St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-03-15
PEGGUTY'S BOOTS.
Why Papa Didn't Buy the Cast.
Iron Ones.

Peggoty sat On the doorstep gazing
refectively out on the pleasant June
landscape.
She had on her countenance an ex-
preston of rapt interest and divine com
passion hat would have fitted a cheru-
him in one Of Fra Angelico's pictures.
1t was n of Peggoty's best and most
effective poses. None the less SO for be-
ing entirely unintentional. That round,
rosy lace framed in soft, golden curls,
large limpid. blue eyes and rosy button
of a mouth. about all. that tender. pity
ing expression. made a most attractive
picture. Strangers passing often paused
to admire and ask a few questions of
such a pretty little girl. An aspiring
young artist, a friend of the family, al
ways alluded to her as that ''angel
child" and elderly ladies were apt to
shake their heads solemnly and fear she
wouldn't live long. THAT expression
was positively uncanny in a child SO
young"
People who know Peggoty we'll, how
ever, were not at all taken in by it.
Members of the family seeing the angel
child" expression usually surmised
trouble. In point of fact Baby Robin
had scarcely sobbed himself to sleep ten
minutes ago with a long red scratch
down his chubby face made by Peggoty's
naughty little fingernails. The latter
had just finished an unpleasant inter-
view with mamma, and had come out
upon the doorstep to reflect Not that
Peggoty was a bad child. 1t was simply
that those natural Implements, fists and
and if baby was too greedy in appro-
priating her toys or Johnnie yexing,
Peggoty came down upon tn IN like .
small tempest, after which she was sorry.
She didn't mean to scratch or slap. 1t
someway did itself without consulting
Peggoty, and she didn't think till after
ward, and not long then, I I'm afraid.
As she sat upon the doorstep she was
thinking-not about the baby; that cpl
sode was almost forgotten, / am sorry to
say. Only enough memory fingered to
give that pensive. plying expression
before noticed-she was thinking about
her boots, but alas! the celebrity with
which her little toes worked their way
through the stouteSt and best sewed
shoe-leather was little less than mirac-
ulous. When papa started for town
that morning he had asked IL there vas
any thing wanted, and Mrs. Sherman
answered with a sigh: ''Yes! you must
bring Peggoty . new pair of boots to
wear to school tomorrow. Her last
ones are about worn out" ''What! said
papa, 80 soon: You don't mean to say,
Peggoty, that you have worn out . pair
of boots in eight days? What shall I
do with you? Now, look here. / will
bring you a new pair Of boots tonight
and l want YOU to make them last at
least two weeks. If you do I'll give you
some money for a party for Rosalind.
and if you don't'-Peggoty's angel-child
expression gradually dawned. and papa
had to turn away to complete his sem
tence; much as he knew about Peggoty
he never could quite resist it'll
have a pair Of cast-iron mes made for
you sure" y,
Peggoty's active Imagination had dis
posed Of the party and was now con-
templating the awful possibility Of the
boots not lasting. No little girl she
knew had cast-iron boots. How heavy
they must be. Perhaps they would rust
and above all what would Dotty and
Louise say! Dotty and Louise were
twins, and lived just across the way.
Peggoty was apt 1t times to cordially
detest them. 1t was trying to have
nurse continually saying: Now il you
only kept looking nice and neat nike
Miss Dotty and Miss Louise" They
were pretty little girls. too. with fair
faxen hair, only II didn't curl much.
and large brown eyes. Their hair never
got rough and snarly, their aprons were
never mussed and dirty, and IS for
boots. well, l suppose they wore out
sometimes. Peggoty declared they
lasted years and years. p
The thought Of Dotty and Louise look
ing with interest and compassion upon
herself arrayed in cast-iron boots vas
almost more than she could endure.
However. when papa came homo the
new boots looked so shiny and 50. stout
that Peggoty's fears were dispeled, and
BABY Robin. having Weakened in . jolly
and forgiving frame of mind, the day
ended very happily. All the next morn
ing Peggoty behaved wonderfully well,
and when she was fairly ready for
church with the new boots snugly but
toned on her feet and shining as only
nrand-new boots can shine, her satisfac-
ton was complete. She loitered a lit
tie behind papa and mamma. snuffing the
pleasant air and stumbling her little toes
along owe the rough concrete pavement.
regardless of pains and penalties. In
tact, she nearly forgot the boots.