The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-11-03
The Mouse that Played Football.

Norton Browne was a lover of football
from the time his merry little eyes first
fastened ON the wonderful get-up of his
older brother, Ralph, the hero of the
village eleven.
In -Norton's baby fashion he made
good-natured Ralph understand that he,
too, wished to wear the football uniform.
N.Y. how proud he was to show his
"dress-up" to the amused family! And
how indignant he was. too, when they all
laughed at his funny OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
thing between ii padded Brownie, Il cir
Gus clown and comic valentine of
Ralph, somebody said.
This comparison pleased Ralph so
much that he struggled his little broth
er down to the photographer fixed him
up in the beloved toggery (abont eight
sizes too large; tousled up his baby locks IS
like those of the most approved football
hero, placed in his tiny hands ball three
times the size Of his head, and presto!
there was the picture of the tiniest foot
baller in the country!
Norton enjoyed the fun us much as his:
big brother did, and kept the secret
stored so snugly. away in his little baby
brain that Ralph rewarded him by Civ
ing him his old football pincushion, when
overjoyed, and when no one was looking
often gave an adm ring hug to the saw
dust cushion, with it's melon-shaped
pieces of red and blue silk and it's cute
little lacing.
Every nj ht. after mother put him into
his little brass crib he lay staring 1T
the shining, silk en- stripes till he wan
dcred off to Il dreamland peopled with
long-haired halfbacks, tacklers, guards
and all the other queer things to be seen
Gu a football field. One night. just as
his little peppers, the pincushion began
to move. Yes, it did! There it moved
again! Norton sat right up To- 500 what
caused it all, but the queer little cushion
never budged bit, just settled down
on it's side for Il, good long sleep.
The next night, however, the cushion
began weighing again. Sometimes, in
then settled back again. Slowly, very
slowly, Norton drew himself up into a
sitting position. Quietly, very quietly,
hardly daring to breathe, he leaned over
tn crib rail, and watched-what do you
think? The very cutest little mouse that
ever ran across a chiffonier and nibbled
at the pincushion! Perhaps the little ami
NAL guessed that the football was stuffed
with bran; bran is a dainty tidbit for a
y
and tugged away at the shoestring lac
ing, climbed on top the cushion and
blinked saucily at Norton, and then
scampered friskly away to tell the home
folks about the prize he had found, the
happiest little mouse in mouseland.
The next night Frisky came again, and
began to nibble hole in the cushion,
and Norton was so excited while watch
ing that he forgot all about the harm
mousie might do.
When Norton told his mother about it
the next morning, she was Il little trou-
bled. for she feared that her baby boy
thought talked and dreamed so much
about his cherished football that perhaps
he might have imagined things which did
not happen. and could not tell the real
from his dreams.
So the next night mother lay down be-
side Norton, and together they quietly
They had almost grown tired of waiting
whcn-there was Frisky sitting jauntily
atop the cushion, twinkling- his little
beady eyes as though he would say, "Hel-
10, there! Watch me go to the bottom of
this cushion, will you? Goodby!" and
down into the bran went his little head.
Then such scratching! Down went the
rest, of his body, all but the tips of his
hind feet and his stiff little tail. The old
ball wobblel crafty too and fro, and my.
how the bran did fly! Frisky seemed to
be paving away with his front feet like
playful puppy. sending the dust in all
directions. a few sprinkles even reached
Norton away over in his crib, and made
him chuckle SO loud that the frightened
mousic went scampering back to his hole.
Norton never knew that after he was
asleep Frisky brought all his sisters and
his cousins and his aunts to a midnight
party Oh the chiffonier, where they had
the incest kind of time dancing and
eating up the bran which Frisky had
paved out for them.
The next night Frisky came alone and
went to work again as though Norton
with his father, mother and sister Lucy
were not all watching. and smiling at
him. He worked so hard that by morn
ing all the bran was gone, leaving the
poor, flattened pincushion little heap of
rcd and blue rags.
"Never mind!' laughed father. "The
old cushion was almost worn out, any
how! l am glad the mice had such a
good time
$50 am l." assented Norton. ralph
said he'd bring me a really one for
Christmas, anyway; and it was such fun
to see Il mouse captain football camel!
Charlotte Brewster Jordan in Youths
Companion.