The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-19
DISCONTINUED LITTLE MISS
DANDELION.


lamps?" she asked her mother, who sat
patiently waiting until the little girl
should fall asleep.
my DEAR" replied her mother, you
remember told you that the Glow-worm
Light Company refused to supply us
with any more light until your father
paid last months bill; and that he de-
clares he will not do, as it is downright
robbery, for the lamps were hardly
lighted once during the whole month.
Now go to sleep, dear, that may sew on
your new spring frock."
The little girl did not answer; and,
after waiting some time and hearing no
sound, Mrs. Dandelion crept softly from
the room. Left to herself, naughty little
Dandelion at once threw off the bed
clothes, and sat up in bed. All was
silent. She could just hear her older
brothers and sisters in the next room
softly breathing as they quietly slum
bered. The moon was struggling to
throw some light down into the dark
earth chamber where she was; and, as
chance beam struck her new tin shovel
(all ready to dig the way out into the
bright sunshine the following spring, as
she was just about to go to sleep for the
winter. sudden thought struck her.
and, bad child that she was, no sooner
had the idea come into her head, than
she at once proceeded to work it out.
All her life she had heard marvellous
fairy tales of the beautiful cold winter
that reigned supreme far up over head,
after Jack Frost had tightly locked every
ones front door. But once she had
heard her elder brother relate story of
his daring escape out of the side door
one warm night, when Jacks key had
refused to stay turned; and she deter
mined to find that side door, and venture
forth to see what there was in the big
world, SO white and still beneath the
snow.
Hastily dressing putting on all but her
shoes. and taking the shovel in her hand.
she silently stole away, and soon found
the door. More wonderful still, it stood
wide open; and she timidly went out
into the cold, hard world. Her tender
little body, so recently carefully shelf
cred in the warm bed, shivered as the
first icy blast struck it; but, although
Godmother Earth had suddenly grown
most hard and forbidding, naughty little
Dandelion used her bright, new, sharp
shovel with such good effect that all at
once she broke tiny hole through the
frosty surface that Jack had so strongly
made, and peeped through into the upper
world.
The sun was shining brightly, al.
though its rays had seemed Ike moon
light down deep in the ground; and the
warmth soon revived her a little, al
though on all sides were heaped high
the snow drifts, who greeted her with
their most supercilious stare, as, faint
and cold she stood there shivering. Our
bad little Miss Dandelionl What could
she do but hurry back to her warm bed
and loving motherY She turns to find
the little hole she has just made; but
Jack Frost, thoroughly angry at her un-
timely visit, has shut the side door 30
firm and fast that were it not for few
struggling grass blades that filled with
curiosity, had struggled through with
her and now lay huddled up about her
feet, she might have thought the whole
thing dream.
But, to keep warm, she must exercise
and to exercise means to grow; and 80
right among the grass blades she nestled
and at once FASTENED to make herself
her new spring dress of dark. warm
green,-iust like the one upon which her
dear mother, deep down in the snug
ing. And. when discontinued little Miss
Dandelion had finished it, she was glad
to creep into the warm, sheltering folds
and draw with her some of the grass
blades for company.
Next morning she awoke bright and
early; but, oh, how cold she was! AT
once she commenced to move her arms
round and round, to start the circula-
ton; and almost before che knew it her
little golden head, so carefully covered
up lest she should take cold, was looking
up at the blue sky far above her, while
che was wishing with all her might and
main that she could find herself once
more in her own little bed, with it's warm
MULLEN blankets. But she must go on
moving, in order to keep warm; and a
bold ray of sunshine striking firm and
square on her bright yellow hair at once
attracted attention; and soon every one
was gossiping about that foolish little
Miss Dandelion, to venture out in such
cold weather without hat.
While all this was going on, DR.
Tenney was on hisway down town. Hear
ing the birds chattering so loud and
shrill, he stopped to learn what was the
matter, and, when he saw the poor little
half-frozen flower, at once stopped and
picked it, saying to himself: Anything
is better than leave it to freeze. How
could it make such a mistaken" Walk
inc briskly along with the dandelion