The Southern herald., 1886-01-23

AuEu6E Oub lhdn ever seen IL DeIOTB,
he said, land there's nothin' but mud
there, an ther kittens er-stickin' inter
it. l kin git down 'nough, but how m
I ter git up agin? S'pose I should stick
in the mud, too? Then there'd be two
stick-in-ther-muds stead Of one"
"Oh! you won't, Tommy" said Cad
die, confidently. "You're SO useter
mud An Tommy" she went on,
eagerly, "there's sumpin' like er lad
der clost ter ware us was er settin'
Er long board with sticks nailed acrost
it. Can't you git up onter that?"
"Well, if can't, nobody kim" de-
clared Tommy, with little swagger,
and back to the pile of lumber they
both trotted for the "sumpin' like a
ladder" Tagging and pulling with
all their might they managed to drag
it to the edge of the wharf and then
lower it until one end rested in the
mud below. "Take my cap an ther
light" said Tommy, IAN wen I'm
comm up stick ther taper somew are
an holt onter ther board with both
hans as hard as you kim" Down he
went as nimbly as a squirrel, and it
wasn't long before he called OUT II
got it, an l foun' sumpin' else right
by it. Hold hard, sis, here comes"
And up he came again-nOt quite as
nimbly as he had gone doWn--clasping
a half-smothered kitten to his breast
and holding a small metal box in his
hand. aspect my bran-new fash no
BILE suits all spilled SOS can't 90 err
maxim New Years calls" he said,
"but there's your Chrissmuss present,
sis, an now We'll git back ter our
lodgin's an see wot mine is"
The little girl took the kitten ten
derly in her arms, and then both young
sters hurried to their retreat behind the
lumber pile. "Ain't she dear little
thingP" said Caddie few moments
after they had got there, as she tried to
wipe the mud from her Christmas pres
ent with the piece of old carpet that
served her for shawl.
"Yes, sir. An amt them dear little
things?" replied her brother, holding
out five gold and two silver coins which
he had taken, after some trouble in get
ting it open, from the box he had found.
Cadde's eyes grew big and wide with
wonder.
"Is 'em reel money!" she asked.
"Yes, sir" declared Tommy, exult-
ingly. "No make b'lieve bout them.
Five five-dollar golders an two silver
hafs-orful black the hats is, but I
knows 'em. Let's see wot their num-
ber is. They're all erlike; 1880, an
now it's 1883. Them golders is-let's
see-you keep count of ther tens, Cad.
Thirty an ten is forty, an forty an
ten is fifty, an fifty an ten is sixty, an
sixty an ten is seventy, an seventy
an ten is eighty. How many tens,
Cad?"
"Five," said Caddie, adding in an ad-
miring tone: "My, Tommy, amt you a
figgerer!"
Give tens is fifty, an there's er
three" Tommy went on. "Them gold
ers is tifty-three years ole. An this
box" polishing away at it with the
sleeve of his jacket, 81 guess, is silver,
too. Hello, here's some printin on it.
To toe -'g-r-a-n-d'-g grand -'m-o-
t-h-e-r mother -'o-n'- onter-'h-e-r'
her-'7-5' -75- 'b-i-r-t-h'- birth =
d-a-y'-day. J-a-n'-Jane; no, that
amt it; J-a-n'-Jan. Oh, that's fur
January like Cad for Caddie. JAN,
1881. Five five-dollar golders an
two hats, Cad, an now you're goin'
ter have ther doll, an ther Mother
Hubbed dress, and ther fresh crullers,
an all them things you wants. An
I'll git ther sinner set up an we'll have
.er home, an you'll go ter school an
learn how ter read tiggers an printin'
jest as good as l do, an no thanks ter
ther white-whiskered ole chap wot for
got us.
"An' how glad that beyutiful baby'll
be cause us was extry good, Tommy,
jist as much as we could be, want us,
Tommy But Tommy" and shade
came over her face, "oughtn't us find
that ole lady, that grandmother, an
give her her box an money back
again?n
Tommy burst out laughing.
"W'y she'd be, let's see, she'd be er
hundert an er lot more years ole if
she was er Twin now. So guess she
amt. But I'll tell yer wot III do, sis,
SOS ter make things all square, I'll
ask ther lady at ther Mission about it
ter-morrer. But I'm goin' ter spend
one of them hats, anyhow, onter er
feed fur you an me an ther cat. Come
along. Hot-cake Johnny's open yet.
He'll keep open all night ter night, yer
bet, cos it's Merry Chrissmuss.
The next day the teacher of the Mis-
sion School and Tommy, after the
Christmas dinner was over, had long
talk together. at the end of which she