The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-07-21
BABY NORA.

! Yes, Nora is bother
/ don't mind taking care of Agnes one
Bit for she runs around and is real good
natured.
But Nora cant walk yet. and have
to carry her everywhere, and she cries
the whole time.
And the crosser L am, the more she
cries.
know I'm cross, but l don't mean to
be so.
Well, last Saturday Jimmy Jones
grandfather promised me ten cents if |
picked cherries enough to fill two pals
for him, and Sam said he would help me
to do it.
Sam is my brother. He doesn't often
help me.
We did not want to take Nora with
us, so we slipped out of the back door,
me and Sam and Aggie.
But Nora saw us going and began to
cry, and mamma said l must take care
of her, because she was going to town.
So logged Nora across the street,
while Aggie carried the pals and Sam
went on ahead, and made fun of me for
being SO slow.
My! how hot and dusty it was!
Sam was real good when we got to
the field, and went up the tree quick as
a flash and picked lots of cherries.
Aggie was good, too, and helped me
ever so much, but Nora was as naughty
As could be.
She fretted and cried and swallowed
cherry-stone, and nearly choked to
death, and thep she upset the pail that
was all filed
The cherries rWed all over every
where, and l was 20 angry l just slapped
her!
did!
oh dear! I. am so ashamed when
think about it!
slapped our poor, dear, precious lit
tie baby, that | ought to be so good to!
The minute did it | was so ashamed,
and ran off by myself and began to cry
was so sorry and some angry, too,
that cried and l cried till l fell asleep.
The first thing knew, great drop
of rain fell on my nose and woke me
up. H
it was pouring and laundering and
lightning, and the wind was blowing
and there was an awful storm.
L ran home and never thought of ba-
by till saw Aggie in the hall.
"How'd you get homeP" l cried.
"Me runned,' said Aggie; And
see, me fixed your cherries all nice.
Where's NoraP" | cried
Dunno" she answered, shaking the
pals.
"But where's Sam?"
'Dess he gone to Jimmy Jones
grandfather's garnet to play"
| threw off my hat, because it was
new one, and ran back to the field. for
thought poor little Nora was all alone
out there in the storm.
1t rained so hard it seemed as if nv
bones must be wet right through my
skin. ...
| thought / could hear Nora crying,
but she was not there.
! looked under the blackberry bushes |
and everywhere, and called at the top
of my voice, but nobody answered.
There was a big black COW in the past
ure, and thought perhaps he might !
have eaten her. Oh, do cows ever, ever
eat little girls?
Or suppose an eagle had flown away
with her, the way an eagle flew away
with baby in a story | read once.
was awfully frightened.
i
killed her;
What would mamma sayP
was most crazy.
Then it flashed across me that Sam |
might have taken her with him.
He never does take the children any |
where, but l thought he might have,
this once.
So | rushed over to jones' and up TO |
their garnet without stopping for per-
mission.
The garnet was empty.
As / ran by the stable, l saw Sans
feet sticking out at the window in the
hay loft, and climbed up the ladder,
with my heart going flippity-hop, so /
could hardly breathe.
And there, oh joy! there was Nora,
sitting on the hay, as good as kitten.
Sam says ! ought to have known he
would take care of the baby Youth's
Companion.