The Press., 1894-12-13
JACOB AND ME.


 in the summer that he begged to have | his hair cut
 Its so hot and tickly and tangly and boversome, and I'm old enough to look like boy," he said, which was true. His mother put her arms around him-they were sitting in the big wick CT chair by the parlor window-and held him as if she would never let him go.
 ''I want my baby as he is,'' she said, which was also true. There was little silence.
 It was a low, little room, full of quiet and half darkness. There were some we'll filled bookshelves, we'll chosen pictures, just enough pretty and more or less worn rugs and cushions and a bowl of garden roses on low table. The child leaned his head against his mothers shoulder, the despised hair a bright tangle against her dark gown and gazed adoringly into her face, but she was looking out of the window across the meadow, where the black trees and the slender spire of St. Mi ohael and All Angels were clearly de- fined against the cool twilight sky. There was churchyard around St. Mi chael's, but it was in the shadow. The twilight deepened. A cowbell tinkled in the distance, and young man and two girls with pretty shirt waists and tennis racquets went chattering laugh ingly by.
 '"That's the boy that plays the organ at St. Michael's," said Rupert 'I go in sometimes to hear him do it. He likes it. When he isn't playing, he is talking to those three nice girls in the little house down the road. They each have scrapbook, and the little boy has scrapbook, and they put everyfng in"-
 He stopped suddenly, his gaze fol- lowed his mothers across the meadow, and he slipped one soft arm around her neck, while she took possession of the little brown hand and kissed it gently. An old woman came slowly down the :oad-an old woman, with straight, white hair, blue calico gown and red handkerchief twisted around her neck. She was driving flock of clamoring ducks and geese, and Rupert's interest was at once awakened.
 Buy me one mamma, one of the big white ones. It would be such good company, and I'll never say another word about the hair." It was an odd fancy and odder bargain, but it ended in Mrs. Cardells most promising gan der, very much surprised and named Jacob, being shut up in Mrs. Wares chicken house for the night.
 Da 3 string around his leg for safety, he followed Rupert hiFher and yon. To sether they planted 8 garden and dug it up from time to time to see how it grew" together they hunted for frogs in the meadow, and together they waded in the brook below the hill; together they sat on the steps when it was time for mamma" to come home, holding long and rather one sided conversa- gion.
 In September plan began to grow in Rupert's little head, and he told Ja- cob all about it.
 Mamma had begun to teach in town LOW and was away all day. Julia, the maid, could be very good when she chose, but the day Rupert came tum- bling into the kitchen, his feet very muddy, dragging after him poor bewil- 1ered Jacob by the length of his string, trying to explain all in a moment, she laid:
 "Did ever see the like of such a oothersome child, and the pesky beast" and picked them up unceremonious- ly by the left wing and the right arm and put them down on the doorstep. Rupert cried little, and Jacob went to sleep on one leg, and presently Julia repented, spread a nice slice of graham bread with apple sauce and presented it as peace offering, explaining that she had just scrubbed the kitchen and was I'll tempered into the bargain "along of reasons you can't comprehend. And tell me about the plan, darlin."
 Rupert sniffed, ate some of the bread md fed the rest to Jacob, talking all the 5ime
 Mammals birthday and St. Michael and All Angels day come just the same