The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-09-08
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Two Little Girls, Two Rag DOllies and
Two "Brave Indians"

known to get. They didn't shut thei,
eyes, though, us perhaps your dolly
does, for neither they nor their nam
mas had ever heard of such thing.
1t was fifty years ago that they were
sleeping SO soundly, and it was in
Lighthouse away back from any city.
Outside the house were big pine trees
all around, and inside stone fire. place,
with crane and kettles and baker,
and. instead of chairs, wooden stools
and benches.
Can you fancy it? Then perhaps
you will guess why Arethusa didn't
shut her eyes. She was Il "rag-bahy,"
and had been made of one of Grandma
Harrison's old pillow cases, that grand.
ma had spun and wove herself, and she
was filled with bran. Bran in her
hands and feet and body, bran for
brains and bran fer heart; and her
eyes, that wouldn't shut, but always
stared straight ahead, were marked on
the cloth with a coal from the big fire.
place.
DO you think their little owners,
Ruth and Patience, loved them as much
as You love your splendid wax dolly?
Indeed they did.
Grandma Harrison had given Ruth
her Arethusa when Ruth and Arethusa
were nearly of size, and never since
had they been separated single night
Ruth had grown since then, but
Arethusa didn't seem to care about
growing; any way, she never got any
larger.
"Dye-low, Baby Buntin',
Fathers gone a-huntin',"
sang Ruth. II s'pose we might call
John and Tommy their fathers, cause
l saw EN- with bow and arrow a
little while ago, and guess they've
gone hunting squirrels.
Ssh! Youth wake up Chloe if you
talk. Let's 60 out on the big rock,
and get dinner" said Pate. "Ive got
cookie, and we can get some straw.
berries down by the brook"
"Oh yes, let'sm And soon, under
two pink sunbonnets. two little girls
left the Lighthouse and poor Arethusa
and Chloe sleeping alone on the
benches.
Then, down by the brook in the
Itlearing, after Strawberries went the
two sunbonnets. How still it was
there! But now, down behind that big
log, there is something moving. Two
turkeys tail-feathers and a glimpse Of
something blue and white appear
above the log, and quickly disappear,
for down behind that log are two In
dams, bent on mischief. Very small
and very rosy Indians they are, and
one is named John aud is Kuthie's lit
tie brother, and the other is his play.
mate, Tommy Rogers, but they have
painted their faces with clay and char
coal, and having robbed the old COB
bier of his tail-fcathers to stick around
the bands of their ragged, rimless
hats, till, altogether, they do look like
two little 'Injuns. :"
me heap big chief now," said John,
proudly spreading grandma's striped
blanket over his naughty shoulders
and sticking his how and arrow under
his belt Lets go up to the house
and scare the girls"
They're not there; they've gone
down to the brook; l saw EN-" an
swered Tommy.
Up TO the Lighthouse went the two
brave Indians. They stop at the table
and seize the cookies. Then into the
room where the dollies were left sleep
ing so sweetly.
"Whoop!" yelled Tommy, catching
black Chloe by one leg, ''me scalE
pappoose!' and he pulled off the BLACK
lambs wool from her head and waved
it in the air.
"Whoop!" echoed John, bouncing
on Arethusa. I'm going to cut heI
throat" and he whipped out his jack
knife and drew it across her throat.
The bran began to run out. "Se,
the blood run, Tommy! see the blood
rum" said Joan, hopping and dowr
excitedly, half-frightened and half
pleased at this unexpected effect
''Do you suppose twill all run Out?'
ooh my! Let's try the other one ane
see if that'll do So"
They cut cash across Chloe's necl
and hang her head over the edge of thu
bench. Another stream of bran began
to run on to the floor beside that which
had come out of poor Arethusa'
wound.
Little by little, the piles of bran OF
the floor grow bigger, and, little b.
little, Arethusa and Chloe grow small
err. The two ''brave Indians" stant
and watch them fade, till flash o
pink sun-bonnets appears out by tn
"bigrock, then. guilty, the Indians
disappear under the table and pull
stool in front of them.
The happy faces under the pink sun
bonnets look in the cabin-door.
Those horrid boysr' said Pate.
20 Patier' and Ruth sat down OF
the floor and began to cry. my dea
Arethusa - I'll never forgive them
never!"
Two sorry little Indians crept ou
from under the table and begged s.
hard to be forgiven, and promised t
get Grandma Harrison to "mend' tn
dollies, and looked so funny in thei
war-paint and feathers, that, at last
the girls had to laugh, and they al
went out to the rock and played &c
to meeting"
This last is the funniest part, thin
years and years afterwards Ruth maj
ried Tommy; and Ruth and Tomm
are my mamma and papa-fonas'
! Companion.