Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-09-25
From the Milwaukee Wisconsin.
FOR LITTLE BUTTONS SAKE
BY MARY E. WEBB M'NEIL.

BY MARY E. WEBB NEIL.
"Here, you Jack, take this pail in
stumpter, and don't you be long about
gwine to dat ar water hole. nudaer"
Jack rose slowly from her crouching
posture before the fire, and lifting what
at first sight resembled mostly bundle
of patches put together hit or miss,
stood it upright in the middle of the
floor. But head covered with wonder
full hair that caught it's tints from light
and shade, lifted itself from the I'M
wholesome mass, and a pair of grimy
hands, tiny and shapely. were thrust
out, while the baby pleaded in shrill
tones "to 60 with Jack" Jack laughed.
She always did at Little Buttons
ways.
The baby had taken survey of him.
self, one day, from the frock of many
coiors caught together here and there
with pins, down to the shoes, ragged
and buttonless. He fingered them in
silence for O moment, and then lifting
his large eyes with all his baby soul in
them slowly to Jacks face, told her
with solemn shakes of the head how
there were mo nenny buttons" No
nenny buttons! It was all done in a
manner SO droil and yet SO pathetic,
that from an immoderate fit of laughter
Jack had actually melted to tears-out
Of pure love and sympathy for the little
fellow, one would suppose. But Jack
would tell you, if questioned, that it
was because ''she couldn't help it." and
if there existed any why's and where
flores of it all in her mind no one would
be the wiser. However, the baby had
been Little Buttons" to Jack ever
since. Now she patted his head and
promising to bring shin something
nice"if he would be good boy, she
seized the pail and was soon going over
the grond as only Jack Edwards could
go, with a swinging gait made up OF long
strides, and peculiar, swaying move
ment OF the arms that made one think of
a Tying squirrel.
Down III corner of the old orchard
was a rank growth Of gooseberry bushes
that bordered the gray fence like a
green f1Ounce. Scoring the tumbl
down gate Jack cleared the fence here
at bound. Down the narrow path
RULED with mint on either side, she
went, and was back again in an incredi-
bly, short space of time, with proper re-
spect this time for the gate that was.
Little Buttons" heard the merry whis-
tie long before he could see her coming
over the gentle rise of ground that in
tervened between the house and the
spring.
Jack was an incorrigible whistler. In
fact Black Bet complained that she did
nothing else but whistle. She whistled
when the long days in summer made
the little red house, with its sickenlng
odors, anything but desirable place to
live in. How she loved then to throw
~ 81 <lo +J. Il = {n;o
Gy trees, and press her burning face
deep down In the green grass that crept
close to their odorous roots. 'It was all
so clean and sweet" she told herself.
She Whlstled louder than before when
the keen blasts Of winter sent her shiv
ering with l. tile Buttons pressed close
within her arms, to her one refuge in
the chimney corner. But just now the
whistle was pitched to a key never be-
fore heard to issue from Jacks throat.
Even Black Bet listened and wondered
what bad done come over de chile"
The truth was Jack was thinking
this girl was never known to do so pre-
posterous thing in her whole life be-
lore. As she reached the summit of the
slope that began about the middle of
the orchard, she stopped short in her
walk and looked carefully about her,
while the whistle subsidized under her
breath How the old place did look,
anyhow. Why, she could well remem-
Der when this very orchard was a mass
OF sweetness and bloom. She was wee
toddler then, and someone carried her
daily in his arms over this same path.
Standing there in the dewy quiet Of the
May morning, it all came back to her.
This stump, at whose roots the contents
OF the pti was drizzling away in little
uncertain streams, for Jack had forgot
ten TO level il with the earth, was then
an apple tree with pink and white bios
SOILS that left their fragrance on her
baby lin and cheek, and sent many
Jealous pang to the heart of robin red
breast who slyly watched the mute
caresses. A squirrel, with his tail
CURED over his back like a plume,
peeped at them and ran with breakneck
speed to the top of the highest branch.
How she laughed until she made her
father laugh with her. Down there in
the dirty howell she called home dwelt
then an atmosphere so sweet and pure
that strangers loved to linger there.
Thompson, the saloonkeeper down at
the village, could tell the rest, for he
8fterward became fast friend of the
father. To be sure the road over which
he led him was travel-Worn and reeking
with mire and foul odors; but his hand
was so gentle, the music OF his voice,
that held such genuine ring of friend
illness, so enchanting, that how could he
resist? And tten, it was always down
grade. The wife and mother battled
brayely for years with the hideous
monster that, clad in poverty's rags,
threatened to devour them. Finally. at
the birth of Little Buttons" Size died,
and the father
'tJack Edwards, be yo gwine TO to
stand fur eberlastingly and seberal days
ober onto dat sooperanuable old apple
stump? Tot 20 done whistled yosef to
def, or drown yosef in de water hole
st.ure nud. where yo done put dat ar
paif noW?'