The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-16
LITTLE MITTS.


There is one night, d winter night, ]
shall never forget.
1t twas wild and clattery, and the win
dows of my little house by the toll.
gate shook and shuddered with the
weather-ague.
After midnight there came in ~ hand
some manwith a soft voice. He want
ed to wait for the early morning mail
coach, he said.
He was SLOWLY dressed, with great
glossy plume on his peaked hat. On
his velvet cloak, with cherry-ripe lin
ing, was silvery lace. He was very
easy and frank, and he pleased me
much.
"You must be lonesome here, old
gentleman" he said, in a musical
voice, "since you say you have no
wife or child. If you had a little pratt
tier here, l guess you would be good
to it?'
"Of curse / would" l returned, and
then We both dropped into q drowsy
silence, and listened to the low wood
chuck-like singing OF the greenwood
sap. --w.
was the first to speak. "Mister,"
said ], at is none Of my business, but
excuse me If / ask what isyour occu-
pation2"
ooh, certainly" he replied. ~ am
a travelling wizard, a coniurer a ira
gedian at times. I live upon the
whims OF the public"
Soon after l stretched out, and a
just going off to sleep, when l heard a
queer noise, q noise like the cry of a
child, where my tlagreed gentleman
sat.
'NVhat is that, sir?" l inquired.
81 am doing it for my own diver
sion" he explained, so / won't drop
to sleep and losethe coach. am also
"a ventriloquist. l can initiate 8 pee
wish child to perfection"
$50 ahead" said l.
"Soon," said he; and presently; If I
ever heard q tired child, it seemed as
if hear one then. and the last I re-
member, before fell asleep, was hearing
faint cries, growing fainter, OF "'father!"
"mother,.'
When ! opened my eyes again, the
gray face OF dawn was at the window,
the snow vas clicking upon the door,
the coach had comea ndgone, and gone
too was my fantastic gentleman.
But there was something strangely
warn near my face and neck.
"Scat!" Icried, thinking oldpuss had
crept near as the room grew colder
towards morning.
But instead OF a cat, there lay the
brightest little girl, in a blue hood and
mink wraps,-thelittlegirl my iinegen-
tleman had all the while under his
cloak, when he was pretending to be q
ventriloGuist.
'Hooray!" shouted, nervous and
b%ewildered.
What doorname?" demanded Blue
Hood.
Caleb Mittens,' II replied, as meek
before this babe as il ii hadbeen Presi-
lent to the Turnpike Company.
Caleb Mittens, Caleb NIittens" lisped
the little thing. ''1'hen | must be
Little Mittens-Little Mitts; doc must
cyl me Little Mitts."
"All right Little Mitts it is" said
''Doo is doing to be doode' further
inquired Little Mitts.
ipromised to ''he dood,' and from
that moment and this promise the
child clung to me like a slender vine
with creepers.
She went nearly wild over the cd
dities OF the old dollhouse; the snuff
kcolored cat,theb rass-headed andirons,
and particularly the tail, moon-faced,
old-tashioned clock.
81 know" she Clipped, Htw'y doc
nteke that clock stand up and fold it's
hands in taecorner. 1t Amt been nice,
and it's got to stay there and count
eve. so many before it car come down
and play"
Ileld her to the window, to see the
snowtlakes sitting steadily down.
20 Mittenso she exclaimed, laying
her pink palms together like mated
sea-shells. See! see, The world is fill.
ing UP with white flies and millcrs,'
In the window light | had a fairer
view other pretty lace.
Upon the matter of eyes, nature
seemed to have beer undecided, forone
eye wassky-hlue and the other n good
black. One day | asked her about il.
.:.'Tos," explained Little Mitts, smy
mamma has blue eyes, and my papa
black, and | was my mammals and
papa's girl both"
But beyond the color of the eyes.
and IN great big, ever so big. house
among high trees, !" hermemorydidno not
, -, 4he ,apall as tho oyo,,tr ~ bo,.