Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-10-10
HOW SHE RAN AWAY.
A Foolish Act and a Quaint and
Effectual Punishment

lowing story of how she once, being
under punishment for willful disobe.
dience, made preparations for running
away, and how the programme was car
ried out under the supervision of her
mother:
My time of exile from the rooms be-
low seemed short; l 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
tire-balls, remembered, and l stopped
in the middle of the attic and drew a
long sigh over the thought that had
expected to have such lovely time
this evening, and now must give my
entire attention to running away.
wonder If you know what fire-balls
areP 1t must BIO 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
candle wicking" and thoroughly wet
with turpentine and other iniammable
stuffs. At night they were lighted and
tossed through the streets from hand to
hand, as though they were rubber balls.
"How did the people who tossed them
escape being burned?" l suspect that
they did not always escape. have q
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. / suppose it is very we'll in
deed that they have quite gone out of
fashion, but they were beautiful, and
were among the most brilliant memories
of my childhood.
I 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 tho attic
window. Would / dare to venture
downstairs, wondered, after the fam
lily were gone out of doors, and trust to
slipping away quietly before it 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 dearly-bought 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 good view
You may come now, if you want to-"
II don't want to, now or ever" said,
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 q 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 coming?"
81 told her she might" said my
mother. 81 think she will be along by
and by"
81 think she WON'T" muttered, and
made all haste downstairs. This was
my opportunity to secure cookies and jam
and any other necessaries / could find.
/ trudged back and forth from cellar to
attic several times with supplies. Not
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 do not re-
member having the least doubt as tC
my right to take all these things, fol
they were my mothers, and, of course
she would want me to have plenty tC
eat. Yet 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 tC
the attic, or to strike q match there
This being the case, how was to have
light? There was the lantern, but II
was quite empty and hung on high
nail in the back kitchen. 1t was Of nc
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 l resolved to rise very early
so as to have long enough day to be
willing to go to sleep as soon as twi
light fell. Poor little simpletonl an
actually sorry for my Stiffness and igno
rance as look back upon it all. How
little suspicion / had as to what a long
bright summer day could make of itsel
to little girl shut up in lonely attic,
with nothing to do, and nobody to speak
to. Not for moment did it occur tC
me to take the lamp or the matches, Oh
touch the lantern; had not the slight
est intention of disobeying either father
or mother. Yet | was about to run
awayl But that you understand, haC
never been forbidden.
II was quite dark when at last haC
every thing ready for the night. de
termined to venture just a few minutes
of gazing at the lovely flre-balls, which
were now being wildly tossed about
! could tell from the shouts, and from
various noises in the streets, that they
must be even more fascinating thar
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 sta,
until it was time for them to CONF
home, but | would be on the alert
nevertheless, and run no risk of being
caught. Up to this moment | had no
once wavered in my resolve to liv,
apart from my family hereafter No
always; there was lurking belief tina
after long years, when should perhap
have a few gray hairs like mothers
and be quite wrinkled and tired-look
ing, l would step quietly in SOM