Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-09-10
HOW SHE 4 ). Ran Z \ ! AWAY 4 /
= Foolish Aot and ! Quaint and
s Enectual Punishnent

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= Foolish sAot ana ! quaint and
nsetual unishns
A writer In the "Pansy'' tells the fol.
lowing story Of how she once, being
under punishment for willful ,disobe-
dience, made preparations for running
away, and how the programmeswaaSoAgs
ried out under the supervision OF her
mother: .-
, My time OF exile from the rooms bo-
low seemed short; was so busy carry
ing bedclothes and pillows and all neo'
essary articles tossthe attic that felt
much astonished to hear sounds from
below which Indicated that evening
was near at hand. There were to be
flre.balls, remembered, and stopped
in the middle of the attic and drew q
long sigh over the thought that had
expected to have such o lovely time
this evening, and now must give my
entire attention to running away.
wonder il you know what hre-balls
are? 1t must be nearly forty years
since 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 inflammable
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 burned9" I 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. suppose it is very we'll in
deed that they have quite gone out Of
fashion, but they we're 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 it9 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 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 aAd pictures to
amuse my lonely hours, that mother
opened the stair door and called out:
isabella, ii you are ready ito be :
good girl you may come down in time
to see the are-balls, We are going over
to Mrs. Franklin's to get good view.
You may come now, if you want to. "'4'ss
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 few minutes heard mother and
the girls 60 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?' 49,
Il told her she might" said my
mother. II think she will be along by
and BY"
II 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 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 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 a match there.
This being the case, how was to have
light? There was the lantern, but it
was quite empty and hung on high
nail in the back kitchen. 1t was of no
use for me to think of filing 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 I resolved to rise very early,
so as to have long enough day to be
willing to 60 to sleep as soon as twi-
light fell Poor little simpleton! am
actually sorry for my Stiffness and igno-
rance as look back upon it all How
little suspicion had as to 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 a moment did it occur to
me to take the lamp or the matches, or
touch the lantern; had not the slight
est intention of disobeying either father
or mother. Yet l was about to run
away! But that you understand. had
never been forbidden. -
1t was quite dark when I at last had
every thing ready for the night de-
termined to venture just a few minutes
of gazing at the lovely fre-balls, which
were now being wildly tossed about |
I could tell from the shouts, and from
various noises in the streets, that they
must be even more fascinating than
,nsna1 1ecided tn a1in int0 mOther'a