Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-19

| brought to such miserable surroundings.
! All morning, while smelling the turkey
roasting at home, she had counted upon
the pleasure she should have picking the
marrow from the great drumsticks at din
ner time, and when you remember that
this poor Polly girl had had nothing for
| breakfast but butter, you will not wonder
| that pangs of hunger began to assail her.
| So the little darkles clamored and Trying
| coaxed, all to no purpose. Polly remained
silent, and the ohildren's anticipated
treat did not look promising. One by one
they deserted the cage and Polly was left
alone. The pan of chicken bones lett
standing upon the table occupied her
thoughts, and after rejecting a while
she became conscious that she was very,
very hungry. 1t was no trick at all for
Polly to unfasten the cage door and climb
down to the floor. "By jlmminy,"
screamed ragged little Abe, looking up
from a game of mumbelty peg. ''Ef dat
ar Polly amt catln' bones" Soon all
the children gathered around the bone
! plate with wondering eyes. There Polly
stood, gravely breaking up drumstick,
and trying to imagine that it tasted as
good as the drumsticks at home would
have tasted. "Rats, Rats, Rats" shouted
the bird. Tor she was not pleased with the
little audience. "Clar out of heah every
one of yO'," said Mrs. Dennier, dat pre-
ciOus bird isn't gwine TO kill herself eatin'
bones at my house." The little darkies
all scrambled right and left to escape the
shower Of slops which fell among them,
and Polly suddenly was bereft of
her plate OF dinner. In an ImpIudent mo-
ment Mrs. Dennier attempted TO deprive
Polly OF the drumstick she held, and then
screamed WITH pain as she jerked her fin
ger away. Polly had bitten 1t TO the bone,
and the bright red blood seemed to have
an evil influence upon her, for she laughed
SO loudly and so long that all the little
Denniers had to laugh too, as they helped
their nanny to bind up the wounded fin
ger. Ii Polly had been silent before she
made amends for it now, and soon gave
the children circus. She hurrahed for
"Gar," and played "Peek-a-boo" by hiding
under the tablecloth, and calling out,
whenever she thought it time for some
one TO have discovered her, "Peek-a-boO'
so cunningly that every one laughed
again, and then Polly Joined In and
laughed hardest OF all. But their MANI
my's experience had filed the children
with fear and they did not venture near
the pretty culprit, as they had done be-
fore. So Polly had the floor all to herself
and made her way over to basket she
saw in a corner. Sweet Mrs. Pussy Gray
and her six little kitties were all fast
asleep, and Polly, sitting on the handle of
the basket, looked down at them with
| patrOnlzing air. soon she cried: Hurry
| up; hurry up. Quick, quick, quick;
kiTtie, kittie, kittie, kittie," which filed
every one of the little kitties with terror.
Tabby angrily spit at the green intruder
and then Polly changed her mood, and
cried just as she had often heard Dan and
| May cry at home. ''Dat bird is bewitched
| suah, an de Lawd only knows what she
gwine to do Mex" said Mrs. Dennier,
while every seperate little Denneir
had tears in his eyes out of sympathy
for Polly. Suddenly Polly spread her
wings and flew right on TO the widows
shoulder Every one screamed, and Mrs.
| Dennier actually turned pale with fright.
She twisted her body back and forth in
| vain endeavor to shake the bird off, but
Polly had seized fast hold of her collar,
and knew well how two preserve her
balance. "YO' STAN right still, mommy,
an'Pllrun up for Mrs. Plpps, shouted Irv-
ing in great terror, rushing hatless up the
! hill. Mrs. Dennier needed no admOnitiOn
! to stand still, when she found that Polly
| intended to remain on her shoulder. She
| was almost afraid to breathe, and praye d
aloud vocilerously for DE good Lawd 10
deliver her from dat green debble, an
not let it eat her up" All the little dar-
kies huddled in corner and cried as
loudly as they could, expecting every mo-
ment to see Polly chop off their mammy's
|
were miserable, and concluded not TO
allow the present state OF affairs to damp
her spirits. She whistled Yankee
Doodle" and spelled "bad Polly" and
went through every accomplishment in
that line which she possessed. She I'M
derstood that she was in position TO show
of to company, and she left nothing to
be desired, for the Denniers were more
than Satisfied with the performance, and
heartily wished it at an end. Soon the door
was thrown open, aud Irving, followed
! by all the Pippses and Sally, burst
GREATNESS into the poor little room, upon
! which Polly, pausing in the midst of her
chatter, looked much surprised and then
! cried in very mOurnful tone. 80 dear
mamma l feel 80 bad" How could her
| kind mistress resist such an appeal? Ali
Polly's naughtiness was forgiven at once
and she was petted and pitied so much
that one could not blame her for being
| spoiled. dat chile is de comf0Ttingest
boy yo' ever saw" said Mrs. Dennier,
explaining IrvIng's motive in bringing
! Polly to visit them. But little Dan had
told all about it on his way down, and
Irving received no blame. ''And did you
have merry Christmas? inquired Mr.
Pipps, looking about the poor small room.
"Mammy killed the little lame hem" said
the smallest black urchin, IAN we all had
| taste"
go long chile" said the widow, sis yo'
done gwine forgit de hoe cake? One hen
| would not 20 lar among so many" said
Mrs. Pipps, who felt sorry for the power
! ty she saw here. Irving shall 90 home
with US and carrya basket back" Such
supper AS the Denniers had that Christ
mas night is not to be described. In
| their widest dreams so many goodies
had never appeared to them, and each
one ate until he could eat no more. AS
Polly chopped her drumstiok by the
kitchen fire at home that evening she had
u great many thoughts which you would
never suppose a bird would have. !
think she felt sorry for her bad
| behavior, for every one noticed
that she never screamed again as she did
that Christmas morning, and every time
alter seeing Irving she would be Ia par
| ticularly good humor aud say softly to
herself, 80, Pollyl Pretty Polly! o,
Polly, Polly, PollyW