Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-13
BARBARA
The Mischief She Unwittingly Did,
 and How It Was Remedied


 Iknow you would much rather I should take Barbara's sister Dot for my heroine, for Dot was tall and queenly and, of course, naughty as she was tall and filled up quite large space in society, in very opposition to her name, whereas Barbara was an elf of nine years standing on this grim old foot stool of ours, and was not one quarter as big as her name with the face of a fairy and bright brown eyes, that looked out from un- der her yellow bang, ridiculously like Dots pony peered from under his mane, and with orbs almost as big and fully as limpid. But then she is my heroine and you must needs make the best of her.
 Dot was engaged, I am happy to say, to perfect Apollo but I'm sorry to admit that she treated said Apollo as if he were noth- ing more than poor, weak, erring mortal, and took it upon stately, privileged self to lecture the young man upon certain faults she took, as matter of course, must be in his possession, being, as he was, the only son of a very indulgent pair of old folks.
 But she was shaken to the very foundation of her royal being when one day she discov- cred that tho last sentence of her excellent harangue had fallen upon thin air, and she had Q confused sense of pair of indignant, sorrowful eyes leaving their light to haunt her, as she sat, amazed and hurt after the hall door slammed like wooden oath
 He was gone then-"O, Scott; oh, Scottr' which was no slang at all, but the irate Apollo's christened name. Dot rose from her chair of state and carried her heart, bleeding and torn, up the front stairs, to anoint it with tears and cover it with the magnificent new ball dress from Madame Highprice' e's-admirable bandagei
 "Whath the matter, Dot9" Miss Barbara's eyes had caught the gleam of something shining, liquid and bead like, upon tho very tip of Dots feather fan. "Youth crying?'
 'I believe you would cry, too, Chickie; wouldn't you, if the Prince came and prom ised you nice things and then rushed off without saying any thing about theml Wouldn't you7"
 "Ithnt Thcott going to tako you to the balla"
 Ut certainly looks that way. He went off 50 angry with mer' Another tear splashed hotly down upon Barbara's little upturned face. The child gravely wiped it off, utter ing this solemn injunotiou "Don't you cry or worry one bit more about thith. I will thee about thith matter mythelf," uncon- s0ously initiating papa's most impressive manner of speech.
 They had always talked to her as If she could understand their mature reasoning this sister and this papa-that she had come
 
 wise consideration of all things brought within her ken.
 Nine o'clock and no Soott-he was not coming then; must she miss the glorious assembly ball because of his anger? Not she. Half-past nine; had Barbara been awake she would have noticed the quivering eyelds that tried so hard to keep the tear drops prisoners. Quarter of ten-she gave up all hopes of Scott and in ten minutes | | flowing satin, whose cream white pillows | were filling the coupe to its utmost capacity. | Ten o'clock. A loud peal from the door | bell aroused Barbara from her sound slum- l Der. Another peal Out of bed, into her little Mothor Hubbard wrapper and down | the stairs crept Barbara, on tiptoe, too, | though there was no need of that, every blessed trusted servant was gone out and the child was alono in the big house. The wee hand mastered the huge door-key and l out in the moonlight the brown eyes discov- cred Dots lover. ,,..z,--,,-......-,,
 70, ith you!'
 ''Yes, Chiclxie, of course 1t is Is-is-Dot readyW
 | Now, I've always been amazed at the little and big-hbs children can tell on the slight l est provooation. I have even gone so far as | to entertain some odd ideas on the subject 1 of the utter lack of conscience in the world of childhood, and honestly believe that ve racity is an actual matter of education, pure and simple-with dismal conviction that | even cultivation docs not always suff1ce. have been astonfshed with what fertility the brains of infancy arc possessed, inventing | with ease uncalled for and unprecedented 1 untruths; and, as Miss Barbara was beyond the average, l am bound, in all truth, to say that she gravely sent the following little flo 1 upinto Scotts listening ears:
 l "Yeth, Doth 'ith all ready and gone with papa-but you are to bring me insthead. I am almotht drethed; jutht go into the l library, pleath, Thcott, and will not keep | you waiting moro than theven minuths.'
 Poor Scotia wrathy whirlwind was l gathering about his ears as all unconscious | ly, he obeyed the little maid. His quarrel | if so onesided an affair could be called that with his beloved had driven all thoughts ! of the ball from his head; and now to come and find her off and away with her parental | relative, and to realize that she had had very good cause to think the most horrible things in the world of his seeming careless ness, made him blind to the simple outland- 1 1sh scheme of the little sister, and to be l glad that he has been the object of even a 1 thought.
 1 Barbara rushed off wild with excitement; and, reaching her own room again, she, like l human Katy-did, jumped upon the low, wide dresser, tore each little curl paper from Its resting place upon her pretty round head, and began to comb the crooked yellow knots into heaps of wonderful golden fuzz
 Next Dots diamond star was pinned coquetishly to one side of her cranium, a dancing-school dress was donned-a frock all glimmer and pale pink shadows, and leaving 1t unfastened, she drew on her fur lined school cloak, poked sash of purest