The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-05-28
LITTLE PITCHERS.
BY CAMILLA WILLIAM.

made her so IN the first place l don't
know; for her mother was a good woman
and her father was q good man. But
Jane never saw two persons talking 70
gether without at once wanting to know
what they were saying, especially If they
were talking in a low tone of voice, and
appeared to wish not to be overheard
She would creep near, and hang about 10
catch a word, or get behind chairs or cur
tains; anything to hear. And after all,
what did she get2 Nothing but dlsl1ke
and contempt. Seedlings, whIppln8SS,
punishments of all sorts did her no good,
No sooner did she see people talking than
she must hear.
One day a lady came to the house to
see James Aunt Ellen, and the two seated
themselves at the farthest end of the par
lor from the rest of the company aud,
with their heads together, We're talking
in low voices.
Jane felt sure that something was being
said (which she weuld like 10 hear; so she
edged toward that end Of the room, max
ing believe that she wanted to get a BOOK
that was there.
At first the ladies did not notice hsr,
and she heard the visitor say
cts really the most dreadful thing
that I ever heard"
"Hush!'' said Aunt Ellen, eEpylng
Jane. "Little pitchers have big ears,
Jane knew perfectly well what that
meant, for she had heard it often enough;
but she pretended not TO hear, and sang
to herself a little, and eli mbed on a cricket
to look at the books on the shelf.
What book do you want, Jane? her
aunt asked sharply.
Il want want-one with pictures
in it" stammered Jane.
"Take this, then" said her aunt, and
gave her one full of pictures.
Jane took the book, but instead Of go
ing away with it, seated herself not far
the ladies, and began turning over
the pictures, as if she thought Of nothing
else in the world.
Miss Mills got up angrily.
"Come up to my room" she said to her
"Perhaps we may be able to
speak there without interruption"
The two ladies went out of the parlor
and upstairs, leaving the little girl disap-
pointed. What should she do She bsDa
over the book and tried to think. AS to
the story of the "most dreadful
thing ever heard" that was quite out Of
the question.
Presently an idea struck her. There
were the attic stairs. Nothing could be
No sooner had the thought popped
into her head than she dropped her book
and hurried upstairs. She went softly
into her mothers chamber and opened
the door between that and her aunt's
room
How that door did squeak! Jane in
desperation made up her mind that one
of the first things for her to do would be
to oil those hateful hinges. Why hadn't
she thought of it before2 She was ter
ribly afraid that her aunt would hear the
noise and open the other door. If she
should, then she would know in a minute
what Jane was there for.
Any Sody who has tried to open o
squeaking door without anyone hearing
it, knows that the easier you are the more
to get a firm hold on the knob, then pen
it as quick as a flash. 1t is her too much
astonished to make the least noise, or it
makes but very little.
Jane pulled this one an inch or so and
it creaked wofully. She stopped, then
pulled another inch, and it made a noise
like a mad pig. Then she was sure they
had heard, and ran away and hid herself
behind her mothers bed. After waiting
awhile, and no n appearing, she came
out again. Probably they thought that
the wind was swinging the door. She
could hear their voices talking in the next
room, as though they had not been dis
turbed. Now she took the door in the
right way, and gave it a quick pull, get
ting it far enough open to squeeze
through. Then she stood in a little entry
with a door behind and a door in front Of
her, and the attic stairs at her right hand.
Half way up these stairs was the post
she wanted to reach. There was a little
window that looked into her aunt's cham
Der, and gave light to the stairway which
led up to a dark part of the attic. This
window swung on a hinge, and in warm
weather was kept open for ventilation.
1t vas open now, Jane saw, and through
it she could hear their voices quite dis
tinctly. Stepping softly, she went up
step after step but oh the stairs squeaked
as loudly as the door had, and it would be
ten times worse to be caught there, for
there would be no escape.
Jane was in such a fright that she
trembled all over, and her face burned as
though all the blood in her body had
rushed into it, and her ears rang az if
there were a dinner bell ringing in each.
But over the ringing she heard the fear
full creak that one stair gave as she step
ped upon it.
"Dear mel" exclaimed Aunt Allen,
what a squeaky door that is! I wonder
who set it openl Wait a minute, till I
shut it."
Jane sat down on the stairs more than
half way up, feeling as if she would faint
away. She could go neither down moi
up. She sat there with her eyes shut,
expecting every breath to hear her name
called, and herself ordered down. She
heard the door into her aunt's room open,
heard her. step in the entry, heard the
other door banged, then her aunt's voice
inside the room.