St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-05-26

feet and legs were wet 1t ached in
Tommy's head the next morning when
he got up, but he did not think to tell
anyone about It. His mamma had
been too busy thinking of her part in
the coming entertainment to ask il he
had learned his Sunday-school lesson.
He had an old-fashioned teacher. had
Tommy, and had to commit six verses
to memory each week. For quiet he
retired behind the curtains in the bow
window, and no ono thought of the
redness of his face when he came ont.
But when at dinner he ate little of his
chicken. and said he was too sleepy to
wait for his pie, his father discovered
that Tommy was q sick boy and sent
of for DR.: Sanders
''Is 1t something contagious? Will I
have to give up having the banquet
hcre?'' asked Mrs. Deck. when the doc
tor had felt of Tommy's pulse. and
looked at his tongue and his breast
''The symptoms are rather obscure.
Just now," said the doctor, who never
told anything of which he did not feel
very sure. There's q good deal OF
scarlet fever about and measles. and
I'm bound to say there's smallpox over
in Bagdad."
Mrs. Deck threw up her hands, ex-
claiming: ''Smallpox!'
"Yes. but suppose he has not been
over in that region. 1t may be simply
a slight stomach trouble. Children,
especially of nervous. sanguine tenn
perament, are liable to fever for slight
causes"
Have you been over to Bagdad?" de
manded Mr.. Deck of Tommy.
"Yes, sir" replied Tommy. unfalter-
ingly. 81 went yesterday morning with
Harry Tucker. We wanted to see the
thing old Uncle Lijah Blake's made
It's a man saving wood and goes by
wind like a paper windmill Uncle
Lijah said he'd whittle me one for two
nickels."
BLESS my SOUL" exclaimed the doc
tor Then he looked at Tommy's vac
cination spot
'.It never took good. you know" said
Tommy's mamma The girls were
all right, but Tommy's was contrary"
Now, if anyone can have the heart to
hold a rose over q hot fire and see 1t
quickly shrivel and wilt. he can have
some idea OF what befen Tommy Deck
within the next week. He did not
have the smallpox. but something near
ly as bad, scarlet fever. and after that
first day he knew no one. He clung,
however. closely to his mother. whom
he took to be Mra Tucker. and he
wrung her heart by imploring her not
to go away. Il like you So" he would
whisper. huskily. II 'spect I'd like
mamma, il could get . chance to get
acquainted with her. But she's awful
busy, and guess she don't like boys
as well as girls. forget and rum
pie her bangs and her frills. and l
do forget about the forks and spoons.
But you're so cozy to have round,
HRS Tucker. and please do tell me that
story about the wild bear of county
Clare again.
unluckily, Mrs. Tucker herself was
kept close at home with her boy Harry
who was sick with the dreaded small
pox, SO the story Of the wild bear could
not be repeated. Plenty of other stories
were, however, and dust gathered in
the pretty parlors, and the spring bon
nets came, and still Mrs. Deck thought
of nothing but Tommy. But at last
there came . day. and what happy
day it was, when he knew her, and old
DR.. Sanders announced that, II he did
not catch cold. and if he did not have
tn. iropsy, or half a dozen other COM
plications. he would soon mend and be
about again. To look X Tommy was
a sorry spectacle His hair had grown
so thin it looked like the wiry seed yes
sells of wood moss, and stuck strnigh.
up, dry and dead. His cheeks were |
thin, and his fingers were skinny. and.
for that matter, the whole Of his body
was peeling. He trembled when he /!
tried to sit up, and he wanted to do |
thousand things he could not, and if he !
had never really been an awful boy. he !
became one during the weeks OF his |
But it was his mother |
who read to him, played dominocs with |
him, and taught him to use his paint
brushes. All things end, even unhap- |
py things, and after sulphur had made |
the whole house sweet. and whitewash |
and paint and securing had purified !
sick room, and Tommy him |
self was allowed to 60 out on sunny |
DAYS, Mrs. Deck scared him and sur
prised his sisters and Mr.. Deck by tho |
that she was going to turn
over q new leaf. Tommy. with quick
Of the days before his ill |
ness. broke out impetuously: 20 mann
ma, don't! Just go on"
well, perhaps that's what it will |
amount to. The parlors are the pleas
ATTEST rooms in the house, and have
taken down everything in them that
.an be easily soiled, or broken. 50 we
.an enjoy them every evening. and l
I'm going to stop making frills Of any
,ort, fancy cakes, fancy frocks for
Nrls, and all sorts Of things that take
xreat deal of care and time. so we can
nave leisure for more stories and study
;ogcther"
Good" cried Tommy. "Thatll be a
owe your home club Mamma Deck,
won't it, your new lcaf?'-Elizabeth
in Interior.
Philosophy from Foggy Bottom.
Err man dat kin tell whether he's
ired er jes' lazy has judicial qualities
ion dat fits him nacherly fur de
'preme bench. When er man goes
oun' askin' foh advice, de chance is
bout seventeen ter tree dat he's jcs'
i