Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-05-09
LITTLE BOBBY sHAFroE.

-.....-............... OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
He was bought at a fair. and some
times / forgot all about him for weeks
and sometimes l played with him
every day.
When mamma spoke of him now.
went and looked for him. He was lying
in corner Of my closet. all covered
with dust; but / wiped him of, and so
should be sure not TO lose him l tied
pink cord under his arms and made
knot in the end. II I forgot my little
sailor l should feel the big knot slip
through my fingers and remember and
pick him up
Wen, we had been fishing a long. long
while, and uncle was rowing in to the
island where we were to have Iunched,
when l thought I would give my sailor
boy bath So l let him down into the
water and he came up all bright and
shining as If he were newly painted
and gilded and / called to Tom to look.
and let him down again; and Tom
laughed when ! pulled him up. And
just once more let him down. holding
the knot tight, and this time something
seemed To catch him and pull him away
from me. and the cord slipped through
my fingers. knot and all. and auntie
says I'd have gone over the side Of
the boat IL she had not caught my
skirts.
What is the matter?" I asked.
My sailor boy is drowned" l said,
and I told her how.
Just as your mamma saidw said she.
We'll. you did not care much for him.
so don't cry"
Il wouldn't have cared II he had been
lost or been given away" / said. but
to see him drowned before my eyes is
so different Just as he was so happy,
too He was fond of the sea. oh, poor
little Bobby Shaftoe!" And i cried quite
hard
What your mother is going to do
with such an imaginative child. l can't
think" said auntie. mo one is drowned.
You've lost a bit of painted china. DO
be sensible
| tried TO be- and on the whole, we
had a very pleasant day. All mamma
said when | told her about Bobby was:
Don't you feel glad you did not take
your doll?"
People don't have much sympathy
with us. I'm afraid. They were much
more interested in the fish uncle and
auntie had caught. one thai ne had
pulled in just after l lost Bobby Shat
toe overheard was TO be baked for din
ner. Cook promised TO clean and stuff
IL beautifully. Then auntle went to rest
and lie down, and when ] had taken
off my big apron and been washed and
tidied sat down under big tree with
my Gre .chet work: but 1 could only
think of poor little Bobby Shaftoe
dancing in the sun, and dipping into
the water. and then gone
"Only a bit of china they told mo.
Somehow when a bit OF china" has
prasfxr arms and barlc
legs and feet 1t will make YOU feel as
II II was alive-just a little-and
was crying again, when / saw Jane,
the upsts,rs girl RUNNING down the
garden path. vE@s~.
/ Mss Kitty. Miss kitty she was
crying. do come! Cook wants to show
you such a funny thing!"
OF course. ] went with her at once
Auntie. mamma and Tom were all in
the kitchen, standing about a table
Cook had opened the fish and e. .ned
il. and made the stuffing and noN the
fish lay smut up again in a nice clean
towel.
ITS a big one miss. isn't it?" asked
cook.
yes" / said, not much interested
And it has a big mouth, said the
cook.
Look till open it for YOU"
Saying that. she opened. not the
mouth. but the whole fish, and there
inside Of 1t. lay something all blue and
white and gilt and shiny-my little
Bobby Shaftoe, and nothing else with
the string tied to him yeti
Just where | found him. miss" said
the cook; and as your ma says you
lost him while you were out fishing. it's
plain the FISH swallowed him. and then
SWAN around the boat and let Your
uncle catch him, sure. the crayther. I've
no doubt. thought he was alive"
Then she lifted Bobby out OF me fsh.
and washed him nicely fer me, and
dried him on the roller towel; and
everybody else laughed great deal
But as for me. l could not even speak.
was So astonlshea and thankful
put Bobby on the mantel-piece in my
room, and l keep him nicely busted
row Tom always calls him Jonah. and
II was a kind of a miracle. TOO. only
not SO solemn, that happened tc Bobby
Shaftoe,
Your Birthday.