The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-02-18
JACKS PIGEONS.

uAOh- y IlUhUIgN,
"Penyl perry!o
1t was the soft. shrill tone of littla Mina's
voice, calling out from the top of the old
stone wall that separated the pine woods
from the huckleberry pasture. Perry
Perry"
1t was my one brief holiday. l did not
have holiday every day, and had resoly.
ed to treat myself for once. So there was
" the world forgetting, by the world forget"
as had fondly hoped, with my book, which
now flung aside, and jumped petalantly
TO my feet; for Perry" short for Peron-
ella, was my own baptismal name.
" Well,' said |, ''what is it DOW ~
Guided by the sound of my voice, little
Nina jumped from the stone wall, and ran
towards me. her yellow hair blowing in the
sunshine like an aureole
You must come right home, Perry
said she, with all childs authority. 'sPapa
has got gentleman in his study and he is
to stay to dinner, and mamma is IN bed
with sick headache, Flossy don't know
what to do; and there isn't a thing in The
house for dinner.n
"0f course not" said I, sardonically.
might have expected it,
Might have expected what, Perry ~
" That everything would happen just on
this precise day that 1 selected TO begin
my story for the Ladies Monthly Miseel-
iany.n
Nina looked wistfally up into my face.
Have YOU begun it yet, Perry ?" said she.
- No, you goose,p said J. taking long,
swift steps while the little girl tripped be-
side me- q was just thinking how to be-
gin it,
. But you are always thinking how to
begin it, Perry said the child. when
write school composition l don't stop to
Think just plunge into it aud say what
Am going to say right OF. les great deal
easier"
"Oh." said !, with genuine elder sister
~ scorn, "your school compositions, in
deed That has nothing to do with my
story"
And I entered the little back porch, over
hung with curly green hop vines, whore
Flossy, my second sister, awaited mo with
perturbed countenance
. What ARE we 10 do, Perry ~ said she
" Oh l am SO sorry that we nte the las,
Of that cold meat yesterday. 1t might have
made little pie, or a stew, or sometbing.'
" 4 few bits of fat and gristle," said I.
" A fine pie you would have had Haven't
.he boys been fishing to-day 2" l added,
MS I sat daapairinsly down by the kitchen
table, with my elbows ON the board and my
chin resting on my palms.
t No. They are up ut Cnranac Falls, pic
nieking Aud they took every bit of bread
in The house.
Exactly, said l. =" For ont aud out
voracity, commend me to your average
boys"
Poor dears, they didn't mean any HARM"
said Flossy. They must eat
4 know it, J" sighed !, with wave of the
hand. q" But my disposition is getting
soured 10y this sort of thing"
What sort of thing p said Flossy.
Company to dinner. Why can't people
stay away? Why do they come gorging
themselves when they aren't wantedS Do
we go pranoiug around the country, unin.
vited, to eat our friends out of house and
home -
Oh, Perry, hush ~ said Flossy. He
will hear you. The study window ia open,
and you don't know how loud you arc
speaking"
. Let him heart" sputtered l, lowering
my voice little, nevertheless. ct will
be IA lesson to him. But there what Is The
use of rebelling against fate ? He - here,
and, like The rest of the tribe of cormorants
he must be fed. A quarter to eleven
Then there is no time TO be lost Is there
any ham in the house ?"
= We boiled the scrag end on Monday"
said Flossy, with summer cabbage and
bean soup"
g No meat OF any sort 2" / persisted
g Not scrap. And the turkeys nre all
out in the pastures, and the fowls were
eaten up by the minks last week"
g wish we were Chinese" said I, grave
ly, as Ponto came in, wagging his rail- al
would have frieasseed dog"
Perry, don't be ridiculous" said
Flossy.
Ineyer felt so little like jestng in my
life" said !. " Because, Flossy, | am CO.
ing to immediate the pigeons on the shrine
Of hospitality
jacks pigeons p gasped Flossy. The
pigeons he gave you, as a parting gift, to
care for, and to tend for him On
Perry ~
" Yes, Jacks pigeons" said /, tossing
back my hair, in a sort of desperation.
They're plump and fat. They'll make q
very nice pie. Oh, you needn't stare so.
Papa always said that hospitality was ono
of the cardinal virtues. And dare say that
/ shall kill little Nina, and make her into
n soup when there is nothing else left, and
The next detachment of company arrives"
The bold ascertain threw us MI three into
fit of giggling which terminated only with
the necessity for imrnedieto exertions.
Nina ran of to pull radishes and pick peas.
Flossy began 10 mix biscuit on the snowy
moulding board, and went out and conf
missioned the little Irish boy who lived at
the foot of the lane, to catch and kill the
ten white pigeons that lived in the barn
loft.
They are very GENTLE" said l. Yor
won't have much trouble"
And cried little, under my sun-bon.