Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-01-24
PEARL.

"Listen, Pearl, and mind all saw"
Eyes, papa"
"Can you take care of mother all
dayP"
"of course I camp Are you go,
ing awnyp"
Yes Sam and / have 10 go after
those yearlingS. And like as not auntie
will not be home till tomorrow.
"What a cosy time mamm, and
will have!"
"And, Pecrl, if | should not be home
till late, can you call old Snow into the
stable, aud push down little fodder
for her?"
"Yes, papa, and III got the chickens
in, too"
"But lot everything else &c tcr moth.
or, dear Always remember that"
You know will, papa"
Her words were as earnest as his
own as she ran after him for another
Mss; and he added, as bo laid Il braid
OF her pretty hair against his lips,
'lf she's the least bit nprTvus to.
ward night, don't leave her moment,
my bird, but let tho animals take care
Of then selves
Pearl lived on the shore of the great
Mississippi, far down, where Jack frc5t
never gets very tight grip "a things,
and lets go very early,ss Madam Spring
comes smiling shout. Her father was
getting peocor and pooreryear by year,
as his morn-ont land grew less pr0duc-
two with every season of slack tillage,
until he found it hard to wiring from il
a living for his small family.
The stock dwindlcd down to a few
poor ill.kept creatures, which locked
as if forlprnly wondering within them
selves whether it were really worth
while to live or not. Pearls father
had something of the same look HIM
self, which increased as his wife grew
weakly and gradually sank into the
condition of general invalid, content
to bo waited upon, without, perhaps,
ever pausing TO ask whethur she really
stood in need of it.
You may think Pearl must have had
a very sad childhood. But she had
never known any other place nor any
other children, and was SO happy in
her own bright, unselish little nature
as never to have suspected ANYTHING
depressing in her surroundings. Pearl
throve as nothing else on the place
thrOvc, even under the burden of care
which came TO her too yOung-shOwyr.
ing back upon her mother so many
caresscs and such loving care that il
would be hard to say which looked
most upon the other rs child,
"Tll get your breakfast, pet. Wait
till you SEQ what I've got for you"
Pearl skipped about in great glco at
being left in charge for all day, and,
after the usual amount of small fussing,
carried in the tray with u face full Of
anticipation Of her mothers delight.
"The first branch of Grape myrtle.
found it peeping out in the sunshiny
corner of the old pasture. You poor,
dear little mamma, "a dozen kisses
on her thin hands ''if you only could
90 with me to see all the beautiful
things! But I'll bring you every one.
Papa thought ho had found tho first
magnolia bud the other day, but | had
seen it the day before, and never said q
word. No, | won't take n single taste
of egg. Thoro isn't enough for you,
Just n taste, little one"
"Not one bit. See what Il great,
strong thing | am! You must have
tho good things to make you we'll"
The lassie set her foot down, and
mamma never dreamed that there
was something almost heroic in tho re-
fusal of the tempting morSel, the little
girl having just turned away from her
own uninviung breakfast OF bacon and
corn bread.
"The river looks curiously, mamma
DEAR" she said, chatting over the wild
flowers she was arranging on the table
as she spread their feast. 81 went in to
the boat to play, and when wanted to
get out, the water was between it and
the shore, so had to jump"
"Why, Pearl, are you sure?'
"Yes, mamma; and | was afraid
couldn't get in it again; so | united it
and held the rope till ii floated to the
little bayou, and then | pulled it in
and 1t. 1t was hard work, too"
"Can the river bo rislngP | wish
they were not all away, daughter"
The helpless woman looked out of
the window with troubled face. The
floods of tho year before had done but
little injury in their neighborhood, the
land lying much above tho river level.
But she knew that this was due to the
strength of the levees many miles
above, and remembered having heard
people say that they never would
stand another pressure of high water.
The river was not yet as high as she
had seen it, but she observed with
some uneasjness that it had advanced
upon them perceptibly during the last
few hours.
81 don't believe the levee will break,
though" she said," trying to encour-
age herself and Pearl.
Their dinner was eaten rather more
soberly than quite suited the little Girl;
but after everything was cleared away,
and she had taken another look out
side, both felt better at perceiving that
the waters seemed at a stand-still.
Bring me the brush for your pretty
hair, Pearl"
1t was one of the few things she still
had energy to do, this brushing and
fondling of the child's hair. No one,
seeing its beautiful luxuriance, could
wonder at her loving admiration.
Pearl took innocent pleasure in it as
one Of the things which made her
sweet to father and mother, and
laughed as mamma loosened the soft
braids and held up the wavy mass to
catch the sunshine.
Papa says it's my golden flag" she
said. "When l was out hunting old
Snow last week he knew it was me
when / was mile away"
"Then you must hang out YOUR FLAG