Madison times., 1888-01-07
Jacks Pigeons.

"Papa has got gentleman IN MS
study, and he is to stay to dinner, and
mamma is in bed with sick headache,
and Flossy don't know what to do;
and there ism thing in the house for
dinner"
''Of course not" said l, sardonically.
Il might have expected it.
"Might have expected what, Perry?'
THAT everything would happen just
on this precise day that selected to
begin nv story for the Ladies Month
ly Miscellany"
Nina looked wistfully up into my
face. Have you begun it yet" said
she. 'When l write a school compost
ton don't stop to think just plunge
into it and say what am going to say
right off It's great deal easier"
OH said l, with genuine elderly |
sisterly scorn. "your school compost
tions, indeed! That has nothing TO do
with my story"
And l entered the little back porch,
overhung with curly green hop vines
where Flossy, my second sister,
awaited me with perturbed coun-
tenance.
What are we to do. Perry? said
she. .'Oh! l am so sorry that we ate
| the last of that cold meat yesterday. 1t
might have made little pie, or stew,
or something"
"a few bits of fat and gristle," said
I. "A fine pie you would have had!
! Haven't the boys been fishing to-day?'
l added, rs sat despair ngly down by
the kitchen table, with my elbows on
the board and my chin resting on my
palm.
J. mo. They are up at Curanac falls.
picnicking. And they took every bit OF
bread in the house"
Exactly" said j. '.For out and ont
voracity, commend me to your aver
age boys"
Poor dears They didn't mean any
harm," said Flossy. They must
eat"
) know it, sighed ], with wave OF
the hand. But my disposition is get
ting soured by this sort of thing
, "What sort of thing?" said F!ossy.
! Company to dinner. Why can't
people Stay away? Why do they come
: gorging themselves when they aren
5 wanted? Do we go prancing around
= the country, uninv ted, TO eat oul
friends ont OF house and home p
= .'Oh, Perry, hush!' said Flossy. HE
will hear you. The study window is
open, and you don't know how lout
you are speaking"
LET him heart sputtered j, lower
It ing nv voice little, nevertheless. 81
will bo a lesson to him. But there
s what is the use of rebelling agains
b fate He is here, and like the rest o
I the tribe of comorants, he must be fed
1t A quarter of IL! Then there is no tim
t, to be lost. Is there any ham in tn
~ house?"
1--WE boiled the scragg end on Mon
le dav," said Flossy, ''with summer cal
bage and bean soup"
D. mo meat of any sortP' l persisted
1t mot a scrap. And the turkeys al
3 all out in the pastures, and the fow
o were eaten up by the minks la;
:. week."
ir al wish we were Chinese" said
u prayely, as Ponto came in, waggin
his tail. Il would have fricassee
- dog"
70 70 "Perry. don't be ridiculous. sal
J" Flossy.
:, 81 never felt so little like jesting
Al nv life," said 1. because. Flossy.
" am going to immediate the pigeons
the shrine of hospitality"
Jacks pigeons" gasped Floss
"The pigeons he gave you rs a partir
gift, to care for and to tend for hii
% oh. Perryr'
ayes. Jacks pigeons" said ]. tos
ing back my hair, in sort OF desper
tion. They're plump and fat. They
make very nice pie. Oh, you nee
MT stare so. Papa always said tn
bospitality was one of the cardinal v
tues. And dare say that shall k
little Nina and make her into So
when there is nothing else left and t
next detachment OF company arrives.
This bold assertion threw us all TN
into a fit of gigglng. which termln
ed only with the necessity for innne'
ate exertions. Nina went off to p
radishes and pick peas. Flossy beg
to mix biscuit on the snowy moldl
board, and went out and comm ssit
ed the little Irish boy who lived at
foot of the lane to catch and kill
10 white pigeons that lived in the b'
loft
"Tbey are very gentle" said
"You won't have much trouble"
ina. Aud cried little under my
bonnet, as returnd. for Jack Wi
had given me the little white piget
.oarcelv wear ago
led "But he don't deserve half quar-
flee of a tear" cried |. dashing the m
line ture out of my eyes when l came
how the lane. He hasn't written to
- for three months! Why should be
al" timental about his pigeons!'
Papa was learned professor II
by half starved country, institution
use, Canada. which called itself THE
was Incton Univers ty"-and his scien
lera wisdom always flooded our house
- equally learned company. And
f'o wiser we grew. apparently. the po
TO we becamcl Mamma, who had pee
- Quebec lady. was in delicate he'
and quite unequal to managing