Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-13

| ! determining the going home of their
 parents the vote might not have been | so unanimous for they dreaded be- ing left alone in the great city; but | Knowing they could not dctain their | parents many days longer anyhow, and ! that their mother, as she said, was tired | and wanted to get home and see to l things, they interposed but few objec- l tons. So the next morning good-bv>s were said, with many iniunctions OF u c part of the mother, and with kisses, ard hugs, and tears, and promises to write often.
 The girls did not % down 10 the | wharf to see them of. for they feared the getting bac!, 10 their rooms: and | besides 1t was better to say m0od-bv, | Where no stranger, eve could see ihn tears which they Rnt.r would come It the parting; and so close to l*"vt ;;t their lodging Ni.crc t:i;,- could have d l good cry ;ll to themselves .!st a, sron
 as their parents and Joanny were out Of sight.
 Mir. Parsons left them all together at the last moment and went down to say goodbye to the professor in whose house they were, and toward whom lie felt kindly. as he was 10 he in some de- gree tie protector of his d:iuo h!pr5 dur ing their stay at school! He found him in the sitting room and shook his hand heartily.
 'Good-hyc, professor. good-bye,' he said. "Takc good care of the girls; mother and l tlink heap of 'cm.
 You'll find 'cm good girls, too. profcs- sor, and smart; take alter their mother the girls do; both of 'em. Well, good bye: let us know if anything Gccs wrong with 'em anyway. and don't be afraid that their bills won be pail. I'm good for anything l contract for, I reckon.
 'Come mother. Gooi-bve girls Come Johnny. we must hurry or well miss the boat" he called from the foot of the stairs, and a moment later they were gone and Jennie aud Lucy were alone and having their cry out all by themselves.
 Il don't know how We are 10 get home from town when we mcs tn re- said John Parsons a' they ncarc l the landnr that aitern"on. ''Erastus wasn't to come fer Us un.il tomorrow night.
 May be some of the neighbors will be in. returned Mrs. Parsons Most likely they will: if not we vii! manage some Way. It appears to inc as if I had been gone an age and l must get home to n ght if have to walk How do you suppose Erastus is getting along
 Oh 'Ras is all right" replied her husband. "Don't you never fear for him. If he ain't capable of takin' care of himself thcr ain't no young feller around these diggins as iS Likely he's little lonesome but hes gettin' on we'll enough. never you fear; and home'll seem all tic checlfuIcr for cur havin' been gone. Thct's a pint kin speak from experience en- fer kept bach myself fer bct'er'n six years while you and the babies was D:i"l II the States; and 1 don't never want to do it again.
 As our friends had hoped. neigh- hor was in town with lis team, ana gladly offered them q ride out. He c"ud not carry the ducks and chickens, | We e., and they were left With other purchases for MT. Par*ons or Erastus to return for on thc morrow.
 l. Na' nearly dark when. coming o,rr tie last ri>r, they looked dowh 1 upon ti"ir own io!le, with the orchard and vineyard and the ro>chu.h that clambprcd over the wide porch, fairly covering it with wrcalh> of bloom, and | gave q sigh of relief at their journey eEd,d.
 Johnny was already asleep in his father $ lap when the wagon drew up at the front gate. and EraStus, sur out to meet them.
 ''l am awfulIy gIal you have got back,' he said. as th~y entered the house; ''bnt l had rather yen haI ,ic- layed another day, or Ut least until morning. l had promised myself to wash up all the dirty dishes in the house tonight if it took all night to do it, and now you have come and caught me with it undonc and the house in a ter rible fix
 Mrs Parsons laughed. Didn't I tell you. John, that 1 ought Co come home and see to things,' she said. "A man don't know anything about keep ing house."
 But you can't guess what I've got" broke i'll Johnny, now fully awakened big white ducks and two little lantv chickens, n I'll bet my banty rooster can whip your big Shanghai!'
 "Oh. ho! so you are sporting man from tine city, are you?' returned Erastus, taking the lad up and huggng him. ''Well, you wait until you get your chickens home, and if they ain t too awfully t;erce-looking I'll put up my old bob-tailed Shanghai against your bantam rooster, and if the banta licks, you shall have them both and I'll get you a iack-knjfe in the bargain, and if the Shanghai whips I'll have the banta and the 'te ducks! What do you say; will you do it?''
 This was a poser to Johnny. He had been very certain that his bantam could whip the big, clumsy Shanghai. whose cowardice was proverbial among the members of the family, and who was only kept for the ridiculous appearance which he cut with his long legs and tailless body, for which latter old Bose was generally held accountable, but the ready assurance with which Erastus offered to back ''o!d Bob,' as they called