Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-04-05

up and down the wide piazza, amusing
herself in her own way for hours,
| while Mrs. Nelson was at work, or en-
| joying her well-earned rest. 1t was
only in sudden fright or pain that she
would run crying to mother
Joy was six years old when she first
| saw her baby brother.
There was great rejoicing in the
household over this uncommonly-fin
boy. and there was more reason now
than ever why joy should keep her.
self out of the way"
Harry grew amazingly fast. When
he was one year old Dr. Nelson pro-
nounced him the handsomest merriest
baby in the county. Mrs. Nelson was
sure there could not be found more
restlessly willful boy of his age.
In all the devoted household Master
Harry had no more willing slave than
Joy. She would sit BY his crib while
he took his long, morning nap. as still
as mouse, with her little hands fold
ed in her lap. ready to rJck him gent
ly if he should stir in his sleep; or call
mother in cas-, he should wake, and
| pull himself up with the intention of
rolling out Of the cradle-a trick he
| learned very young. 1t was Joy. too.
who was most untiring in her efforts
to amuse the exacting little man when
he demanded something newer and
more exciting to while away the long
DAYS.
When Dr. Nelson came home his
| first words were always: where's
the baby?" If Master Harry was in
good humor. he would show himself
off to the very best possible advantage
as welcome to papa"
Joy usually stood near. and
watched his pretty antics in papa's
arms with a happy smile on her little
| face.
One evening baby was tired and
frelful. and little inclined TO respond
to papa's advances. Joy. with her
timid air, bent over him and tried. by
dint of making the wry faces and
noises he usually found most highly
amusing. to coax him back to good
hunior. For some reason this form
of peacemaking struck his babyship
wrong, and only increased his fret
| fulness.
| DIR. Nelson pushed the child aside
with a frown, and said, impatiently:
Don't tease your little brother. JOY.
Go away! Can't you see he is fretful,
and doesn't want to be bothered?'
| 1t was soon after this that joys
second clean apron, in one day, was
| mod, nnfiI,- hy- cuJlon nj
with Rover's four big muddy feet.
The child could never bear untidy
clothes. A few soils on her little apron
would make her thoroughly unhappy.
and sometimes even cross-an aver
sion to dirt extremely unRual among
healthy children. She quickly ran to
ask mamma for another apron.
Mrs. Nelson was very busy with her
sewing. She said carelessly: Run
and ask Dinah to give you one, my
| child"
Dinah was the maid of all work and
factotum in general in the Nelson
household, and she. too, was busy,
washing out some of those very aprons
that Joy used so plentifully.
Dinah's black face usually beamed
with good-nature and general salts
faction with herself and the world at
large; but to-day she received joys
request with frown.
Go, long. chile she said. Hits
desc here aprons er yourn dat make
de washin' So heavy. 1 ain gwine tn
give you 'nuther apon dis day.
Mamma said 1 might have it."
pleaded Joy.
Dinah unwillingly brought the
apron. and eased her mind by scolding
a little as she stopped 10 fasten it on.
"What make you SO cuyus. chile?'
she said, sharply. "Chllluns like
dirt. Whyn't you ac' like odder chill
lun? Folks ain gwine ter love strange
chillun."
Dr. Nelson remarked to his wife,
| few days after this. that The was afraid
Joy was a morbid child. and she must
try to break her of those moods"
| There is no great wonder in my
mind that the aspiring young poet
should so often select June as sub
ject for his first great effort. especially
if the poet should dwell among the
| hills and mountains OF Virginia.
| There is no time or place more beau
tiful. The long uncertain spring is
safely over. and the summer is too
young to be oppressive, and too
tender and varied to be monotonous.
The dark green of the pine and the
lighter shades of the oak and maple
| trees blend, and ornament the mount
ain-sides almost as arts tically as the
bright new flowers array the fields and
I gardens The air is soft, and rarely
too warm for comfort. In june, even
the small. plain village where the Nell
| sons resided was beautiful. built as it
was near the foot of a little mountain,
and full of gentle slopes and groups of
| trees.
1t was bright, warm afternoon.
early in June. that DE- Nelson got out
of his buggy at the gate of his pleasant
home, half sick with worry over some
obstinate patients. and tired enough
to appreciate n pillow and rug
spread on the grass under Il shelter
| ing Oak-trec.
He was lying there with paper in
his hand when Joy caught sight of
him. She was in her tenth year then.
and scarcely less quiet than she had
been at six. She had changed very
little in the process of growing. and
was the same dark-eyed. pensive little