The Penn's Grove record., 1889-11-16

We were both dressed up ! n oui
white RULED aprons, or / was: my
brother Dick didn't wear them any
more. Neither did I very often, they
made q deal Of washing. But we were
going TO have company that day; Uncle
George was coming and he was going to
bring Aunt Lucy. OF course mamma
wanted MS TO look nice, 10 she gave us
each . bath and put on our white en-
broidered collars and new shoes. My
shoes were lovely. They had light
green kid inside, and tassels on the
front.
Dicks hair was short and almost white,
90 it didn't show how it was fixed; but
mine had been braided up all night,
and it hurt my head so that l could
have cried, il 1 hadn't thought how
pretty it would look next day. 1t did
crimp beautifully, and mamma tied it
up with the bow Of pink ribbon that
Aunt Prudie sent me OF Christmas.
Dick had his best clothes on, too, and
they were all buttoned up with little
steel buttons.
The company was coming on the IL
gate TO watch for the carriage. 1t
wasn't in sight, so we thought we'd go
and feed the bantams. Dick wanted to
give them some worms, SO / dug and he
picked them up; but we soon got tired
Of that, and were just going to the gate
again whom ! saw an old pig-trough
that had been thrown up on the wood
pile. OF course 1 forgot all about my
clean clothes, and SO did Dick, for we
thought il We could only get the trough
down, it would mako q splendid boat.
Perhaps we could drag it across the
front lawn to the river.
We pulled and tugged, but it wa
very heavy, and at last we almost gave
up our plan, when / remembered our
pond in the barnyard; it was q big hole
In the ground that was made last
spring by taking out the compost heap.
The rain had filed 1t up SO that it was
Just the right size to sail our boat on.
We pulled It there and launched it, and
waited to see if it leaked. 1t didn't,
one bit.
dumped in, and Dick handed methe
long handled rake to row with. / gave
. hard push, and was inst going to sit
down, and tell Dick that he could take
his turn next, when / began to 60 down,
down, down.
My new shoes were getting wet, but l
didn't care, if / could only keep my
white apron dry. / pushed with all
my might, but it wasn't o minute before
/ was up to my neck in that dreadful
brown waterl / tried to hold up my
hair, for / hated to think of losing those
beautiful crimps, but it was nc use try
ng to save them, for all at once the
boat tottered, and over l went with a
splash, rake and all
Somehow / managed to crawl out,
and then I began to wonder what mann
ma would say. Dick seemed sorry for
me, but / was cross at him because he
looked so Glenn and nice, besides, he
wouldn't take hold of my hand because
it was dirty. Oh, how l shivered, and
how my teeth chatteredl 1t was cool, if
it vas in May.
When we opened the backyard door,
/ heard Grandma say: t.It's almost
twelve o'clock, where can those children
bel"
There was a dark puddle around me
on the porch floor, and my shoes were
so fullof water that they went ike-jelk-
ke-ielk," when / walked. I knew / had
been naughty, but it was no use to wait
any longer, SO l pushed open the kitch-
EN- door, and thore stood mamma, Just
dipping up the mashed potato. How
surprised she looked! I wanted to run,
but my clothes were too heavy. There
1 stood. Mamma didn't say a word,
but her checks got red, and her hand
was trembly when she gave the potato
dish to Grandma, and took me into the
shed and lifted me into a big tub of
water.
I soaked and soaked. AL the rest of
the folks were eating dinner, but ! was
too scared to be hungry, and then 1 was
tired. I believe I should have cried,
but 1 knew Dick would have thought I
was o s'fraid cat" il he hadn't dared to
say Q {.
After o while they took me out of the
tub, and 1 ~wasdressed and sent up tothe
table with my back hair in . wash
bowl. Ny ribbon was all spoiled, of
course, and I couldn't see the company
that day.-Portland Transcript.
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