The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-12-08
A KNOT OF JASMINE.

ID UN away Sue, love, an don't
n be stealin' mumma's raisins.
Look here, my little gel" said the wom-
an, smiling at the child, there won't
be none left ter put in the duff fer
daddy's dinner tomorrow.
Civ us a han'ful, mumma, an Suzie
won't bother yer no MORE" said the
child, coaxingly, holding out chubby
brown hand, aud jerking her pink sun
bonnet to the back of her head.
Such winsome, dimpled, little
creature she was, in her short pink
frock, bare-armed, bare-legged, and
brown as a berry, with a tangle of
yellow hair and bright blue eyes as
she stood there smiling at her mother,
her moist red lips parted, and showing
a row of milk-white teeth.
There. now. Sue, run to yer dad a
bit, he's asleep under the wagon" said
the woman, as she filled the child's
hands. bill. will ye have an eye to
the child?' she shouted.
AYE, aye, mussus," sleepy voice
answered from under the wagon,
where Bill. Jolley, hawker and carrier,
lay with newspaper over his face,
doing off the effects of the township
tanglefoot.
Come ere, Suze; come an stay
alongside O yer old daddy He settled
himself comfortably. and turned lazily
on his other side. Little Suze had
pulled a wisp of shivery grass as she
oIn bo S1x-l, iol-
ling the back of her fathers neck.
"Now then, Sue, quit that there
thicklin', dye hear, yer young noos-
ance yer" said the man good-natured-
ly.
IF I'm a noosance,' pouted Sue,
"wot did yer have me fer, dad? sides,
l amt noosance; ants is noosance,
cause they bite like fnn; goanners is
a poosance, SOS snakes an buzzfies.
an dingoes; but little gels amt TO
noosance," said Sue, shaking her head
wisely. II didn't ask yer ter have me
God sent me, mumma told me-"
"Some little gels l know is rum
little beggars," said BIZ Jolley, rolling
over, and fitting his hat, to look at the
child, "but you amt bad little stick
takin' yer by aud large. Look ere.
Sue, you go an cut branch off that
strychnine bush over there, my gel,
an keep the buzztlies off o yer poor
old daddy while he has snooze."
Little suze ran to the edge of the
river, and came back carrying glossy
green branch. She sat down patiently,
and tapped away the flies till her
sturdy little brown wrists were tired.
Bill Jolley was snoring in the shade
of the cart as the sun went down.
Little Suze lifted his hat gently and
peered into his face.
There amt no flies on dad now, an
I'm awful tired-'sides he's fast asleep.
Shoe; garn out O that, you ugly old
goanna, an don't come 'sturbin' my
dad-if you had a dad ter fan ter sleep
start. My dads awful sleepy to-day,
Mumma says it's tangiefoot what
makes him sleepy, but dad says it's
swipes. Wonder what swipes is.
say, dad, yer don't want yer little gel
Ger stay here no more? Do yer, dad? :?
Do yer. dad? There now. I've asked
him three times. an he never said
nothin', SO III 60 an have play with
my bald-headed child" Sue went to
hollow tree. From it she produced an
armful Of cardboard boxes. and bat
tered wax doll. with no hair on.
WAS yer lonely without yer moth
er. bald-headed child:" said Suze.
fondling the doll; cause yer see had
to fan my daddy ter sleep. Daddies
is such uoosances, baldheaded child.