River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-09-11
HOW SHE RAN AWAY.
a Foolish Act and a Quaint and
Efectual Punishment.

dience. made pre- araticns for running
away. and how the programme was car
ried out under the supervision of her
mother:
Ny time of exile from the rooms be-
low seemed short; | was SO busy carry
ing bedclothes and pillows and all nee
essary articles TO the attic that ! felt
much astonished to hear sounds from
below which indicated that evening
was near at hand. There were to be
fire-balls, / remembered, and / stopped
in the middle of the attic and drew a
long sigh over the thought that ! had
expected to have such a lovely time
this evening. and now must give my
entire attention to running away
l wonder if you know what fire-balls
are? II must be nearly forty years
since l have seen one. Great balls as
large as my head-at least that is the
picture which memory brings TO me of
them made out of Old-fashioned
candle wicking." and thoroughly wet
with turpentine and other infiammable
stuffs. At night they were lighted and
tossed through the streets from hand TO
hand, as though they were rubber balls.
'fIow did the people who tossed them
escape being burned?' | suspect that
they did not always escape. | have
memory of certain boys and young men
and some older OneS-who went about
sometimes for days after the Fourth"
with one or both hands carefully done
up in rags" and being nursed through
the miseries which those lovely balls
inflicted. l suppose it is very well in
deed That they have quite gone out of
fashion, but they were beautiful. and
were among the most brilliant memories
of my childhood.
! had thought in the morning that at
least nothing should prevent. me from
seeing those balls: now the question
was, how should / manage it? They
would not be visible from the attic
window. Would / dare TO venture
downstairs. | wondered, after the fam
lily were gone out of doors, and trust to
slipping away quietly before IL was
time for them TO return?
1t was after had eaten my solitary
supper of bread and milk. and was pre-
pairing to make another trip to the attic
to carry my dearl Thought Rollo book
and few other books AID pictures to
amuse my lonely hours, that mother
opened the stair door and called out:
isabella, if you are ready to be a
good girl you may come down in time
to see the fire-balls. We are going over
to Mrs. Franklin's to get a good view.
You may come now, if you want to-"
81 L colt
but not loud enough for her to hear.
Mrs Franklin's" was just across the
street from our house. but their shade
trees did not hide the view SO much as
ours.
In few minutes heard mother and
the girls go out at the side door and
cross the lawn. Marcia, as she closed
the door after her, asked: Where is
Isabella? Isn't she coming2"
Il told her she might" said my
mother. Il think she will be along by
and by"
Il think she won't" | muttered, and
made ali haste downstairs. This was
my opportunity TO secure cookies and jam
and any other necessaries l could find.
| trudged back and forth from cellar to
attic several times with supplies. Not
a bit of bread did / take, or even meat,
but pies and cakes and preserves in
abundance. | must have been an as
tonishing Ounce, withal, for | Go not re-
member having the least doubt as to
my right to take all these things. for
they were my mothers, and, of course,
she would want me to have plenty to
eat. Yet l was going to run away from
her.
There was one thing, however, which
troubled me; my father had positively
forbidden me to take lighted lamp to
the attic, or to strike match there.
This being the case, how was to have
light? There was the lantern, but it
was quite empty and hung on a high
nail in the back kitchen. IL was of no
use for me to think of filling it, for that
was another forbidden thing. decided
that there was nothing for me to do but
live in darkness after the sun went
down. and resolved to rise very early,
so as to nave a long enough day to be
willing to go to sleep as soon as tv-i-
light fell Poor little simpleton. | am
actually sorry for my Stiffness and ignO-
rance as look back upon il all. How
little suspicion | had as 10 what long
bright summer day could make of itself
to little girl shut up in lonely attic,
with nothing to do, and nobody to speak
TO- Not for moment did it occur 10
me to take the lamp or the matches, or
toucl, the lantern; had not the slight
estintention Of disobeying either father
or mother. Yet | was about to run
away. But that you understand, had
never been forbidden.
1t was quite dark when at last lad
every thing ready for the night. / de-
termined to venture just few minutes
Of gazing az the lovely fire-balis, which
were now being wildly tossed about /
! could tell from the shOIts, and from
various noises in the streets, that they
must be even more fascinating than
usual. ! decided to slip into mothers
room, whose end window opened to the
street, and would give me the best view
of the family's approach from Mrs
Franklin's. OF course | would not stay
until ii was time for them to come
home. but ] would he on the alert.
nevertheless. and run no risk of being
caught. Up to this moment I had not
once wavered in my resolve 10 live
apart from my family hereafter. Not
always; there was a lurking belief that
after long years. when / should perhaps
have a few gray hairs like mothers,
and be quite wrinkled and tired-look-
ing, ! would step quietly in some
morning aud utterly surprise and de-
light them all Can you believe that
any little girl not actually an idiot
could have such idiotic plans? / can
not remember that il even occurred to
me that tie years which we're to make
such changes in me would also touch all
our family circle. They were to remain
Just the same. PLANNED how they would
be gathered about the family lamp, and
what each would be doing when should
walk in. These reflections we're, on
the whole. pleasanter TO me than those
within nearer vision. found did not
quite like to think how sorry mother
would be when she came home that
night and could not find me anywhere.
| tried to Imagine Just how her face
would look. and then hastily decided
that would think o. that no more. but
would imagine how it would look when.
after missing me all those long, long
years, ] should walk in. There was a
little immediate bitterness in the
thought that no one seemed to miss me
from the piazza over the way and come
in search OF me. but I reflected that
save for the glare Of the frs-Jal:s the