Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-04

how l twirl it, and see the wheel fiy.
I'm spinning linen thread. They say
1t is not worth while, you can buv
it so cheap, but I never want to give
up my spinning. Some ladies sit and
do nothing. My mother did not bring
me up like that I hope that your ma
sees that you keep busy
"Oh, yes, ma'am," I said.
She's good mother. then" said
the old lady. 81 live as my folks did.
L make no changes. I won't have
stoves, and l won't have kerosene lamps
to blow me up. Wood fires and candles
are the only proper things. Come in
and see something"
The old lady got up and walked slow
ly into the house. The parlor door was
open, and IN the parlor window was
a big plant in a big tub.
That's a century plant. child" she
said. 1T was planted the day I was
born. 1t only blooms once in a hundred
years. About my birthday thereIl be a
flower so they tell me-"
! Then she made me sit down in the
parlor and called a colored servant
bring some seed-cake and a glass Or
sweet water favored with orange.
When [ went home and told mamma.
she said that she wished she had been
with me. The red house was the third
the blue house was the second from the
road; the yellow house was the first
In the window of the blue house a
green parrot hung in a wicker cage
and called out ''Ho, my heartiesw when
ever he did not say, Cracker! Crackerl
Polly wants a crackerr' And there was
the queerest thing of all. A little bow
with red frock and a white face and
a cap, who sometimes reached out of
a window and pulled my hat off. He
always threw it into the fOwer-bed
under the window, and I picked it up.
L thought he must be very young, and
L used to try not to go near the win
dow, but sometimes I forgot. and then
away went my hat. Once he pulled nv
hair, but he always laughed and hid
himself whenever he had done ANYTHING.
and just laughed, too, until one dav
when [ took my blue parasol with me
because 1t was sunny, and passing under
the window, whisk, and away it went.
The little boy had grabbed it and taken
it in at the window He stood there
a minute holding it over his own head.
and then disappeared
well, that is too bad I said, land
must get it back" So 1 went to the
side of the house where the porch was
the blue house stood sidewise to the
lane-and knocked at the door. very
stout woman opened the door, and I
said: Excuse me, ma'am, your little
boy has taken my parasOI; will you
please give it back to me?"
"My little boyr' said the woman.
why, I declared How did he get your
parasol?"
"Fe reached out of the window" said
I, "and took it. He often pulls off my
hat when I go past
Come here this minute, Joco, you
thief!' she called, and out of the back
room came whimpering and hobbling,
dragging my parasol behind him, the
creature in the red frock and cap.
Mrs. Frangers' cat has no TAIL but
my boy has a bushy one, you see,
said the woman, laughing.
ooh, it's a monkey | cried.
YES" said the woman, Il got him
when | was stewardess of an ocean
steamer. His face is so white that
he looks human, and he's got as much
sense as some folks, too"
Then she gave me my parasol and
pretty piece of white coral and made
Joco come and shake hands with me,
and | went home. Now | am home
again, | often think that I never saw
such curious things in all my life as
there were in Elm Lane.-New York
Ledger.