter
For spelling her nice new clothes"
Mrs. Flinders kitchen was such a
large sunny room and so clean that not
a spot could be found on her shining
floor, and you could almost see your
face in the bright tins hung at one end
of the room. There was great old
fashioned fireplace on the north side,
and this was such a famous place to
roast apples and potatoes, and pop
corn, and to gather around in the long
winter evenings and to tell stories.
Such marvellous tales of the sea, or OF
Indians in the far West, or even ghost
stories! But what Polly loved best of
all to do was to toast her toes in the
wood ashes, raked out in front of the
fire. Her mamma scolded her all to
no purpose. Polly was the only
daughter of good Farmer Flinders and
his wife, but she had several brothers
six in ct-and they were the plague
of little Polly's life!
She had happened to come INTO the
family long time after the brothers,
and was leased and spoiled, scolded and
petted, until it was a wonder she was
as good child as she was! Her broth
ers each secretly thought her wonder
full child, but you would never have
dreamed of such a thing, the way they
treatedjher. Itwas, '.Now, Polly, don't
be so rude" ''Now, Polly. do turn your
toes OUT or "That is not the proper
way for nice little girl to eat at the
table, Polly Finders all day long.
Whenever they went to town they al
ways brought her toys or sweetmeats,
but while Polly liked these as well as
most little girls, the great brothers new
er dreamed how much better she would
have liked pleasant encouraging words,
and peaceful home-life, nor how often
she stole away to the garnet at the top
of the house and had a good cry, de-
claring she s'never could please those
horrid brothersl"
The mother and father petted her
too much, as an offset to the brothers
fault-fnding. The only thing that made
Mrs. Flinders positively angry was Pol
ly's naughty habit of toasting her toes,
as she not only ran the risk of spelling
her clothes but of setting herself on fire.
One day her mothers patience was en-
tirely gone when. coming into the kitch-
en-, she found Polly at her usual and al
most only disobedience.
Polly had on new plaid dress and her
pretty new bronze shoes-for that was
before the fashion for only plain black
shoes-and in her little rockingham
had rocked herself so near the fire that
one shoe was burnt in the cinders and
her dress badly scorched. The mother
took her little daughter and gave her
a not very gentle chastisement, which
made Polly cry very much-she was so
much astonished to think that her moth
er would do such thing to her 81 dear,
sweet Polly Flinders"
There were no more toasted toes for
a little while. But, alas! Polly began
it again. That great bed of glowing
Goals and cinders seemed to have per-
feet fascination for her.
Something happened at last which
cured Polly of her bad habit and put an
end to the brothers constant nagging.
Polly's father and mother had gone to
town and the brothers were all busy in
the fields. Polly took her latest doll
Miranda Lucy Maria-and made up her
mind torock her to sleep. She put her lit
tie chair in the middle of the kitchen and
determined to see how soon she could
reach the fireplace. This. she soon did,
singing at the top Of her voice all the time.
She wore large gingham apron, and
before she knew how near she was to
the fire she was almost into it, and the.
cotton goods took fire in a second.
This would have soon been the sad
end Of Polly Flinders, had not her
youngest brother, Ralph, come into the
kitchen at this very moment. He
had been worried about Polly, know
ing she was alone, and remembering
her dangerous habit, and now as Polly
turned towards him, with q look Of
such horror and fright that it seemed to
paralyze her, he seized fgo great
blankets near, which Mrs. Flinders had
brought down TO air and happily left
there, rushed forward and wrapped
Polly and Miranda Lucy Maria in their
folds. Then he rolled them over and
over on the floor until the flames were
out and all danger over. Polly, great
deal frightened and q little burnt,
threw her arms around Ralph's neck.
-'Oh, Ralph, viii never toast my feet
In the cinders again as long as / live, .
she sobbed, and she never did.
Mr. and Mrs. Flinders and the five
brothers came in while Ralph was dress
ing the poor little burnt, arm, and they
turned very white as they listened to the
story OF the little girls narrow escape.
Never had the brothers realized so well
how dearly they loved Polly, and never
did Polly have to cry in the garnet again
on their account. Sometimes they for
got for q moment and began: "Oh,
Polly" but they always stopped in
time, and Polly became wiser, better