The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-03

like arrangement Of strings and letters
is disclosed over q sounding-board. It
is operated upon with hammers.
When handled by itSinTentor, its music
suits me better thar any ever heard.
But with Patty the music begins
when she comes dancing in from her
great out door interests. "Now I'm
going to begin to be a lady" and with
one kick of an agile foot she sends her
rubber-boot flying under the lounge,
another kick and its mate lands in the
wood-box Her mittens are fired"
into some corner, and pulling at the
strings of her hood, which are tied in
fourteen hard knots, she slips them
over her chin, up past her nose, and
the hood goes flying, where she never
stops to see. CWhen she wishes to re-
place it on her head, she has only to
reverse the operation-poke her head
up through the neck of it, give her chin
a lurch forward. one twist of the mouth,
and the thing is settled.
Tossing her hair OUT of her eyes, she
seizes the hammers, and really plays
several pieces very well; but with
energy enough to snap the strings, if
they were not of the strongest silver
steel wire. She brings the hammers
down as if she were cracking walnuts.
One of her papa's favorites is "Katie
Lee and Willie Gray" At the third
verse she always turns up her nose at
Willie's words:
"Boys are strong and girls are weak,
And I'll carry, so / will,
Kates basket up the hill"
At the next verse her face brightens,
and she sings with all the expression
she can put into her voice.
Katie answered with laugh,
You shall carry only half;
Then tossing back her curls,
Boys are weak as well as girls"
How this natural phenomenon will
turn out it is hard to say, as she is yet
but nine years old. She doesn't seem
to spend any time reading, yet she can
tell every story that has been published
in OR Little Ones for the last two
years, and she knows the contents of
her childish Bible-histories so well that
she can tell you something of nearly
every character named prominently
therein. Perhaps in this way lies her
salvation. Her eyes take in the printed
pages by sentences instead of words, it
seems, yet she remembers them, and
grasps the whole situation.
Mamma" said she, and her face
looked sweetly solemn, ''do you know
the incest thing / have read to-day? 1t
was about the baptism of Jesus. There
were the distant hills and the sparkling
river; then that lovely man, with his
kind face. But oh. that lorely white
dove, with the sun shining on his feath-
ers, and the voice from Heaven. Do
you know what the voice said. NAM
ma? 1t said, This is my beloved Son.
| | guess if all those wicked men had
heard that voice, Jesus would not have
had such hard time as he did. o,
mamma, l promised Tom to water the
horse at six, and the clock is just strik-
ing"
1t is only about two hours since I at.
tempted to get her into some of her
pretty toggery-I am so proud of her
looks when l get her ''fxed up"
Her complexion is weather-proof. II
never tans or freckles, and is of that
dainty fairness that is seldom seen in
the families of hard-working people
Her hands are plump, with dimpled
knuckles, and long. taper fingers. With
perfect health, she is as erect and grace
full as Il young Venus. After bathing
her and kissing the sweet, white neck
and shoulders, manage to keep hel
quiet while l comb the long golden hail
which hangs in wavy masses to hel
waist. But, while catching part OF ii
back in braids, and arranging the
dainty fringe which curls naturally
over her forehead, she began to get i'm
patient. ''Hurry up, mother" said
she, Il can hear that new lamb bleating
l fear its mother is not going to own il
and | must get out there before it gets
chilled" 81 am nearly done, now dar.
ling" and hurried upstairs to get q
fresh ruff for her neck. When ] came
down she was nowhere in sight. went
to the window that looked toward the
barn, and then caught glimpse OF
the heels of her rubber boots as they
disappeared through hole in the fence
on short cut to the sheep shed: Sug
gestions are now in order. Is it q
hopeless case? Need l say that | get nc
sympathy from John in this peculiar
state of affairs. While he owns that
she out-boys all the male children on
the farm he says she is worth her weight
in gold every year. from a financial
standpoint. j. Nc CLure, in The Con.
tinent.