The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-04-07

"Yes, but | suppose he has not been
over in that region. 1t may be simply
q slight stomach trouble. Children,
especially OF a nervous, sanguine tenn
permanent, 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 white me one for two
nickels."
BLESS my soul." exclaimed the doc
tor. Then he looked at Tommy's vac.
cination spot.
1T never took good, yoh know" said
Tommy's mamma The girls were
all right, but Tommy's was contrary"
Now, if anyone can have the heart to
hold 4 rose over a hot fire and see it
quickly shrivel and wilt, he can have
some idea OF what befell 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 chung,
however. closely to his mother. whom
he took to be Mrs Tucker, and he
wrung her heart by imploring her not
to go away. 81 like you So" he would
whisper, huskily. 81 'spect I'd like
mamma, if l could get a 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 /
do forget about the forks and spoons.
But you're so cozy to have round,
Mrs Tucker, and please do tell me hat
story about the wild bear of county
Clare again"
Unluckily, Mrs. Tucker herself was
kept Gloss, 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
lltIt NdiAO Il NiNs IL "hhl q hdPpt
day it was, when he knew her, and old
DR.. Sanders announced that, if he did
not catch cold. and if he did not have
the dropsy. or half a dozen other COM
plications, he would soon mend and be
about again. To look at Tommy was
q sorry spectacle. His hair had grown
SO thin it looked like the wiry seed YES
sells of wood moss, and stuck straight
up dry and dead. His checks were
thin, and his fingers were skinny, and.
for that matter, the whole of his body
was pccling. He trembled when he
tried to sit up, and he wanted to do Il
thousand things he could not, and if he
had never really been an awful boy. he
became one during the weeks of his
convalcsccnce. But it vas his mother
who read to him, played dominoes with
him. and taught him to use his paint
brushes. All things end, even unhap-
py things, and after sulphur had made
the whole horsc sweet, and whitewash
and paint and securing had purified
TomIny's sick room, and Tommy HIM
self was allowed to go ont on sunny
days, Mrs. Deck scared him and sur
prised his sisters and Mr.. Deck by the
declaration that she was going to turn
over Il new leaf. Tommy. with quick
remembrance of the DAYS before his ill
ness. broke out impctuously: 20 mann
don't. Just go on"
We'll, perhaps that's what it will
amount to. The parlors are the pleas
ATTEST roons in the house, aud | have
taken down everything in them that
ran be easily soiled, or broken, SO we
can enjoy them every evening, and /
am going to stop making frills of any
sort, fancy cakes, fancy froclis for
girls, and all sorts of things that take
deal of care and time, SO we can
have leisure for more stories and study
together"
Good" cried Tommy. ''Thatll be
love your home club, Mamma Deck.
won't it; yoEr new leaf2"-Elizabetb
in Interior.