Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-08-14


Little Folks Everywhere, Gathered
and Printed Here for All Other Lit
tie Ones to Read. s. s..
One pleasant morning many years
ago the members of the Balde family
took their seats in the big wagon Faith
er Balde had just driven up before the
door.
Although it was weekday, all were
dressed in their Sunday best. Mother
Balde wore a pretty merino gown,
short-waisted, scant in the skirt and
with puffed sleeves; her sweet face,
with smooth-banded hair, peeped out
from a huge scoop bonnet, garlanded
with roses and tied with big bow.
She wore mitts, and Canton shawl
with long silk fringe.
Father Balde's coat was long-tailed
and buttoned up tightly; his shirt
bosom was ruffled, and around his neck
was wound a black satin stock. He
looked like the picture of Andrew Jack
son. Abby thought.
The boys, Ben and Joe, were respsepd-
ent in new blue "roundabouts" with
brass buttons. AS for Abby herself, she
felt very fine in her pink frock, en-
broidered pantalettes, leghorn hat and
sandal slippers. Father had just open
ed his mouth to say "Get up" to the
horses, when somebody was seen hur-
rying down the dusty crossroads, and
two shrill voices called out, 'Waitr'
1t was Aunt Prushy Becker and her
sister, Miss Rushy. Many years before,
these two spinster ladies' had been
named Prussia" and Russia" They
came up, putting and swinging their
green reticules like big hop-blossoms.
"We'd like to go to town and see ItE'
gasped Aunt Prushy. Il says to Rushy,
We've seen the stage-coach in it's day,
to see Itv"
Father and Mother Balde exchanged
glances, then the latter said gently,
abby, 1 guess you and the baby had
better get out and make room for our
neighbors."
Abby obeyed without a murmur, for
that was the way children were brought
up ia those days.
ITS too bad to have the child stay
at home on account of u.s." said Aunt
Rushy, hesitatingly.
"Tut! tut! She'll live to see 1t long
after you and Prushy and the rest of
us are laid away in the churchyardp'
exclaimed Father Balde, as he started
up the prancing team.
Abby walked slowly up the path
leading to the house. Her face was
very sober, and I'm not sure that a few
tears did not spot the pretty lavender
strings of her bonnet. But she soon
grew more cheerful, especially when
Baby Elizabeth, sleeping in her arms,
awoke and began to smile and coo!
"Yes, yes, little sister, you and 1 are
left behindv' said Abby. I'VE can't go
to town, hear the band play, buy train
ing gingerbread and candy 'Gibraltars'
and see It-but! Well go down on the
hillside, and you can roll on the green
grass and I'll read The Children of the
Abbeyv"
Soon the baby sister lay contentedly
On her blanket spread on the grass, her
LAT ~AONSA $oA~S, I" AAAAS
Abby sat reading. But the eyes of the
latter often wandered from her book
to the pleasant scene before her-the
broad flats, green and fertile; the Mo
hawk River winding in and out like a
silver thread, and close beside it the
strafghter line of the canal.
Nearly still was something that of
late had especially attracted Abby's at
tentfon-a long row Of wooden ties of
yellow-white newness, and across them
steel rails stretching far up and down
the valley. The crowd of foreign work
men, who for weeks past had labored
there with pickaxe and hammer, had
gone away.
But suddenly shrill sound smote the
silence-a sound never before heard
throughout the length of the green
vale!
Abby sprang to her feet and looked
eagerly eastward. What was that she
saw-that great black something, rum
bling and rushing, making one think of
the fiery dragon st. George slew!
With swift motions it glided along
the steel rails-there was a strange
looking cab or cart filled with gentle
men wearing tall hats and black satin
stocks like her father's-and then the
monster shot away, leaving cloud of
smoke and a shower of red sparks be-
hind it!
Abby sat down with thud of salts
faction "Well, l declarew she ex-
claimed. "Even If I didn't go to the
village, I've seen 1t. after allv'
Do you know what 1t was? Why, the
very first train that ever passed over
the New York Central Railroad!-
Youths Companion.
Foolin4 Grandpa.
Tommy Hadley is one of the greatest