The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-04
FIFTY YEARS AGO.

as sound asleep as ever dolls were
known to get. They didn't shut their
eyes, though, us perhaps your dolly
doea. for neither they nor their man.
mas had ever heart of such thing.
1t was fifty years ago that they were
sleeping SO soundly, and 1t was in
Lighthouse away back from any city.
Outside the house were big pine trees
all around, and inside stone fireplace,
with a crane and kettles and baker,
and. instead of chairs, wooden stools
and benches.
Can you fancy itp Then perhaps
you will guess why Arethusa didn't
shut her eyes. She was "rag-baby,"
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 q 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 dollyp
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. .fE f n4
"Bye-low. Baby Buntln,
Fathers gone a-huntin,,"
sang Ruth. II s'pose we might Gull
John and Tommy their fathers, cause
| saw 'em with bow and arrow
little while ago, and / guess they've
gone hunting squirrels"
''Sh! You'll wake up Chloe If you
talk. Let's go out ON the big rock.
and get dinner" said Patie. 'I've got
| a cookie, and we can get some straw
berries down by the brook. ~
"Oh yes, let's!'' And soon, under
two pink sunbonnets, two little girls
left the Lighthouse and poor Arethusa
and Chloe sleeping alone on the
| benches.
Out on the big rock, what fun they
had setting the table! Little round
| poplar leaves for plates, and big oak
leaves for platters; acorn cups and
| saucers, and two immense yellow
pumpkin flowers for sauce dishes to
put the strawberries in-when they
had picked them.
Then, down by the brook in the
clearing, 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
didns, bent on mischief. Very small
and very rosy Indians they are, and
one is named John aud is Ruthie'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-teathers 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 bow 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; saw 'em," an
swered Tommy.
| Up 10 the Lighthouse went the two
brave Indians. They stop at the table
and seize the cookies. Then into the
ing so sweetly.
| yo11nI T<v,,,,,. o,%oh:,,.
black Chloe by one leg. ''me scalp
pappoose!' and he pulled off the black
lambs wool from her head and waved
it in the air.
''Whoop!" echoed John. pouncing
on Arethusa. 'Tm going to cut her
throat" and he whipped out his jack
knife and drew it across her throat.
The bran began to run out. .'See
the blood run, Tommy! see the blood
run" said John, hopping up and down
excitedly, half-frightened and half
pleased at this unexpected effect
''Do you suppose twill all run out?"
"Oh my! Let's try the other one and
see if that'll do SO"
They cut cash across Chloe's neck
and hang her head over the edge of the
bench. Another stream of bran began
to run on to the floor beside that which
had come out Of poor Arethusa's
wound.
Little by little. the piles of bran on
the floor grow bigger, and, little by
little, Arethusa and Chloe grow small
er. The two "brave Indians stand
and watch them fade, till a flash of
pink sun-bonnets appears out by the
"bigrock. then. guiltily, the Indians"
disappear under the table and pull
stool in front of them. .j95$
The happy faces under the pink sun
bonnets look in the cabin-door.
''Those horrid boysr' said Patie.
20 Patie" and Ruth sat down on
the floor and began to cry. ''My dear
Arethusa = I'll never forgive them,
never!" --..,r.
Two sorry little Indians crept out
from under the table and begged SO
hard to be forgiven, and promised to
get Grandma Harrison to s'mend" the
dollies, and looked SO funny in their
war-paint and feathers, that. at last,
the girls had to laugh, and they all
went out to the rock and played go
to meeting"
This last is the funniest part, think
years and years afterwards Ruth mar
ried Tommy; and Ruth and Tommy
are my mamma and papa Youth's
Companion.
rr
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