River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-01-19
TRIALS OF A SMALL BOY.
Why He Wishes He Could Have Stayed .
Baby.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.
Well, s'pose the first thing to do is
TO tell who am.
My name is Thomrs Stanton, and
my fathers name is Thomas Stanton.
That is the reason, guess, that / am
called Thomas; but am always called
Tom unless / am naughty or do some
thing dreadful.
o, l most forgot. Yes. and my
mothers name is Margaret Stanton,
and she is an awful good mother, too.
And my sisters name is Bessie STAN
ton, and she has got curly hair. And
my big brothers name is Robert STAN
ton; he goes to college now and wears
toothpick shoes and parts his hair in
the middle like a girl. Huh! Fore
I'd try to look like girl.
And then there is Freddie; he is
about two years old, and when he is
cross or mad he just goes "ya-ya-yar'
Well, now, that's all there is of us
but the dog and seven cats, but they
amt folks so won't put them in.
Well, one day we couldn't find Fred
die and l looked, and ma looked, and
we all looked. even the old dog. but we
couldn't find that baby. AT last l went
way back Of the house in big field
and there found him with can Of oil
that belonged with fathers reaper that
stood there, and he was just soaking
his feet with the oil. for he was bare
footed; he did that s'pose so he could
go better, but it didn't do any good.
for when l tried to lead him back to
the house he just hung back and
howled 'ya-ya-yar'
Now if had done so wouldn't have
got licked though? But you see it was
the baby and SO they only Rugged and
kissed him.
Wish / could have stayed baby,
then may be they would laugh at me
instead of saying Thomas William
1 do things hadn't ought to that my
hair almost stands up on end on my
head.
And then mother day when all the
folks was gone to Aunt Sues visiting
and left Freddie and me alone. what
do you think that awful baby done?
You see | had been out to the barn
trying to make tomahawk, cause
Jimmie Smith said l couldn't; and
got it most done when it broke, and j
thought I'd go to the house and get
string and see if / couldn't tie it To-
gether long enough to show Jimmie
Smith that could make a tomaha'vk,
even il l didn't have any thing but
piece of an old scythe and some slim
giles and my jack-knife to do it w tn.
So | went in the house. and il yOn viii
believe it, there on the floor sat that
baby with whole apple pie in his lap
and a knife in his hand, and he was
just digging away at that pie now / tell
you. First he'd take some and then
feed some to Carlo CHATS the dog).
He'd got it most eat up, but / took the
rest away from him and then he set up
a ya-ya-ing. Oh, my But he stopped
after while; he had to. / guess; he
didn't have breath enough to hold out
So when ma got home told her
about the pie; l thought she'd be mad,
but my! they all laughed at that baby
and said ''little dearr' and ''too cuter'
and every thing like that, you know.
So one day, about week after that,
Bridget baked lot of pumpkin pies
and set them to cool in the pantry;
was going past the window and seeing
pies made me think of Freddie. And
then thought seeing they hadn't car
ed about the pie. and all laughed so
and called it such joke, that / would
try and please them again. do like
TO please folks, and then besides ma
only lets me have only one piece day,
and it amt very big either; so l took
the biggest pie could find and spoon.
and sat down in the middle of the floor
just as baby did.
My! wasn't that pie good though?
/ had got about half through when ma
came to the door. She gave one look |
and then called father. l expected |
they would all laugh and say it was
cute. and all that just as they did |
about the baby; but l kept right on
eating till heard that awful Thomas |
William Stanton!" which most made
my hair most stand on end, and looked |
up just in time to see my father going |
out to the barn and calling me to fol-
low him.
Then he made me tell him why was
so lawful wicked as TO eat whole
pie. and tried to explain and told him
about the baby. but it didn't do any |
good; and he gave me an---But no.
shan't tell you what it was. but it hurt
awfully. though.
But myl Don't wish / was babyi
-Baptist Weekly.
II AIs-.L.I.A..