The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-03-12
TOMMY AND THE BABY.
The Lesson Necessary to Teach . BOY How
Dear to Him Was Little sister.

The Lesson Necessary to Teach y BOY How
Dear to Him Was a Little sister.
Il don't care and Tommy looked
very much as if Ire meant it. Il don't
care. I'm tired of having to amuse the
baby. Every time ! want to do any
thing somebody says: Tommy. viii
you please take care of the baby? !
Just wish there wasn't any baby, and
Tommy showed both hands down to the
bottom of the pockets of his knicker-
bockers. and almost bumped his head
against the window pane. and quite fiat
tened his nose against it as he looked
into the street.
do you really mean that. Tommy?
Do you really wish there was no baby
in this house," asked Tommy's mother,
very quietly.
Eyes. do. there" and Tommy
almost stamped to prove how much he
meant it.
Il am glad you told me, Tommy. for
/ was planning to take you with me to
grandma's. Baby must go, but you are
quite large enough to stay with papa
anu EIleH. IL VIII DC q SI0sll ISAiS1 W
you not to have the baby about when
You get home from school. You can
amusc Yourself without interruption. !"
And before Tommy had time to say a
word. he was 50 ;sstonished. his mother
had gone ont Of the room.
Tommy was always eXtravagant in
his words: that is. he said more than he
rl &s,is, hah if hnA M
been checked. 80 you can imagine how
amazed he was to find himself taken at
his word. Not like IT, have the baby
around. Why. of course he did. She
was the dearest. sweetest baby
in the world. But just then
Tommy remembered that yester-
day he had to stay with her half
an hour because she would not go to
the new nurse. and mamma had "A call.
Tommy turned back to the window.
Yes. last Saturday she wasn't well. and
wanted Tommy to stay with her, and
he had to stay all the morning. Yes, it
would be nice to run out and play just
as soon as he was through his lessons.
lie concluded he would not go to grand
mas: baby was much more trouble
AWAY from home--he had heard his
mamma say SO. Ii he was there, she
would want him every minute. Tom
my stood mp very straight when he en-
tered his mothers room. where the baby
was. Can you imagine why Tommy
had such queer feeling in his throat
when the baby screamed with delight
when she saw him. and why he was
glad he had not left his handkerchief in
his overcoat, for his eyes We're very
! Wateryo
Tommy felt left out. somehow. for
the next few days. lie knew his mother
was very busy. but he noticed that she
did not ask him to take care of the ba by.
who never seemed sweetcr or more low
able. Two or three times Tommy felt
like asking if he might go to grandma's
to make the visit. but there was always
something in his mothers face that did
not invite him to go. Monday came,
and mother. baby. and Katy started for
the depot. BABY said ever SO many
times: my Tom. go with baby and
every time she said it that queer lump
would come right into Tommy's throat.
And he had to wipe his eyes in the most
| public manner when she thumped ON
the car window and screamed: Il ant
my Tom
he IA good boy. dear heart and hope
you will have delightful time without
any cares or interruptions" said mother.
Tommy felt very uncomfortable, and
vet he had the secret conviction that 1t
would be very nice to play. or read, or
sit perfectly idle without the baby to
interfere with or bother him.
When he got back home the house
was very still. and then he found there
would be three more hours in which t.
play than he had other days, for his
mother was his teacher, and now there
were no lessons. He coasted down hill
until he was tired; the other boys were
in school. and it really was not much
fun coasting alone. lie read after lunch
but the house was SO still he felt lone
some in spite of the exciting story. The
cook was cross. and she would not lei
him stay in the kitchen. He went up
stairs and looked at all his toys, but 20,
could not play many things alone
"Mother plays better than any body,
thought Tom. when Jack Chisholm wa
suggested by the Halma on his table.
Il guess III build a block of houses.
said Tommy, aloud. lie went to work
but in spite of every effort he KEEP
thinking how sweetly baby played sh
was an elephant going under the bridg
he built, and when he tried to move tn
bridge while she was creeping through
and knocked down the tower Sd that
block struck her on the hand, how sh
tried not to cry, though bruise was o.
her hand for ii week.
A very doleful boy met his father a
the depot that night, and, snugglin
down very closely to his rough over
coat sleeve, said: "Oh. papa | wan
the baby, do. papa. want mother.
But the baby interferes with you
pleasures SO much" said his father
..She don't, papa! She don't ! war
her." and Tommy cried with no attemI
ut concealment.
, The next morning two more ticket
were bought for Roxbury, and grandm
had two more visitors to Dime
Tommy insisted on sitting next to tt
baby, and Katy wondered for two {
thles days why Tommys mother kel