The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-15
The Beach Fairy

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"Au tommy-rotr said his father as no
rose from the table.
'I'u bet he's just thinking about getting
q nasty, mean, new stepmother FOR us
nowl' cried Hermione. He was 80 red
IN the face"
"Wen. don't know. saw him talking
20 a lady down by the market last Sat
urday," said Pauline. THAT looked sor-
ter suspicious"
"Ill run away from home If he does
asserted Egbert. decidedly. "Ill go and
be pirate or 80 TO the Philippines"
"rll never be nice to her at all, echoed
Pauline.
Then tia baby. as II contributing her
opinion. began TO cry and kick her toes
against the table. so Amanda had 20 come
in and remove her. They all went 10 the
Eeashore the next week Poor little
Amanda had her hands full taking care
Of the baby, the baggage and the cloth
Ing, which the children forgot and left
on the seats OF the cars But when they
were settled at the shore. and they could
wander from morning until night along
the broad. white sands or wade Ia the
salty, flashing waves that rolled solemn
" I'D the slant Of the hard beach, she
thought that she was about TO enjoy life.
The baby, however, seemed to grow more
spitefuI and disagrecable than before.
When she was not CRYING outright in her
sharp, shrllI voice she was wriggllng as
81 IN torture. and she kept poor Amanda
hunting constantly for pins that she
never found but which she imagined
were sticking into Ruth. Instead Of play
irg IN the warm. white sand like other
babies. Ruth snarled and dug her little
red toes savagely into II as II spurning
what an children so dearly love.
81 went glncn which she did
sometimes quite 10y accident. and Amau-
da. thinking she could enjoy &c all for a
brief moment, stole away step to play
with some other children. who didn't
know that she came from The pOorhouse.
that nasty baby would Instantly wake up
and yell Ike an Indian She Kept break
ing out in red rashes. so that Mr. Hogan
declared that Amanda had carelessly
left her 10 broil in the hot sun. or she
sneezed an night and kept them an
awake, and he said Amanda had allowed
her to take cold by leaving her in the
surf. Oh, / tell YOU Amanda often
wished that she had stayed I'm the poor
house, dreadful as that IS, Tor her lie
with the Hogans was very unhappy, in
deed
Sometimes the other CHILDREN played near
where she kept the baby. but as q rule,
they remained as far away from both Of
them as possible. for none Of them liked
the baby at aN I can't blame them. foi
Ruth certainly was the very meanest in-
FAINT that was ever handed out by aay
doctor 20 a family.
one lovely day. when the sky was filled
with masses OF white wool sailing slowly
out to sea. and the water was Ike bluins
itself. Amanda sat with Ruth on The
beach. Egbert had dug deep, wide hole
and had gone away 10 play az something
else with other BOYS. Amanda looked
down into tho yawning cavity and thoughl
how much IL looked ike a grave dug therl
for some child. She sighed, and wist
arose ga her poor tired brain 20 just
crawl into the hole and bury herself
wonder that she never thought Of buryins
Ruth, but it never occurred 70 her % az
that She was just tired Of being slave
I'D The selfish Hogan family and wished q
end it all
Ruth happened 60 be sound asleep lot q