Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-11-08
BESSIE AND THE JACK u Ian.
TERN.

BESSIE AND THE JACK o. Ian
TERN.
Bessie's papa and mamma were
spending year in Europe, and BESSIE
was staying with her grandparents il
the country. She had been in the
country every summer of her life, bu
never had seen the great bare hills GOV.
cred with snow. nor walked in the pine
woods on a smooth. icy crust with
snow birds twittering in the lonely still
ness, and the sunbeams creeping in tc
glitter on the ivicles that hung like
necklaces on the bushes before. She
had never been up before daylight in
the morning to 90 by the light of a
lantern, which somehow seemed like a
glimmer from fairyland, to the barn,
with Joe to feed the sleepy COWS and
impatient old Dobbin. The light of the
lantern always started the hens Of their
perch, and the ROSTERS would begin to
crow with such delight that one would
think all they cared for in the world
was to have it morning. She
never had been tucked away
in great bung with all the chill
dren in the ncIghbQrhood on snowy
morning, and carried to school
10y Dobbin-bells jingling and the boys
shouting all the way. She had never
taken long, delightful rides into the
woods on Joe's ox-sled, nor cOastcd
down long, steep hills, nor popped corn
over the Goals in the fireplace, nor
made the kitten play vito the shadows
of the freight, nor had she eaten
roasted apples and hickory and butter
nuts while Abby, the hired girl, told
fairy stories of an evening. But now
she was enjoying all these delights, and
wondered why people d dn' 60 into the
country to spend the winter instead of
the summer.
But sometimes there was little dull
spot in her existence. and that was on
evenings when grandpa read his news
paper and would not be coaxed to look
up from it. and grandma got drowsy
over her knitting, and Abby and Joe,
who were said to be counting. though
Bessie didn't know what that meant,
would 90 out early to spend the evening
with Abby'S mother, or sit by the kitch-
en- fire and talk with each other without
paying any attention TO her. Abby
wasn't always will 'ng to tell "Cinder-
ella" or Jack, the Giant-Killer," by
any means. Even the kitten. who was
fat, funny little thing, would some
times refuse TO play on these evenings,
but would curl herself into a little
round ball on the hearth-rug, and
try to 90 to sleep, and Carlo,
the great Newfoundland dog,
would good-naturedly 60 through
with all his tricks once or twice,
and then subside into a medtative
mood, from which it was impossible to
arouse him. Carlo was getting old and
enjoyed meditation more than frolcs
So all that Bessie could do would be to
sit and wish that it was eight o'clock,
which hour was her bed time.
But IN her aunt's house. which was
only little ways around the corner at
the foot of the hill. things were delight
fully different. There were six children
in the family, and such romps as they
INDUCED in before bedtime! Abby
had taken her there two or three times
in the evening. and sometimes she went
by herself in the afternoon and stopped
to tea, and either Joe or Abby would
come for her Just before the clock struck
eight. But Re>s,e was never willing to
go home at that time. She would play
until midnight if she were allowed to
do SO, and eight o'clock would always
come in the midst Of somea charming
game, or Just before the end of one of
Cousin Jenn;e's prettiest stories. and
she felt like very much abused indi-
vidual when Abby insisted on taking
her home and whisking her off to bed.
One dark, cold night. when the frost
was so thick on the wihdow-pane that
one could hardly get a peep out-of-
doors, and a few fakes of snow were
flying about in the bitter air, Bessie was
seized with a stronger desire than ever
to spend the evening with her cousins.
for Tommy, one of the boys, had an
that he was going to make a
a" Jack o Lantern" and viii asked her
very particularly to come over. saving
that if she could come, they would have
a "candy-pull."
Now if there was anything in this
world that Bessie enjoyed, it was a
g candy-pull;" not that she cared much
for it by herself in grandma's kitchen.
but only with a merry party of boys and |
girls who enjoyed it as much as she did. |
And then she did wish so much to see
the Jack O Lantern" for never in
her whole life had she set ewes on such
a thing. and she had been told that they
were very funny. But she knew that it
would be OF no use to ask grandma if |
she might 60, it was such very cold
night. Then Abby had a sore throat
and could not go with her. Joe was
very busily engaged in mending har-
ness which mdst be ready for use in the
morning. and grandpa was hardly
able to stir with an attack of rheuma-
tism. So Bessie ate her supper in
silence and with a very dolefui little
face. Grandma. noticed it, and pro-
posed that they should pop some corn,
there were such nice Goals in front of
the fireplace, and told her that she
would show her how she used to pop it
when she was little girl by covering it
up in hot ashes,