Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-07-18

who was four months old. Nellie al
ways laughed and orowed when she saw
the cunning thing; thought it would bel
very nice for her to play with, and wont
dered why Gertie eve seemed to think
so, too.
One morning, mamma told Gertie td
stay awhile with Nellie, who was sitting
in her little buggy in the garden. Gertie
brought Rosabella, her baby,
and seated her at the foot of the buggy
while she went for some flowers. She
was quite sure Rosabella was out of
Nellie's reach, but baby stretched and
stretched with all her little might, and
0 o had hold of the treasure.
Babies, you know, are not very wise.I
This baby thought she could easily put
Rosabella's head just where she tried to-
put everything else-in her rosy little,
mouth. And she tried and tried, butt
the more she tried the more she couldn't.
At first, she thought it was because
R~osabella's head was too large; then She
thought her own mouth must be too
small. However it might be, she be-
gan to cry with anger, partly because
she could not do what she wanted toI
and partly because Rosabella's face,
bumped her little bit of q nose.
Gertie anne running in sore dismaN
as she saw what was going on. She
felt very much like slapping Nellie's
little hands at sight of a few small
scratches on Rosabella's pretty face!
but mamma came back Just then, sq
Gertie carried her poor darling up I'd
the nursery and sang her to sleep.
Then she heard mamma calling her.,
so she laid Rosabella in Nellie's cradle,
covered her up, and drew the fy-ne1
over her. How cunning she looked
Herewith her baby hair on the pix
low, and one little pink waxen arm OUT
side the cover!
Mamma was wanted in the parlor I'd
see company, and sent Gertie to find
the nurse-girl and ten her to come and
see to baby. Gertie found her up
stairs, putting away clean clothes, and
down to the parlor. The girl was go1
ing down for baby, but first stepping
into the nursery, she said:
"Sure, it's here she is ashleep in the
crathle!" and she sat down beside her
and began sewing on buttons as fast as
she could.
A black cloud in the southwest waa
rising very fast. Soon the lightning be-
gan to play brightly, and the thunde1
rolled heavily along the sky.
Little Nellie, all alone in the buggy,
thought the lightning very pretty, but
did not like the thunder, and whimI
pered a little. q
The callers spoke of going, but NAM
ma said it was only a shower which
would be ove soon, so they talked on.
Big drops began to fall. Nellie
laughed at first, and then caught her
breath as they came faster-then
screamed as they poured down with a
perfect roar. !
Mamma fancied she heard something
amid the noise of the storm, and, STEP
ping into the hall, called:
"Mollie! Mollie! Is Nellie crying?',t
Mollie came softly to the head of the
stairs and answered:
"No, mum; the darlint's fasht
ashleep, num-" =,
just then there was a dreadful flash
of lightning, and a great branch of a
tree in the garden came crashing to the
ground. !
Mamma went out on the piazza, and
then her friends thought she must have,
gone crazy as she rushed out into the
storm. Back she came in a moment
with poor. dripping, frightened, scream
ing baby in her arms.
She raj up to the nursery. wherd
Mollie raised her hands, exclaimiug: :
can it's niver the chilt We have,
there?" and snatched the ty-net trom
the cradle. !
There lay the beautiful waxen doll.
She was still sleeping quietly. Mollief
had kept faithful watch over her, rock-|
ing her a bit whenever a clap of tbun-.
der came, wondering all the time how
''the darlint'' could sleep through such
q dreadful noise.-Sidney DGyre, ial
Youth's Companion. !