Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-27

head approvingly, and little Lem, tn
negro boy, stared at Peggy with wide
open mouth and rolling eyes; to hin
she had always been Is wonder.
Peggy was very pretty should have
told you that at the first I suppose
and, like all pretty children who arr
well-bel,aved, she was q general ia
vorite.
When the winter was coming on and
the older inmates began to tell thei1
Christmas stories,. of the fine things
they had seen at Christmas time, it set
Peggy to thinking.
One day when the sun was shining
and the air was very still, old Sally
proposed last trip to Bunker Hill
When they had reached the favored
spot-seated upon long bowlder ne 81
the bestowed grave, overhung by
branches of large, white lilac, planted
by Sally's hands. now stripped Of its
leaves and standing bear and alone
Peggy leaned her face upon Sally's
shoulder, while her eyes seemed look
ing dreamily through vapory clouds
heavenward.
Presently she looked up into Sally'a
face and asked timidly:
sally. if you could have Christ
mas present, what would you like it to
be?"
"a Christmas present at Westfield !"
exclaimed Sally, laughing hard and
gratingly.
eyes. Sally /; why not?" said the little
girl leaning over in Sally's lap.
because, child, faint possible. But
if I could have what 1 wished for, it
would be dumb watch"
"a dumb watch, Sally? not a regular
ticker?"
Like Joe Johnson's, Peg? No, I
want dumb watch; one that makes
time to stand still, all the time set at
4 o'clock in the afternoon"
"Well, I never!" said Peggy, laugh
ing.
"No, s'pose not, Peggy; little chill
dren like to hear 'em tick, and see the
hands move on like Joe's does when it
amt stopped altogether.
Peggy"
well, Sally" ..s
II never told you, child, because you
wasn't old enough to know; but you're
Citing old now, amt you Peg?"
I'm seven" said the little girl won
deringly.
eyes, Peg, you're seven. I were seven
once. Peggy, would you believe it?"
eyes, Sally"
"Well, Peggy, the one thought of my
life has been for years the seeking
after dumb watch set at o'clock
in the afternoon, because at that time of
day, once long time ago, there came
to me great JOY. Peg. do you hear :?
Sally once had great JOY"
I'm glad, " said Peggy, simply.
"And had a dreadful trial, Peggy
it came to me at night. I don't want
any night, child; that's why want time
to stand still"
@And you think it would if you had
the watch?" asked the child, looking
into Sally's dim eyes, with her own
deep blue ones filled with tears.
20 yes, Peggy, I'm quite sure of it. {"
II thought there couldn't be any
place where there was no night, e1-
cept the one we 60 to when we are
called; Mr.. Goodell says so in his SER
mons. you know"
"He don't know everything, Peggy. /"
Peggy looked very thoughtful; she
was forming resolutions. There was
Uncle Dan, the cripple, who got little
money from nephew once in while,
and Joe Jeffries, the reelfooted fellow,
who got some for doing odd jobs.
Perhaps they might give her little
just very little-sum, and she
would go to the village and see what
she could do
1t would be so nice, she thought, if
Sally's nights could be cut of, and her
bad dreams. which invariably ended in
wild shriells and moaning sobs, could
he ended for her forever.
Poor little Peggy! When she chung
about Uncle Dams chain, and told him
her little story, he only laughed at her,
and told her the watch was not made
that would make time stand still.
But Peggy did not believe Dan, and
excused his ignorance by telling her.
self that Uncle Dan must be about
$50 years old, and these new inventions
had not reached him yet,-here in
Westield. She would ask Joe.
But again Peggy was doomed to dis
appointment, for Joe had not gotten
over being angry with Sally for prod
ding him with pin stuck in the end of
a stick, when he CHANGED to step OH one
OF Peggy's little pink toes.
So poor, disappointed Peggy wan
dered out under the shade of scraggly
old shed at the back of the kitchen to
have a quiet INV. hnt inst as tho l,ir