The Republican journal., 1898-02-10
When l Was a Little Girl.


"Well, l knew that BEFORE" said
Tommy, GROSSLY, 81 never spected it
would come down slam bang
Tommy'S mother looked up in surprise,
but, seeing the little discontinued face,
checked the hearty laugh of amusement
that was rising to her lips at his very I'M
expected answer.
when | was a little girl" she began
Tommy came and SAT down on little
footstool at her side. The frown disap-
peartd from his forehead like an April
cloud, and all his small woes seemed to
melt away before those magic words.
Tell me about it," he said.
''Wen, then, while | am telling you,
you can do something for me: you can
take the button box, and pick out ten
little white buttons, just like this, for me
to sew on your aprons"
''Y es, | will,'' said Tommy az d like
to"
Let me do something, too,'' said
Many coming in from the other room.
LET me take your tomato cushion, and
see how many needles | can squeeze out
of it. Nelly squeezed forty, NEE, .bIight
ones ont of her mothers old cushion the
Other day. May l?''
"Yes, said her mother "there it is in
Inc Work UaShtl.
There" said Mary, settling herself to
the task. Now, mamma, when you We're
a little girl =
Il was only going to tell Tommy" said
the mother "that when | was a little girl
ana lived in Maine, We used sometimes
to have long snow-storms and very deep
drifts. | remember once it showed three
days and two nights Aftel the first day
"A i,rht > n hot
Aunt Mary and | did not 20 to school; and
nobody went out OF the house, and nobody
came TO the house that day OF the next.
We thought it was great fun to be prison
eIs.
Didn't the postman Gomez asked
Tommy.
1--WE did not have any postman then
We used to 90 down to the postotice our
selves every morning, and bring home our
letters. But very likely no letters came
that day; for the mail was brought over
from Augusta by stage and, when the
roads we've yely bad, there was often de-
lay, If they did come they waited in the
Office
"What did you do all day?' asked Mary.
"We helped about the housework. -
washed and wiped the breakfast dishes,
busted the rooms, and made the beds; and
then we sat down with our sewing, and
your grandfather read aloud to u.s.
"What did he read?''
HE read the Life of Benedict Arnold,
in Sparks American Biographies -
oh" SAID Tommy, Il didn't know
there as such a thing"
I knew there was such thing as Bene-
dict Arnold, said Mary II guess
know more about him than he wishes /
did -
''Just before sunset on the third day it
stopped showing; tie clouds rolled away,
and the sun shoue. and all the world, or
much as we could see of it, was glistening
white and beautiful Then the snow
shovellers came out with the great broad
wooden shovels to clear the sidewalks
They made a beautiful, straight, white
path all down the street; and on the side
where they threw up the snow there was
lngh, white wall Ih1t We couIQ not see
oven at all. Ii was twice as high as our
heads. And mean the kitchen door. where,
If there was any wind, the snow always
blew round the corner and made a deep
drift. The pile Was So high after the path
to the gate was made that it reached
almost To the upstairs window. We had
great fun playing there the next day We
climbed up To the top, and rolled down the
Other Size, and tossed the snow over each
other, and lad great trolic."
Nv no played with you?''
'oi, Mrs. Pendleton and Mrs. Fessen-
Den and Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Barker
'Why, they re all tall, grown up ladies'
said Tommy. II shouldn think they'd
do that way"
''They are now, )" answered his mother,
laughing; "but when | was little girl,
they we've little girls. too.
"OL yes, forgot, " said Tommy
Il suppose you were always glad when
winter came, said Many, because you
knew yDu would have good times with the
snow -
'sYes,' said her mother ''And was
glad wen spring came, because / liked
to see the new leaves on the eln-trees,
and the robins come back to build nests
there, md sing; and the summer, when
We could 60 down to the shore at sun
set, and climb about over the rocks and
the piles OF lumber in the shipyard."
And OF course you We're glad in the
fall because then the apples were ripe.
So, then, you were glad all the time.
That's a good way"
Ives, - answered her mother. Gas |
remember those days, we were glad all
the time; and it is, as you say, a very
good way"
"What did you do in the shipyardo'
asked Nary
Il did not play in the shipyard when
was very little girl answered her
mother. but, when | was older, | used to
go there very often. AT six O. clock the
MorkmeR packed up their tools and went
home; and no one was left but the night
watchman. Then we felt as if the ship
yard belonged to US. We used to go climb
ing and running over the great piles of
boards and lumber. Sometimes we would
run up the steep staging to the deck of
the great unfinished ship, and sit on the
edge, high up over the water, watching
the gold and rose-colored clouds, or the
full mooa coming up in the east and max
ing path OF light across the bay. Some
times we would sit on a rock. and watch
the tide creeping slowly up until it touch
ed our feet or walk along by the edge of
the water, skipping stones; and sometimes
we launched iIe-rafts"
Tell us about the fire rafts,'' begged
Tommy.
''There was always plenty of driftwood
along the shore. We used to find two long
pieces, and place them side by side, little
way apart, and then lay row of shorter
sticks across, building it up like a cob
house till we had quite high pile. Then
We filled up the middle with shavings and