The Arizona sentinel., 1886-06-26
WANTING TO BE DRIVER.
How a Momentous Question Was Settled Among the Little Members of the Carey Family.

How mOmentOuS Question was Settled
 Among the Little Members of the Carey
 Family.
 It was raining hard; and it was just going to rain all day. No chasing the turkeys, no climbing after green ap- ples, no tumbling in the hay to-day that was certain.
 But the five little Careys must have fun somehow; so when grandma heard laundering noise over her head, and peeped in the old garret room, there they were, getting ready to play stage coach.
 Every one of the five looked bright and happy and merry; they were haul ing together old trunks, pulling about broken-legged chairs, tugging at every thing that could be moved, and many things that couldn't.
 Grandma closed the door softly, not having been seen by the travelers-elect, and slipped away, smiling.
 ''While l am up here, said the old lady to herself, '1'll just step across to the other loft and turn my hops"
 This didn't take long; and, as grand ma came past the garret room she opened the door and peeped in again.
 My! Whats the matter?" she cried. There was the stage all ready to be sat upon, pounded, thumped and hollered at; but the voyagers, where were they? Scattered like the poppy leaves when storm has passed; and every little darkened brow and puck cred nose anu pouuirfS lip -showod traces of the storm.
 "And what's the matter?" grandma had to ask again before she found out that when it was time for the coach to start, To! every body wanted to be driv er-Rob, and Frank and Tom, of course; and even long-haired Jessie, and grandma's pet, wee Madge.
 Did grandma laugh at them? I think she must have laughed little, even grandma; but not much; for she sat right down on the driver seat, and put on her ''once upon a time" look.
 "The greatest Virginlan that ever was born, she began (for this farm house with the garret room was in sight of the Blue Ridge), twas the one that was the readiest to get down of the drivers seat. After he had whipped the red coats, Washington might have kept his place at the head of his de- voted army, and been the driver as long as he lived. Did he do this?"
 Frank, who had recently read all the backs of his History of the United States, here snapped the fingers of both hands above his head, in token of his eagerness to answer.
 ''No sir-ee; there's asplendid picture in my book of General Washington giv- ing up his sword to the Congress at Annapolis. The fellows are dressed up too funny for any thing, with their hair tied back like Jessie's; only all their heads are white"
 ''But Washington was put in the drivers seat again" continued grand ma, ''when the people voted him Pres ident of the United States, and they had great work to get him to keep the reins for eight years; he did not think it best for the country that one man should continue to rule; so back he went to Mount Vernon, to take care of his servants and his land, and do his duty as gentleman farmer. And now (here grandma looked very sad) here are my little Virginians quarrel ing over being a stage coach driver" "
 Washington's little fellow citizens looked tremendously sheepish, but the mention of voting had suggested a happy thought to Tom.
 ''Let's vote for the driver" cried he, adding, with virtuous severity: ''Of course no fellow must vote for him self.''
 The choice fell on baby Madge, and having settled the affairs of the infant republic by the example of their great est countryman, grandma went bach chuckling to her knitting. g.-ElizG6eh P. Allen, ip N r. Independent.