Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-10-27
From st. Eicholas.1
AUNT DEBORAH and SAM WADLEY.

from st. Eieholas.l
aunt DEBORAH and SAM WADLEY,
sThe good lands! what's that!" ex-
citedly cried frightened Aunt Deborah.
Aunt Deborah might we'll exclaim in
surprise. For as she sat knitting
quietly and humming q quaint old
tune of long ago, one she had learned
as q child-C-r-rashi bang! came a
stone into the room, shivering the
window pane, just missing the swinging
lamp in the hallway making an ugly
scar on the cabinet, and breaking into
fragments a handsome vase. Then,
as if satisfied with the mischief it had
done, it rolled lazily across the floor,
and finally stopped under the table,
an inert, jagged bit of granite.
Aunt Deborah, as the stone pursued
it's reckless course, placed her hands
over her head. and shrank back into
her chair, a frightened and unwilling
witness to the destruction of her prop
erty. 1t was quite distressing. Be-
sides the nervous shock. there was the
broken window; there was the cabinet
showing a great white dent that could
not easily be removed; and there, too,
was the vase she had kept so many
long years, lying shattered and ruined
before her eyes.
Aunt Deborah was one of the best
and most kind-hearted Of women; but
she was human, and the sudden
havoc wrought by the missile exasper-
ated as well as frightened her. she
rushed to the window and opened it
in time to see three or four boys
scam pering down the street as fast as
their legs could carry them.
'Oh, you young scapegraces! she
cried; eff could once lay hold on you,
wouldn't teach you q lesson!'
But the boys never stopped until
they had disappeared around q friend
ly corner. Aunt Deborah was so over
come by the accident, and SO intent
upon watching the retreating boys to
whom she desired to teach g. lesson,
that she did not at first notice q bare
footed lad, standing under the window
on the pavement below, holding a bat
tered old hat in his hand, and looking
up aU her with q scared face and tear
full eyes.
"Please, Miss" said the boy, tremu-
lousy.
ooh! Who are you'll Who threw
that stone at my Window" called out
Aunt Deborah, as she spied him.
"Please, Miss" pleaded the boy,
fumbling nervously his torn hat, 81
threw it, but didn't mean to do it. !"
Didn't mean to do it, eh?' replied
Aunt Deborah, fercely. 81 suppose
the stone picked itself up and pitched
itself through my glass!'
ST was going to throw it down the
street, but Bill Philper touched my
arm, and it turned and hit your win
dow he exclaimed.
There was an air Of frankness and
truth about the boy, and thefact that
he had not run away like the Others
Whom, somehow, Aunt Deborah held
chiefly responsible for the outrage,
caused her to relent little toward
him.
s'Come in here,' she said, after eye
ing him closely for q moment.
The lad hesitated; but summonlng
all his courage, he went up the steps,
and soon stood in her presence.
"Do you see that" she said, point
ing at the window-"and that ?"
lat the cabinet)-'and that?" lat
the broken vase)-"and that ?" lat
the stone.) CHOW, isn't that g. fine
performance"
81 am very sorry" said the boy,
the tears yelling into his eyes again.
He looked ruefully about at the
damaged articles, and glanced at the
stone, wishing heartily that he had
never seen it.
"Now, what's to be done about it p ;,
asked she.
ST don't know, ma'am," said he,
very i'll at ease. 81 will try to pay
you for it,"
"What can you pay, l should like
to know?" she said, glancing at his
patched coat and trousers and his torn
hat
az sell papers," said he, "and l can
pay you a little on it every week"
''What's your manner" she asked.
"sam Wadley," answered the boy.
<sHave you father ?"
mo, ma'am," replied Sam; She's
dead"
"Have you q mother"
eyes, ma am"
"What does she do?" continued
Aunt Deborah.
"She sews, and help her all I can,
selling papers"
Glow can you pay me anything
then? ?"
tPIease ma am, III tell mother all
about it, and she'll be willing for me to
pay you all | make"
'sWell, now, we'll see if you are q
boy to keep his word" said Aunt De-
borah.
.sHow much must 1 pay?" Sam in
ouired anxiously.
tsT - - 600 Amt Dohnroh ,1y1t