Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-14
WHAT WINNIE LOST.


as her uncle seated himself in the par
lor after tea Uncle VIII had read the
Peter Farley books when he was 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 very
hard matter to love Uncle Will, he was
so merry and bright, and there was no
end to the things he knew and could
tell about. Then he was unseltish; he
would give up his own pleasure any
time to amuse child, OF 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 rs she
drew her rockiDg-chair near the fire
the very first fire that had cracked in
the CRATE that autumn:
Come over here, Mabel dear, will
tell you story"
"Wnl it be nice, like Uncle WIS
stories?' Mabel asked, coming slowly
Across the room.
't will let you answer that question
after | havs told it," said grandma,
reaching for her knittihg-bag.
''Will it be history st0ryT' asked
Mabel. again.
What is history story?"
why, all about something that truly
HAPPENED long time ago, to truly
somebody" said Mabel.
Must it have happeiied 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 youP 1t is only a
short time since those sad days, but the
story is published now in book, and
that is history
''Oh, yes, 1 know" said Mabel,
eagerly-some of the things Uncle VIII
had taught her just coming into her
head know; anything that hap
pensd 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, l will tell you story of modern
history.
''Ohce upon time-not a hundred
years ago-th there was n little girl by the
name of Winnie
Her home was a handsome house in
the city. There were many pleasant
tCems in it, but on this particular
moTRifs, Winnie was sitting in the at
tic.
'She had not been sent there as a
punishment, it was the place She chose
to be. There was pretty window in
one end of the long low room. 1t had
small panes of glass; some of them
were colored. When the morning was
chilly, Winnie liked to get off ur there,
for the sunshine came with rosy light
through the red glass. There was a
large old chair by the window, and
Winnie said it was coy place. So
she had brought her slate and arithme-
tic and geography, to study her lessons.
She always studied 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 ont of the window, and saw
up in the caves little brown sparrows
fluttering and twittering. She dropped
her hooks and climbed up on the chair
and watched them 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 slid down into the chair again and
opened her book
ut was queer kind of multiplica-
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 spiderp'
"'Seven times five are thirty-five.
What funny looking old bureau that
isr
"'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 tableP'
"'Seven times eight are fifty-six.
Wonder if grandma's old chest is
locked-mean to seer 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 lid and it flew open.
"She did not more than half expect
it to. but somebody who had been there
last had been careless and left the kew
in the lock.
winnie stood still a minute and
stared in, her bright eyes very wide
open with delight,
"'Oh! OH What treasures, Flow
cred brocade and gold-colored satin. A
straw bonnet and blue satin bonnet.
laces and flowers, and slippers and fans
Dear grandma had carefully kept
some of the pretty things she used to
wear when she was girl, with rosy
cheeks and brown hair, to show to her
grandchildren when her cheeks should
be wrinkled and her hair turned into
white silk as it was now.
winnie had seen all these things be-
fore. but it was a long time ago. and
grandma had taken them carefully out,
Just for a few minutes, and put them
back again. 1t was not like having
them all to yourself. She drew long
breath and looked around the room. II
was all still, nobody would come mp
there; what if she just looked at them a
little9 1t would do no harm, grandma
wouldn't care; no, indeed, grandma
loved her. So she lifted up the yellow
satin dress. How it shimmered and
shone, though it had lain there years
and years, and it was so stiff and heavy
| it would almost stand alone. What a
beauty it was! What If she should Just
slip it on for a minute? You ought to
study your lessons right away. con-
science told her. but she answered: Il
will in a minute; almost know that
i hard seven line now -seYen times nine