St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-15
Our Young Readers.
WHAT WINNIE LOST.

please do, Uncle Win, before it is time
for me to 90 to bed,'' Mabel pleaded,
as her uncle seated himself in the par
lor after tea. Uncle Will had read the
Peter Farley books when he was a boy,
so he knew just how to make delightful
stories out of what little folks usually
think is very dry, indeed.
But then ANYTHING that her beloved
new Uncle viii told her would be
pleasant to Mabel. Only few months
before he had married her dearest, best,
sweetest auntie. who had always been
good to her, and from that day, curious
as it may seem, Mabel took him into
her heart, and gave him just as much
love as she did Aunt Alice, though
auntie seemed to get just as much as
before. And so there is no end of low
ing, is there? Nobody found it a very
hard matter to love Uncle VIII, he was
so merry and bright, and there was no
end to the things he knew and could
tell about. Then he was unselfish; he
would give up his own pleasure any
time to amuse child, or cheer up
somebody in trouble.
Before Uncle VIII could answer,
grandma spoke up She noticed that
he had just pulled the evening paper
from his pocket, so she said as she
drew her rocking-chair near the fire
the very first fire that had cracked in
the CRATE that autumn:
s.Come over here, Mabel dear, I will
tell you story
evil it be nice, like Uncle Wills
stories?' Mabel asked, coming slowly
across the room.
II viii let you answer that question
after / have told it, said grandma,
reaching for her knitting-bag.
.'Will it be history story" asked
Mabel, again.
''What is a history story?"
.'Why, all about something that truly
happened long time ago, to a truly
somebody" said Mabel.
.Must it have happened long time
ago to make it history Don't you
know history is being made every day?
You remember all about our dear Presi-
dent Garfield, don't you? 1t is only a
short time since those sad days, but the
story is published now in a book, and
that is history.
..Oh, yes, I know said Mabel,
eagerly-some of the things Uncle viii
had taught her Just coming into her
head-''I know; anything that hap
pened hundreds of years ago is ancient
history, and what happened lately or
the last hundred years or SO is called
modery history
THAT is right" said grandma; well,
now, Twill tell you a story of modern
history.
'sOnce upon time-not hundred
years ago there was little girl by the
name Of Winnie.
..Her home was handsome house in
the city. There were many pleasant
rooms in it, but on this particular
morning, Winnie was sitting in the at
tic.
.sShe had not been sent there as a
punishment, it was the place she chose
to be. There was a pretty window in
one end of the long low room. It had
small panes of glass; some of them
were colored. When the morning was
chilly, Winnie liked to get off UT there,
for the sunshine came with a rosy light
through the red glass. There was a
large old chair by the window, and
Winnie said it was a coy place. So
she had brought her slate and arithme-
tic and geography, to study her lessons.
She always studied a couple of hours in
the morning, then recited to Aunt
Lena; after that, the time was her own
to walk or play as she chose. She
curled herself up in the large chair, and
opened her book. but did not look in it;
she looked out of the window, and saw
up in the caves little brown sparrows
fiuttering and twittering. She dropped
her hooks and climbed up on the chair
and watched them a long time. At last
she tried to count them, and that made
her remember that she had better be
learning her multiplication table, SO
she Sid down into the chair again and
opened her book.
lit was queer kind of multiplied
ton table she found, though. With one
eye on her book, and the other rowing
about the room, it went something like
this:
:. Seven times four are twenty-eight.
/ wonder if that's big spider?'
Z. Seven times five are thirtF-fve.
What a funny looking old bureau that
isp
".Seven times six are forty-two. | do
b lieve / hear cricket
".Seven times seven are forty-nine.
Oh dear, what IS the use of this old
multiplication tablet
.'tSeven times eight are fifty-six.
Wonder if grandma's old chest is
locked mean to seen and with that
down went her book and away she
skipped across the floor to the blue chest
standing in the corner. 1t was quite
large, but she tugged with all her might
at the heavy Id and it few open.
.sShe did not more than half expect
it to. but somebody who had been there
last had been careless and left the key