The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-04-19
TABITnA, THE BED. WRENCH.

Up Al itIlc oaIlcI ; SIdHuinOlucT
garrett over in the corner by the quilt
ng-frame, stood an old-fashioned wood
Ell bed-wrench leaning against beam.
1t was about twelve inches high, and
had two round arms stretching straight
out each side. 1t stood on two stiff feet,
and when Janet came in sight of it. it
struck her that it looked tired and dis
pirited, rs if it never had good times.
"You poor thing!' she exclaimed,
chow lonesome you look! 1 do believe
you are a sort of dolly. May be you
were grandma's doll when she was lit
lie, and you've been here ever since. l
mean to play with you myselfn'
So she lifted the queer wooden shape
up tenderly, busted it off, hugged il
little, and then began to think about
/ dressing it.
There were plenty of pieces of old
calico in grandma's rag-bag, and little
Janet was learning to use scissors and
needle, so there was no reason why she
| should not 60 to work at once.
She ran for her little basket, ard
coming back sat down by the garnet
window, where a dusty sunbeam slant
ed over her shoulder.
There she cut and fitted, and with
long uneven stitches sewed her work,
| til before long her wooden doll was
clothed with white. petticoat and
green calico dress.
"Oh, how nice you DO lookw said
Janet, rapthrously. Tomorrow I'll
make an apron,'
Then finding a stub of lead-pencil
N her pocket. she laboriously marked
eyes, nose and mouth, on Che side she
had chosen for the face.
"Now, I'll make you y house" said
Janet, up here in the corner of the big
,lock, and it shall be my secret play
house. And I'll name you Il real old
fashioned name, dolly, I'll name you
Habitha, after grandma
SO she found an old stool for a table,
ard arranged little home for Tabitha,
who now stood very straight and proud
in her tinery, with quite an expression
On her face.
80 you darling Tabitham exclaimed
Janet. al do really love you, you are
so nice! I'll come up here every day to
play with you, and bring cookies and
apples, and have tea-tablen'
Tabitha looked very smiling, and
when she was laid to rest on a sofa
folded shawl in box, certainly ap-
peared quite different from the forlorn,
awkward creature of few hours be-
fore.
And now she became little Janet S
most cherished pet and friend. She
had a checked apron made. and Il
wooden bonnet, and was assisted to walk
about on the garnet floor.
1t was she who was told when Janet
discovered where grandma kept the
raisinS; and it was she, Tabitha herself,
who was allowed to stand at the garnet
window and watch the neighbors come
up the path when grandma had the sew
ing-society.
1t was Tabitha alone who was told
when Janet found where the cat had
hid her kittens, in the waste-paper bar
rel, and when few days later two of
The kittens were missing, and the hired
boy jim was seen coming from the di-
rection of the river, il was TO Tabitha
that Janet rushed for sympathy in her
first burst of childish grief.
But Janet had never taken Tabitha
downstairs. She was her secret treas
ure in her secret playhouse, and though
grandma and the aunts knew that the
little girl played up garnet good deal,
they were too busy to be curious about
her quiet amusement
At last, however, it was house-clean-
inc time, and beds We're taken down,
windows washed, and carpets shaken.
janet was sitting in the kitchen with
her spelling book, when grandma called
out:
I'm ready to tighten my BEDFORD.
Where's. the bed-wrench? Janet, run
up garnet and bring the bcd-wrenchN'
Janet ran up garrett willingly but as
she did not know what bed-wrench
was, her search was hopeless one from
the beginning, and she went down with
out it,
Don't know bed-wrcnch when you
see it!'' exclaimed Aunt Sue. inpatient
ty, and she went after it herself.
But she was gone so long that grand
ma crew tired waiting, and sent Uncle
Silas to hurry her.
Uncle Silas was Il young uncle, not
more than sixteen, and when he reached
the garrct where Aunt sue was moving
things about, his black eyes soon caught
sight of Tabitha, standing smiling by
the tall old clock.
"Han he exclaimed. "Those arms!
that head! | have seen them before. o
Sue, Sue, don t you know a bed-wrench
when YOU see it!'
He caught Tabitha up, and taking her
DOWNSTAIRS, whirled her triumphantly
in the air.
Here's your bed-wrench, mother,
dressed for party" he said, merrily.
''Well, | never" exclaimed grand
ma. "Do take off all that trash
But Janet had heard, Janet had
turned around, and she sprang forward,
catching Uncle Silas' arm.
"Its my own dolly" She cried. '1cs
rabitha. Don't hurt her, Uncle Silas,
tom touch her clothes"'
"Well. there nown' said grandma.