The Osceola times., 1886-10-23
TAUGHT A LESSON.
What Was Done By a Natural.
Born Luny."

-Four girls in the family, and only on
boy. Big sister Lucy, second sste
Jenny, little sister Lille, and bab,
sister Salle; and sandwiched In be
tween big sister Lucy and second siste
Jenny was poor, lonely, solitary Eddi,
Z "a cat in strange garret. Still, h,
didn't feel lonely and solitary whcr
they were all at home on the farm, fo
big sister Lucy and second sister Jenn,
could romp and climb as well as he
could, and little sister Lille was yer,
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 flattered him immensel,
to believe that she thought him Just AZ
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
npon 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 dwell too
long upon Eddie's juvenile history. He
grew just as fast as other boys, became
a young manor, rather, boy who
thought he was a young man-just as
soon as any body's brother. To resume
where | left ofl--after awhile he noticed
that some boys were inclined to make
fun of him BY and by they called him
''g'rl-baby," and savage resolve rap
idly sprang up within him, either to run
away and be a robber, or choke all 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 90 t. school.
SO to 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? Nevcrl
Miss Mary" she begged, please
let Eddie sit with u.s.
"Oh, nc" laughed Miss Mary, "he
must sit on the boys side"
"Oh, Miss Mary" blurted out the
poor child, desperately, che ain allow
ed to 90 with boysr'
"tIa! ha!' laughed those same dread
ful boys, "baby-girl! Dassent go with
boys! He! he!'
But dast!' declared Eddie. glaring
defiance upon his sister Lucy, and un-
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
be 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 a few
neighborsS children, under the
trees of small lawn; only
an afternoon spent in harmless romps.
and a few old-tme games; only some
simple refreshments served upon the
grass. and safe walk homeward be-
fore the stars began to twinkle. No
costly laces and cmbroideries, no ex-
pensive trinkets, no affected airs and
graces, no engraved cards. nor even
written invitations. II was Just what a
childrcn's party was years ago-not so
many years ago. either-but even six
years -old 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, alasl Eddie was
the only boy.
This was not so terrible at first. lie
could play "Kick the wicket" or "Hunt
the slipper just as well as the girls.
But when somebody proposed that they
play"Grandmammy ytippy-toe, " then he
Wds in elk" For ne had no skirt to
raise, so that old Grandmammy could
hit the hem with her stick. How dread
ful! The girls pitied him, TO be sure,
but would that mend the matter any!
No, for, alas! boys were 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 alms-bas and the
game proceeded merrily.
Suddenly Eddie disappeared. Was 1t
because the humiliatng sense of being
the only boy had grown upon him be-
yond endurance? Oh, no. The fact OF
his being the only boy had this time,
led to far more prosaic result. ms
is how il was. Mrs. Bell, in proyid ng
for her young guests, had either forgot,
ten. or else did not know, that small
boy had an appetite voracious rs that OF
Big ostrich. Therefore, the refresh
ments provided for Eddie were far from
sufficient He had simply run home
from the party to get piece. =,
lie not only got piece, but he had
no more sense than 10 carry IT back TO
the party with him. A few minutes
alter his sudden disappearance. dozen
g'l' were edited, in double sense, TO
behold Eddie himself march through the
gate Of the Bell domain, bearing aloft an
enorn Gus slice of bread, cut from an
oid-fashioned box-loaf. both the bread
M = - ~ a