Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-10-05

Mrs. Hutchinson, who was you
mothers dearest friend, sent that to you
with her love-"
For me there was a trumpery book,
with very few pictures and q good deal
Of reading in it-also from Mrs. Hutche-
son.
"She thought it might coax you to
learn how to read. | was ashamed to
have to say that my little girl does not
know her letters yet" said my much
tried parent. and your father brought
you a Noah's ark"
word, and marched toward the door, my
heart ready to break.
what do you say for your presents
Molly?"
I stood stock still my eyes on the floor.
My mother quietly and ~sorrowfully
took the painted ark from my hand.
"When you can say, thank you. and
stop pouting, you can have it back she
said in gentle severity.
[ dashed from the room around the
house to the end porch. 1T was
high enough for me to stand upright I'M
der it and the sides were screened by a
climbing sweetbriar. l had often played
Daniel in the lions den there, assisted by
a caste of small colored children. They
were the lions, [ with the choice of parts,
electing invariably to play the prosecuted
and finally triumphant biped. The fury
of the forty wild beasts was in my heart,
as [ pushed aside the prickly branches
and crept into my lair. The den was
paved with bricks, loosely laid. With a
pointed stick / pried one up, and scooped
| out with my hands a grave deep enough
to hold the hateful book with the few
| pictures and the much reading. | thrust
it in without benefit of clergy, hustled
the earth back upon it, pounded the
brick into place, n lay fiat down upon
the d~ish0nOred tomb.
Mann Chloe found me there at din
ner time, fast asleep. She dragged me
pack to consciousness and the open air
by the heels. Not in wantOn cruelty, but
she was 4 large woman, and could get
at me in no other way. While she
washed and made me decent in clean
frOck, apron and pantaletteS, she ScOlded
me for my 'low-lived, onladylike ways"
and warned me of her solemn intention
to tell my mother on me the next time
such a d~isgraceful thing happened. | did
not mind the lecture. l knew Nam
Chloe, and she (heaven rest her white,
faithful soul in the kingdom where the
bond are freely knew me. 1 verify be-
lieve, better than the mother that bore
me.
Toilet and TRADE ended, she slid me, as
she might a prescribed book, through a
crack in the side door into the dining
room. where Uncle Ike, her husband,
was in waiting. He, in turn, struggled
me behind my mothers back TO the side
| table, there being no room for us chill
dren at the main board that day.
None of the dozen grown-up diners no.
ticed me, or that Mary Liza, sitting
prim and dainty on her side of our table,
had her doll by her in another chair. and
interrupted her meal, once in awhile, to
caress her or to r~earrange her curls and
skirts. | affected not to see the panto-
mime, which | chose to assume was
enacted for my further evaporation. |
was apparently indifferent to Uncle likes
shameless partially in loading my plate
with choice tidbits, such as a gizzard; q
merry-thought, or q cheese cake, while
Mary Liza had twice asked for what
she wanted. What was not tasteless was
bitter to my palate. / wondered. duly,
why the sight of the doll baby and the
fuss her owner made over her turned me
sick. AS soon as | could get away /
slipped down and out of the friendly door
and went to find MusidOra. There was
a new bond Of union between us. She
had no beautiful sister, | no beautiful
daughter. Sitting down upon the hot
step before the kitchen yard, | Rugged
her hard and cried a little over her. in a
brief, stormy way. The tears hurt me, as
they came, and did not ease the hot ache
IN my chest or the lump in my throat.
At this juncture, when my misery was
at its height, / heard Mary Liza in the
chamber behind me, cooling to and hush
ing her doll baby, with tones and words
copied faithfully from mothers talk over
my brothers cradle.
"WOUldn't you like to rock her a little
while?' she called presently. Il wouldn't
mind if you'd promise not to touch her.
Sometimes your hands are not clean, you
know"
| set my jaws ~sayagefy outside of my
leaplng tongue, not moving or looking up
when | felt her standing close by me.
Musidora had dropped from my lap, and
lay, face downward, on the step. Mary
Liza picked her up. and brushed the dust
from her INEXPENSIVE visage.
Poor thing. purred she. Il hope moth
ing will ever happen to Rozillah. Isn't
that Il love-el-ly name? l made it out
of my W head from Roca and Zillah,
two lOve-el-ly girls | read of in a book"
Il think it is a nasty name,'' was my
deliberate reply.
She recoiled with a fine horror, which
stung me like a nettle.
ooh, Molly! what a word for a little
lady to use!"
[ looked up at her for the first time, my
eyes burning in dry sockets.
Il think your doll baby is nasty, and
Rozillah is a niger name! SO there!'
| could command no worse language, for
| knew none.
Mary Liza looked shocked and terrified.
She glanced right and left and upward
nervously, as fearing the punishment of
heaven upon me.
Il am afraid that you are in a very bad
humOr," she faltered, her self-possession
forsaking her for a moment. I'D better
leave you"
She had gone q dozen PAGES when she
glanced over her shoulder to say, in her
most grown-up and judicial manner:
Il hope you will not make any noise
and wake Rozillah up"
L rose and went straight to the cradle
as soon as my cousin was out of sight.
Cold, deadly fury possessed and filled me,
casting out fear of consequences and
routing the weakling conscience engen-
dered and nourished by parental counsel.
| plucked Rozillah from her downy bed
and bore her into the air, duffing her pol
ished red cheeks soundly on the way.
Then | stripped off her gay raiment and
knotted the ribbon sash about her smooth
neck. l had never tied a knot before, but
this held, as did the loop l cast over a
projecting branch of the sickly peach
sapling. Denuded and f%orlorn, Rozillah
| 0an0lp0 q foot or moro from tho pro1p6