The Indiana State sentinel., 1885-09-09
Little NIits.

llNlu ". al llNA ltll-N'utN hNNPNA III AUut1
Companion.
There is one night, winter night, L shall
never forget.
1t was wild and clattery, and the windows
of my little house by the tollgate shook
and shuddered with the weGther-ague.
After midnight there came in a handsome
man, with soft voice. He wanted to wait
for the early morning mail-coach, he said
He was showily dressed with a great
velvet cloak, with cherry-ripe lining. was
silyery lace. He was very easy and frank,
and he pleased me much.
You must be Lonesome here, old gentle
man." he said. in a musical voice, ''since
you say you have no wife or child. If YOU
had little prattler here, / guess you would
be good to it,"
''Of course l would returned, and then
we both dropped into a drowsy silence, and
listened to the low. woodchuck-like singing
of the green wood sap.
| was the first to speak. Mister said l.
sit is none Of my business, but excuse me if
! ask what is your occupation
"Oh, certainly" he replied, With gay
goOd-nature. Il am a travelling wizard,
conjurer tragedian at times. / live upon
the whims of the public"
Soon after / stretched out. and was lust
going off to sleep, when l heard queer
noise, noise like the cry of a child, where
my DldGreeu Sentlelndn sat.
"What is that, sir?' / inquired.
81 am doing ii for my own diversion" he
explained, 80 won't drop to sleep and
lose the coach. / am also a ventriloquist L
can initiate peeyish child TO perfection"
$50 ahead, said /.
''SoOn," said he; and presently, if 1 ever
heard a tired child, it seemed as if / heard
one then, and the last | remember before |
fell asleep, was hearing faint cries, growing
fainter OF father ssmOtherin
When | opened my eyes again, the gray
face of dawn was at the window, the snow
was clicking upon the door, the coach had
come and gone. and gone too was my fantas
tic gentlema n
But there was something strangely warm
near my face and neck.
"Scatv | cned. thinking old puss had
crept near, as the room grew colder towards
morning.
But instead of cat There lay the bright
est little girl, ia a blue hood and mink
wraps,-the little girl my fine gentle man
mad all the while under his cloak, when he
was pretending to be ventriloquist.
'hOoray!" / shouted, nervous and be-
wildered.
What door name%' demanded Blue
Hood.
"Caleb Mittens," replied, as meek be-
fore this babe as If il had been President of
the Turnpike Company.
"Caleb Mitten, Caleb Mittens, lisped the
little thing. "Then l must be Little Mittens-
Little NlittS doc must call me Little Nlitts."
"All right Little Mitts it is, y said |.
boo is doing to be doodg' further in
quired Little Alitts
promised to be "dood.'' and from that
moment and this promise the child clung TO
me like slender vine with creepers.
She went nearly wild over the oddities OF
the old dollhouse; the snuff-colOred cat, the
hraC -hons loA mi lsarlx-
the tall, moon-faced, old-fashioned clock.
81 know she chirped, wy doc make
that clock stand up and fold its hands in the
corner. 1t amt been nice, and it's got to stay
there and count ever so many before it can
come down and play"
held her to the window, to see the snow
fakes sitting steadily down.
80 Mittens," she exclaimed, laying her
pink palms together like mated sea-shells
''See. see. The world is filling up with white
flies and millersl'
In the window light had fairer view of
her pretty face.
Upon the matter of eyes, nature seemed to
have been undecided, for one eye was sky
blue and the other good black. One day ]
asked her about il.
'"Tos," explained Little Mitts. 'my
mamma had blue eyes. and my papa black,
and ] was my mammals and papa's girl
| both -
But beyond the colors of the eyes, and "a
| great big, ever so bIg, house among the high
trees" her memory did not go IN the recall
of the events OF her mysterious baby
From the first time she saw the tOll-bar
swung, it became to her a source of bound
| less delight, causing her often to shout
and dance with a glee that was almost rap
| ture.
Every passer through the gate, human or
animal, interested her, and was interviewed
| by her. Once a sheep-herder came up, with
| several hundred heads. whereupon she ran
| to me, radiant with surprise, and shout
| ing
| There's whole big lots of great poodle dogs
at the gate. and they are all in a hurry TO get
doc, 'tos they are all crying. bari BARI z"
She thought the ''baa' of the sheep was
| the cry of "barl BARI which fietful peo
pie make when they are anxious to get
| through.
| Well, the rest is sad enough, and can but
make il short, for it is too dreadful to dwell
| upon.
Little Mitts grew yearly taller and hand
somer. Everybody said she would make :
| splendid woman, even if one eye was black
and the other blue. | could never wean hel
from tending the toll-bar.
"Young ladies' said |, shave no business
tending toll-gates."
Pm not a young lady, she declared
laughing until both eyes became the same
color, and that color the jolliest blue. 'In
your Little Mits for life and DEATH"
But darkness was nigh. One fearful nigh
Little Mitts sat up with me later than wa
her wont. There had been robbers in th'
Reighborhood.
'Mittens, dear" she inquired, "aint yoI
afraid of robbers? You have no help at hanS
but slender me, and it is generally knowI
that you have saved money, and that it is il
this house.
ST have not the least fear, Little mits,
! said i, reassuripgly, aud then she kissed M