The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1883-09-19

DIl0IN HWAnAAbA hNNn AAaAA NOAhE NAANA
gone at his own sweet will, and until
to-day had never once thought of break
inc his promise to dear Aunt Sally.
But to-day-''W Well, she might a. given
me mother piece of her old short-cake
then-mean thingr' said Tommy, as his
busy little hands worked at the old
well-cover. A push, pull, jerk, aud
the whole thing slipped off suddenly,
and far more easily than papa had sup
posed possible, while Tommy stood on
the edge peering down-Oh! a long way
downEinto the still dark water.
"Guess 1 could catch a fish in here if
I had a line and a hook and some
worms, sirl Never mind-le's s see If l
could reach down to the water. "
Here Tommy lay fiat down on his
face, and reached his chubby arms as
far over the stone well-mouth as he could.
Oh, if Aunt Sally had seen him then!
Or papal
Don't fink can quite reach, out
me and my hat put together could, jest
as easy es muffin at all. Here, Jummy!
Jummyl Jummyl Come on and we'U
play Danyell in the lions den. You be
| Danyell, Dummy, and I'll be-Tll be-
oh, / can't be We lions cause they was
in We den. and you sec I isn't. Never
mind. Play Joseph instead-Joseph
and the ten wicked brethering what
Aunt Sally told you and me bout last
Sunday. You can be Joseph, Jummy,
and I'll be We ten wicked brethering.
You'll have to go in We pit, you know,
but I'll get you out again, Jummy,
don't you be afraid-not a bit. " Then,
as poor little Jumbo struggled and
mewed, Tommy added "Oh, Jummy,
Use afraid you're a little coward! Aunt
Sally says it's mean to be a coward, and
YOU know Joseph didn't act that way
when they put him in We Pit-least he
didn't scratch, and claw, and-there!
you old fing! Now you're in, and I've
a Sig mind to leave you there-scratch
my face all upl'
Alas, poor Jumbo Poor little "JO-
seph'! With the last words Tommy
forcibly snatched him from his shoulder
where he had clung so tercely at tho
last, and threw him into the well
ooh, Jummyl My! how he swimsl
That's right-that's right! I fink that's
Jest the way Joseph did in We pit. Go
it, Jummy! My-what you a-chokin'
for? Oh, wait wait! Jummy-dee
Jummy, don't you go drownin' yoursehi
I'll get you out! Tommy's here, Jum-
myr' And the now frightened little
master plunged his short arms down
again and again after his poor playmate.
But the arms were too short and too
fat to be of any use, and then Tommy
tried his hat, sobbing down into the
well, "JumbO, keep up, my dee Jummy!
Oh. 1 didn't mean to do it, Jummy! l
do love YOU bester'n all the world. and
you'll forgive me, won't you JummyP"
Over and over again the little straw hat
swept the water, but, with Tommy'S
tears and the kittens struggles, he could
not fish successfully.
But after little the poor victim grew
quieJer and at last, with a mighty
effort, Tommy swept him up into his
hat and dtriumphantly landed him on the
soft meadOw-grass.
'.Therel therel Jummy darlin'. Now
you're all right, and Tommy's so sorry.
Come home now, Jumbo, and Aunt
Sally shall give you big saucer OF new
milk, sir, and she may put me right
straight off to bed if she wants to. Oh,
dear! why don't you open your eyes?
and what makes your mOUf open that
wayP ,Jummy, dee, dee Jummy, won't
YOU get up and come home with your
own Tommy what loves youP'
A half-hour later, and Aunt Sally,
looking from the window Of her pretty
shaded dining-room, sees q strange pro-
cession coming up the hill from the
South Meadow Lot
First there is Tommy, with some
thing lying over his shOulder-what
can that be? Closely following him is
Rover, whose grave face and big brown
eyes seem thoroughly to undertand that
something is amiss. Daisy walks anX-
ioUsly first on this side then on that,
now lettering behind, now running on
before, and always seeming to hunt for
something.
| 'sWhere is Tommy's Jumbop"
, thanks Aunt Sally, who IS q little near
! sighted; and then, rising hastily:
I 'EWhat can be the matter?-the child
is crying"
D.; And so he is, sobbfng bitterly, and
} with his dirty little knuckles describing
g geOmetric figures on his face; while
/ over his shoulder, in Pitiful limpness,
= hangs forlOrn little dead kitten, still
! dripping with water, thus marking the
Y tGail of the small funeral procession.
s .'Why, Tommy, what does this meant
Il And what in the world Is the matter
{ with Jumbo?"
o ''Oh, dee me! dee me! You can put
me right to bed, Aunt Sally, cause I've
d been drefful naughty'n wicked; and
y was 80 mad bout the old short-cake
d and so 1 played Joseph in de pit witt
t Jumbo, and, oh! ohi Jummy wa.
IS Joseph and he got drownded An
what made him do FTP cause we wal
ulayin' it wasn't well at all, only
j. pit. Oh, 1 do feel SO drehully bad
e Can't we have funeral Aunt Sally?'
y So they buried poor little Jumbo, anC
a many sorrowful and bitter tears Tommy
g shed over the grave of his merry littl'
playmate. Aunt Sally thought the les
e. son had been a good, though hard, one
m And though Tommy spent many ant
le many a bright afternoon in the Olr
I'd South Meadow Lot after that, cal
y assure you that never again did he g
y near the stone well, and for many week
H. he did not cease to mourn the loss o
9r poor Jumbo, who came to his untimel
e. end through the disobedience of tn
e, little master he loved so well.-ChTis
is tidH Union.