The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-12


Is ruggedly built little chap. who is
worried about the way his brother Har-
old, three years his junior, is catching
up to him In point Of height Both boys
fully understand the Importance Of
having distinguished father. and both
intend to join the navy just as soon as
it is possible.
Ralph sports huge patriotic decora-
tion on the lett lapel of his coat repre-
senting UnoIe Sam, creation of red,
white and blue metal, in the act of step
ping over to Cuba. SO huge is this pa
triotio emblem that 1t not only occupies
every available scrap of Master Ralph's
coat lapel. but the bounding feet Of Un-
clio Sam stretch out across his shirt
bosom. In all probability small silken
banner originally accompanied Uncle
Sam, consigning Spain TO hotter quar-
ter than Cuba. At all events, Master
Harold, examining the badge the other
evening" exclaimed. where is the TO
- with Spainp part?'
Mamma would not let me read it
any more" sighed the young martyr to
discipline. Harold has no badge, but he
has a full repertory of patriotic songs at
his command, which be sings while he
is making his toilet, with the sad result
that the toilet often lasts from two to
three hours.
/ Both boys frankly confess that they
wish they were old enough to join the
fight, without waiting to grow up.
Just thinkv' said Harold. when we
are old enough to join the navy, papa
will be old enough to retire II would
be such loads Of fun il we were all there
togetherl"
The boys are both reoonciled now to
their father leaving tho battleship Iowa,
but it was severe blow to them at first.
Squadron or no squadron, they prefer
red that their father should command
the Iowa. The little chaps loved every
inch of the big fighter. and they were
never SO happy as on the occasions when
they were allowed to 60 aboard her.
whenever they played at naval battles
in their back yard it was always the
Iowa that licked everything in sight.
Therefore when they learned that their
father was no longer in command of
their ideal they went of and had real
good cry about 10. but they have at last
realized that the command of a squad
ron is greater honor even than tho
command Of the Iowa.
Admiral Sampson understands boys
just as well as he understands ships and
torpedoss. Whom on shore duty, he is
never SO happy as when he is of on
some expedition with these two replicas
Of himself. All three Of them are the
best possible chums, and the boys are
never weary of telling stofies of papa.
"No, we are not BIT scared about any
thing happening to papa" Harold said
to a neighbor the other day. why,
during the last war he was blown up
into the air 100 feet; his boat, the Pa
tapsco, was blown up. you know, and
he landed right in the water, but he
was fighting the next day. just as il
nothing had happened.
The boys own wonderful white kit
ten now. There has been no dog in the
Sampson household since Andy turned
ON Ralph little while ago. bit him
and had to be ohloroformed in conse-
quence. Eyes, he's the one that the dog
bit," Harold explained half enviously
to visitor the other day, designating
his older brother. Harold is always
willing to share the family honors with
Ralph. but 1t was little trying that
the dog biting episode should confer q
hold on his older brother individually.
On that memorable occasion. when old
Andy, who had been the constant com
panion of the boys since they could re-
member, turned on Ralph and bit him
severely in the face, the little man be-
haved himself as his fathers son should.
No one was at home but Mrs. Sampson,
and to look out for mother and the girls
was the first lesson that the admiral
ever taught his boys. With his mother s
help Ralph shut up old Andy in one Of
the ground fioor rooms and then started
up stairs to wash the blood off his face.
Andy had to be chloroformed, and since
his death there has been no dog to share
in the romps of the boys
But Tabs does all she can to supply
the loss. Tabs is snow white kitten,
with the most beautifully kept eeat
that ever fell to the lot of q feline. She
is Of French descent. her grandmother
having been born in France. Tabs her.
self was born on the 4th Of March. Lis
ten to the patriotic record Of her fam
lily, and then you will understand why
she was sent from Washington to Mrs
Sampson soon after her husband took
command of his feet. Her mother was
born on tho Fourth Of July and her
grandmother was born on Washington S
birthday. IL it nny wonder that Tabs
was sent all tho way from Washington
in an express box to act as mascot for
the Sampson family? Tabs rules the
house. Miss Olive Sampson puts mp
with all manper of sauciness from this
privileged kitten. and the kittens pref
trsncc for Miss Olive denotes excellent
Judgment on the part of the mascot II
is the fashion 10 refer to the daughters
OF all prominent men as beautiful. In
this case il happens 10 be true, for thero
is not handsomer girl 10 Greater New
York than Olive Farrineton Sampson.