The Red Cloud chief., 1883-11-23

London Society.
BESSIE AND THE JACK " Ian.
TERN.
Bessie's papa and mamma were
spending a year in Europe. and Bessie
was staying with her grandparents in
the country. She had been in the
country every summer of her life, but
never had seer the great bare hills COW
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 to
glitter on the icicles that hung like
necklaces on the bushes before. She
had never been up before daylight In
the morning to go 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 Oh their
perch, and the ROSTERS would begin to
crow with such delight n n would
think all they cared for in the world
was 4 have it morning. She
ACNCl Ulu DttH eoNNSN ~"Ny
in a great bung with all the chill
dren in the nelghsOrhOod on a snowy
-morning. and scatried to school
lIodhin-a~fAL boys
shouting all tbs 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't go into the
country to spend the winter instead of
the summer.
But sometimes there was a little dull
. spot in her existence. and that was on
even:a9s when grandpa read his news
paper and would not be coaxed to look
up from it, and grandma got drowsy
owe her knitting, and Abby and Joe,
who were said TO be counting, though
Bessie didn't know what that meant,
would go o. early to spend the evening
with Abby's mother, or sit by the k;tch-
en- fire and talk with each other without
paying any attention to her. Abby
wasn't always wiling 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 60 to sleep, and Carlo,
b great Newfoundland dog,
would g~ood-naturedly go through
with all his tricks once or twice,
and then subside into q meditative
mood. from which it was impossible to
arouse him. Carlo was getting old and
enjoyed meditation more than frolics.
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 a 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
indulged 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 BESSIE was never willing to
60 home at that time. She would play
until midnight if she were allowed to
| do so. and eight O'Clock would always
lcome in the midst of some charming
fgame, or just before the end of one Of
Cousin Jennie's prettiest stories. and
lshe felt ike q very much abused indE
lvidual when Abby insisted on taking
ther home and whisking her off to bed.
One dark, cold night. when. the frost
kvas so thick ON the wiLdow-pane that
tne could hardly get a peep out-of-
xoors, and q few fakes of snow were
lying about in the bitter air, Bessie was
pied with a stronger desire than ever
spend the evening with her cousins,
z Tommy. one of the boys, had an
Punced that he was going to make a
black O. Lantern" and Will asked her
ny particularly to come over, saving
Rt if she could come, they would have
.candy-pul."
Now if there was anything in this !
vlrld that Bessie enjoyed, It was q
'$Andy-pull;" not that she cared much |
ID it by herself in grandma's kitchen, |
b only with a merry party of bows and
gis who enjoyed it as much as she did.
Al then she did wish SO much to ske !
thu Jack o. Lantern" for never mi
b., Thole life had she set eyes on suehi
atbg. and she had been told that thew
we very funny. But she knew that It
wo be of no use to ask grandma II
b |iGht 20 It was such . very cold