The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-01-14
ONE OF THE LITTLE FRESH
AIRS.

AIRS.
Farmer Nash fell i'll late one winter
with = nervous affection that proved
very. very difficult to treat. Winter
melted into spring and spring was
blossomiDg into summer when tho
family physician said to the unmarried
daughter, Miss Caroline:
''Your father thinks too much about
himself. We must devise something
to keep him interested and entertained.
He is very fond Of children. Haven't
you some little relative you can invite
to visit you for whilce"
NO said Miss Caroline; this
family is deplorably destitute Of chill
drcn, but il u thought.it would do papa
any good would mako m effort to
find child somewhere; only. would it
be right to take a child into this staid,
quiet household"
why not?" said the doctor. "A
child would make you all young
again."
So next day Miss Caroline put on
her bonnet and stepped into the cars
on the New London Northern road,
and was carried away to 3 certain
benevolent institution she had heard
OF. where she asked If she could borrow
4 little girl.
"Why, certainly" said the matron,
I'VE have the brightest little thing
here-she was sent from the city and
has only been here one day. She has
no living relatives, and am sure you
will soon become very much attached
to her,
THAT is extremely doubtful, :"
thought Miss Caroline, but she was
really pleased with the dainty 4-year-
old girl, and went back home with her
sitting on the seat by her side.
You must be my own nanny, you
are SO good" said the child, looking
mp with her clear, blue eyes into Miss
CarOline's face. Il am 30 glad you
have come after me. A great many
nights lay awake and think about it,
and wonder If my mamma will not
como in the morning, but this morning
! thought nothing about it. Wasn't it
funny?''
When Mr.. Downer, the veteran con-
ductor, whom every ono along the line
of that railroad knows and likes, came
along taking up tickets, he said to
Miss Caroline, whom he knew very
we'll:
Whose little girl have you here?'
Before the lady could frame reply
that would satisfy the conductor and
not grieve tho child, the little thing
spoke up for herself:
I'm Eta, please, and I belong to
this lady; she's my mamma, come back
from heaven, where she's been gone
ever SO long. to take care Of me. Isn't
..Better than most people, said Mr..
Downcr, but he asked Miss Caroline:
do You intend to keep up that de-
lusion?'
"She took It up herself, and I fancy
will forget it under the influence Of
plenty OF fresh milk, pureair and SUM-
shine"
1T does no harm, anyway, and l
shouldn't want TO give her any kind Of
q mental shock; she looks - il she was
nineteen nerves already. and / fancy
she won't be away from her mother
very long," and the kind-hearted gen.
tleman went his way, but tho next
time he came through the car he
dropped q bunch Of arbutus into tho
child's thin hands that 6lled her little
heart with . delight never to be for
gotten.
my first bunch Of very own dow
err" she used to say long after telling
Of it.
Farmer Nash was delighted with the
little visitor, having no idea she WIS
prescribed as . medicine, and more
than once he said to his good wife:
ut was the strangest thing, Caroline
fetching that little thing here. l never
thought she was anyways fond Of chill
dren, but she seems TO think enough Of
this One.'
Indeed they were oil delighted with
the little creature, and after she was
quietly asleep at night. they told over
her quaint pretty speeches.
Every morning she asked almost the
one thing on waking:
Am | to spend tho day here to-day
again with the trees and grass and
birds and flowersf''
And when assured that she was, she
seemed perfectly happy and 1t rest.
She couldn't be persuaded to 60 away
out OF sight Of the house.
"Why, grandpa, we might be on the
cars before we knew it, you know, and
never come back again." she said one
day when Mr.. Nash was coaxing her to
ride with him to the mill.
She sometimes told about the fine
houses in the city, but always ending
by saying:
=! like this house great deal bet
ter"
The great bayfield, with its butter
cups and daisies she declared better
than the park. and one day she ex-
what would the children say if they
knew was on the Always hers
all love grass 50.
One evening. sitting on the doorstep
holding her pet kitten until the stars
came out. she said:
.'Oh, auntie, just look up and see the
holes where the rain comes through. =
And ope day after . shower she
tcased grandma, Is she called Mrs.
Nash, to 90 out and wade in the pud-
dies as she was doing.
Il don't think it best" said the old
LADY, -. I might take cold and BE- sick
ss(1h ~r>ll o,re nA,ne y .e;A Ut4e SIT