The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-08
LITTLE NED.

ter oil Bras, with the poisoned arrows IN
the great Congo forest, son OF YamshaK,
Snarer OF Elephants, to little Ned. free
born American. with the inky face and
w0olly head, the bullying brow and sunken
nose, the swift, eat-lke tread with which
ativlsm has marked him.
Little Ned was the son of Maggie, who
boiled. blued, rinsed, starched and ironed
quality clothes" and with whose work not
even the fastidious summer boarders found
fault.
Her other four were all coffee colored girl
children and plump like herself, and it was
Sphingean riddle that Maggie could not
solve why her only boy-child and pen
dence of the place should have legs corn
stalks is fat beside of AID so monstous
black" His arms extend far through the
cotton jacket sleeves and the little breeches
leave him literally "barefooted up to the
knee" which is unlneky, for Crlpp the
school-teacher. believes in "whOppin' the
| learnin' into the scholars" and only gives
two trials at word before he waves his
''roas' hiek ry"
Forty beady bright eyes had peaped, wide
with awful interest and apprehension, over
'jOgafP tons and "Guffy's Readers" to see
Little Ned catch it' that Monday morning
He took his punishment without protest,
u
silently rolled down his dark cheeks.
Ned's book-learning was surely not worth
candle" though he could insert his fingers
into his mouth and run the gamut Of all the
birds OF the air and beasts OF the earth. The
hens ran terrified from the shrill screams 81
the hawk and the boots Of the owl, while
the yard would seem filed with whiDpo0r-
wills, and he "toted" water from the spring
and ran errands with the ease Of kola nut
eater of Congo land.
Lie ate a piece of herring with chunk
of cornbread for dinner that day. and
after school was out trudged cheerfuiiy
home, by way of the river pasture, for
Ned practiced the profession OF getting
up the sources cows, and when three more
months should have come and gone he
calculated that MS salary would Stand
him" pair of winter shoes and some sto
himself not ouly self-supportng institu-
ton but a stout prop Of the house. for the
four fat sisters to lean against.
With the light football of a cat, he
trOtted along the tOrtuOus cowpaths shout
ing and singing, "Co-bossl Co-bossl Git
aboard Git aboard Ef you can't git
aboard git single. Co-bOss! Cocoon
Mlmy Cow and Susan, Wise and Foolish,
SilyertaIl and a cross-gTained heifer he
called Devil had waded across the river
into mischief, and he was wet and hungry
ana little run down when ne drove them
were over for the night.
Maggie was in peck of trouble with
fat twin fretting upon each OF her lat shout
ders, and the ominous wheeZy creak OF H.
ciDient Group greeted him.
His mother inquired rebukingly whether
"makin' new cuppen or piayin' O. games
wild his own sef on de paffSide" had kept
him so late, and babe him ''eat dat supper
on de hyearth and den step up to Miss
CaiIine's for dash o. turkentne and
mutton suet TO mint desc chillup."
Alas the cat had got in first. and Ned
was left in the mine hole: the frying pan
on the not stones was licked smooth, and
cold potatoes IN the safe were all that re-
manned.
These were eagerly swallowed and re-
placing the old ~. NJ. l." cap with two gilt
buttons aud a rusty weather-beaten eagle
in front, he started on his erTand.
Pity that the thick woolly head-covering
nature provided did not extend 10 the thin
limbs, for November nights bring nipping
frost.
sWonder how fur Fse done trabble dis
day," pondered Ned as he sped along, pit
a-pat 1.-TWO miles TO de schoOhouse makes
two, and dem whoppin's fotch it up to
three more. comm back. and bout five
| after dem deb6lish cows, and mile up to
de Big-house, and two back, cause 1t gwns
| be dark presently. Hill dat make mighty
| nigh a hundred miles! Tnrkey-turkey-
| timei and mutton suet! Mutton-time-
mutton-time and turkey Suet"
SO muttering and singing Till he reached
the Big-houSe he stuck his head in the
dining-r0om door to deliver the message.
Miss Callne left the supper table TO pre-
pare the things and Baby boy jumped down
from his high chair and put his butterrd
muffin in little Ned's hand.
1t is The Lord that makes children do
things like that.
Dat was goodi Dat warm my bones p
sang little Ned as he battered along home.
The babies were worse, for Group Is AL
WAYS in a hurry, and Maggie first wished
to de Lord doctor was thereP' and present
" babe Ned slip on his cap and go fetch
him. And sho'ly." she argued. two miles
amt muffin for a great man-chile like you
is. gwine to school an gittin' yo'sef a
splendid eddieation, and got a perfession,
too. wild sal'ry."
She had to shake him; he was mapping so
soundly, curled up with the cat and old
coon dog on the hot stones. When he issued
forth it was dark, but he knew the paths so
we'll and the lantern was too heavy to
carry.
The dog trot was rather jerky now. and
he droned sleeply, ''croup-croup-croup
cfoupw to keep himself awake.
The two miles might well be counted four
this time, he stumbled so often, and forget
TO turn out into the pines for Stubb'S big
mudhoe and so got draggled and wet in it.
He rested and doZed by the office stove. as
the old doctor fumbled about in medicine
chest and in his saddle bags, looking for
hive syrup. lie promised Ned should ride
back behind him, but there was no hive
syrup to be found. and Group doesn't wait
for anything.
Come, Ned - wake UP, little fellow
You'll have TO step up to kits store for it.
I'll have to 90 on without YOU"
Heavy tears weIled, and the doctor heard
a choking sound as he again rummaged In
l., kfrN1 10 -
book shelf
Tut, tut, tuti Crying? Why, step OF
two miles is nothing to tall boy like you
years old. amt you?'
Use gwine on 9, is" corrected Ned.
with his fists In his eyes.
"WeH," said the doctor, you Just slip on
up to the store and yon'll slip back again in
no time. Boys mustn't be lazy; and here
is-actualIy-a ginger cake, II IL amt too
hard to eat"
Murching it was pleasant work for Ned's
white teeth, and now he had new song:
"Hive-hive- hive-bee- hivep' which was
delivered to Mr.. Kilt as an order for ''bee-
hives"
"Ain't got none. Don't keep 'em in stock.
Whatever want with beehive this time
er nighg'
"ChnIen's got de croup. and Pm not
a-gwine home bedouten it. Doctor sont me
fur it." SAID Ned, doggedly. Pm not
a-gwine bedouten it,"
"Shool You want hive syrup The COM
pany bought that stuff by the dozen and
over again, and the customers kept a-caIlin'
for it and buyn' 1t up, and see we couldn't
keep none in stock, so the company just
wouldn't get any more"
Ned wandered off TO the little cook-stove,
where Mr.. Kilt had just fried some batter
cakes and eaten his supper
The boy spread out his hands and reiter-
ated:
Pm not a-gwine bedouten it,"
That set Kilt Company rummaging again.
He said he'd look where he thought 1t is
and then where he knew it amt" and in
the last place he found it IN a paper of
| moldy water-crackers.
Ned's smile deepeDed into ehuckle as he
received the crackers. Then Kilt Company
bethought him of thick burnt battercake
he had not been able to worry down; he
! ~ l,laLlc