The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-22

presently, and the turtle escaped
again.
This time Bobby didn't get off so
easily. He had the talking to, just
the same: "How would he like be-
ing stuffed into big pipe, with no
air to breathe;" and stink how he
made the poor little turtle suffer, and
how scared and lonely he must have
been,' and "real, grown-up noble
men were gentle and careful OF those
who were little and weak" and Bob
by was sorry-truly sorry; and very
much sorrier when he was shut up in
his room all day-such lovely, sun
shiny day; and four men at work on
the drain, and new puppy at the
Jacksons', and Kitty enjoying it all.
Though, if Bobby had only known
it, Kitty wasn't happy at all, in spite
of the sunshine and the drain and
puppy; for it was lonesome without
Bobby.
Bobby seemed good deal i'm
pressed by the whole matter-used
to hold his nose till he was blue in
the face; and he wanted to bury
Kitty so she could tell him how it
felt, but she thought it would be too
dirty; and Harry Jackson said ne
could go and bury himself. Harry
never was obliging.
Bobby did try it; but it was mud
dy, and the stream all ran down his
neck and tickled and wouldn't stick;
so he didn't succeed very we'll, and
his mother came out in the midst of
it and wasn't pleased. He did have
on his best white suit, and he looked
rather queer.
That time Bobby stayed at home
from the picnic when all the others
went, and he wasn't happy at all.
For long time afterward Kick-a-
toes had quite calm existence, only
the puppy bothered him good deal.
But there came Gay when Bobby
was undeniably naughty. He got
out on the wrong side of the bed, and
everything went wrong.
Kitty had a cold and couldn't go
out, and Bridget wouldn't let him
have a hot cooky, and Mamma was
busy and told him to run off out
doors, and the puppy bit him, and
Harry said it served him right, for
mauling the dog; and SO Bobby came
back crosser than ever.
And Kick-a-toes, unfortunately, was
scrabbling around the roots of tree,
as though he were trying to burrow
hole for himself, and SO Bobby
helped him little-quite little, |
suspect. Kick-a-toes wanted it, you
see; and Bobby, l am sorry to say,
didn't care much what his mother did
want just then.
1t happened that Kitty needed
Kick-a-toes just then to act as sad
die horse for her, aud good .natured
Bridget ran out to find him. When
she saw Bobby patting away at the
earth and no Kick-a-toes in sight,
and Bobby looking very guilty when
he saw her, why of course she un-
derstood, and dug up the turtle at
once and dragged the unwilling Bob
by into the house.
In spite of his assertion that Kick
a.toes was burying himself and he
had only helped, his mother was very
much disturbed, and consequently
Bobby was soon disturbed, too.
She whipped him that he might
know how pleasant it is to be hurt"
and Bobby found it extremely I'M
pleasant. And then she took Kick
-a-toes away altogether, and let
him go in the woods where Bobby
never would see him again, because
Bobby SHOWED himself unfit to take
care of it."
And that is how it came about that
they never had any more turtle pets
Bobby says it's like the parable of
the man who didn't know how to use
his talent, and from him who had not
was taken away even that which he
had; and he's never buried a turtle
sinee.-Independent