The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-10-22
TAUGHT A LESSON.
What Was Done By Natural
Born Luny."

Four girls in the family, and only one
boy. Big sister Lucy, second sister
Jenny, little sister Lille, and baby
sister Sallie: and sandwiched in be-
tween big sister Lucy and second sister
Jenny was poor, lonely, solitary Eddie
"a cat in strange garnet. Still, he
didn't feel lonely and solitary when
they were all at home on the farm, for
big sister Lucy and second sister Jenny
could romp and climb as well as he
could, and little sister Lille was very
accommodating horse or dog, according
as he wanted to play horse or dog,
while baby sister Sallie liked to Chamber
upon his knees and put her arms around
his neck. and it fiattered him immensely
to believe that she thought him just as
big man as her papa But when he
went over to the village to visit grand
ma, and saw how the other boys had
brothers. and could play ball and tag
upon the common with creatures of
their kind, then he did feel envious
You may be sure that Eddie made the
most of his opportunities to associate
with real boys.
Now, please indulge me if I dwell too
long upon Eddie's juvenile history. He
grew just as fast as other boys, became
4 young manor, rather, a boy who
thought he was a young man-just rs
soon as any body's brother. To resume
where left oii-after awhile he noticed
that some boys were inclined to make
fun of him. BY and by they called him
-'g;rl-baby," and a savage resolve rap
idly sprang up within him. either to run
away and be rob5er, or choke ali of
his sisters so that there wouldn't be
any girls in the family. While he was
debating about it, the powers that be,
or rather were. or, more properly, Ed
dies and Lucy's and Jennie's papa and
mamma, decided that these three of the
flock were big enough to go t. school.
So 10 the little country school under the
walnut trees, two miles away, the
youthful band went, and, to Lucy's hor-
ror, saw there real boys. Dreadful
creatures, they seemed to gentle Lucy,
and should her dear brother grow like
them? Never!
Miss Mary" she begged, "please
let Eddie sit with u.s."
''Oh, no." laughed Miss Mary, The
must sit on the boys side"
''Oh, Miss Mary" blurted out the
poor child, desperately, "he a n allow
ed to 60 with boys"'
''Ha! ha!' laughed those same dread
full boys. '.baby-girl! D.ssent go with
boys! He. her'
But dastr' declared Eddie. glaring
defiance upon his sister Lucy, and I'M
gratefully planting himself upon the
boys side, Just as the bell rang, and
poor Lucy felt that her heart was broken.
but, henceforth, Eddie was a school
hero; that is, until vacation came.
Then everyday life at the big farm
house was just as it was before. Eddie
and his sisters drifted back into their
old ways, when, suddenly, the children
received an invitation to party, and
again Eddie was brought 10 realize that
he was the only boy.
Not modern, fashionable abomin-
able ''child party" with late hours,
rich confections, injurious dressing and
excessive dancing. Oh, no! only a
quiet gathering of few
neighbors children, under the
trees of small lawn; only
an afternoon spent in harmless romps.
and few old-time games; only some
simple refreshments served upon the
grass, and a safe walk homeward be
fore the stars began to twinkle. No
costly laces and emoroideries, no ex-
pensive trinkets, no affected airs and
graces, no engraved cards, nor even
written invitations. II was Just what a
ch;ldren's party was years ago-not so
many years ago, either-but even a six
years odd style looks antiquated to-day.
The party needs no special description.
Neither do the children, dozen girls,
aged from eight TO fourteen, from the
farms around. But, alas! Eddie was
the only boy.
This was not so terrible at first. He
could play .'kick the wicket or Hunt
the slipper" just rs well as the girls.
But when somebody proposed that they
Observation-Disclosures, then he
acGs N fix" For he had no skirt to
raise, so that old Grandmammy could
hit the hem w tn her stick. How dread
full! The girls pitied him, to be sure,
but would that mend the matter any?
No, for, alas! boys We're cruelty doomed
to wear trousers. so. of course. poor
things. they couldn't play ''Grandmam-
my-tippy-toe."
'.Hold your hat. Eddie" called out
pretty little Mary Bell. as bright idea
struck her. Eddie did so. taking his
place in the line with his hat held be-
fore him. like an aims basin, and the
game proceeded merrily.
Suddenly Eddie disappeared. Was it
because the Illuminating sense of being
the only boy had grown upon him be-
yond endurance? Oh. no. The fact of
his being the pnly boy had, this time,
led to far more prosaic result. This
Is how it was. Mrs. Bell, in provid ne
for her young guests. had either forgot
ten. or else did not know. that small
boy had an appetite voracious as that of
a big ostrich. Therefore, the refresh
ments provided for Eddie were far from
sufficient. He had simply run home
from the party TO get piece"
He not cnlv got piece, but he had
NO more sense than 10 carry it back to
the party with him. A few minutes
after his sudden disappearance, dozen
girls were edited, in double sense, to
behold Eddie himself march through the
gate of the Bell domain. bearing aloft an
enormous slice of bread, cut from an
old-fashioned box-loaf, both the bread