River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-05-14

hungry"
On Thursday, Auntie called and told
him the present was bought, and that
she had to attend to it every night. A
cold fear broke over him. Was it a
dog? He did not want a dog. Was it
a cat? He hated cats.
Couldn't / go with you, Auntie, and
stay with you till tomorrow, just to
make sure?'
"Well, couldn't / have peep at it.
so that / shall not be so very much sur
prised when see it? Susan says when
she got ring you could have knocked
her down with a feather"
On Thursday night he could no?
sleep for long time. Mummy's foot
steps through the wall died away, and
the house fell into silence. But he lag
still, bravely struggling through
strange dreams. He thought God had
brought him steam engine that was
so good that it would not go fast. The
great star came into the room and
turned out his pockets, examined the
heels of his stockings, and looked to
see if his nails were clean. He wiped
his nose with the sheet and lay quiet
Suddenly he heard a great bang and
saw the new cannon Auntie had
brought him shivered into thousand
bits before he had even touched it: it
was the postman's knock-Friday
He was dressed for tea imme diately
after breakfast. 'If you worry any
more, shan't take you," said Mum
my; what fuss about rocking
horse"
"A rocking horse! Well, il it had
stirrups, and bride, and went itself!
Auntie said it was something special
What a tea! The bread and butter
would not go down his throat, and the
cake merely went round and round the
roof of his mouth. He never knew his
father to eat so much and so slowly be
fore.
Can you tell the time by the clock?,
Auntie asked him. Were they going TIC
start these silly questions again:
NO" said he, mol"
"Oh, well, I'm afraid I've made a
mistake. There she said and passed
a paper parcel to him. "Open it,
He took off the paper and found d
box. He opened the lid and found d
round thing in paper. He undid the
paper, and there was his present be
fore he knew: a real, live, ticking
watch. and chain. 1t fairly laughed
at him; the great figures glowereo
solemnly: -, /, ?, 3, 4, 5; and then q
little hand that ran faster the more
he looked at it. He held it to his ear
and it clucked with joy. He put it in
his pocket and it seemed to go out, SC
he brought it forth again and pro
posed to wear it hanging down outside
like the ladies. Finally he set it dowr
on the table, gazing at it and lingering
it while he ate bread and cake ano
drank sweet tea voraciously.
His first really proud moment was
when the nurse wished she had a watch
In the future he was only to go to bee
by his own watch. By Mummy's di
rectiOns it was placed under his pill
low. The nightly programme of tuck
ing in and kisses was duly perform &c
y
called back by loud alarm: Mummy
| can't hear it, So it was tied to the
rail of the bed where the great star
shone upon it in wonder and envy
Il suppose" he thought, 1.-THE angels
have gold watches"
At midday on Saturday, Lucy Brown
passed the garden with her best doll in
Of ba1 ri ba1
anbuIatOr He rushed down to the
gate and thrust his chained bosom be
fore Lucy Brown. She affected to see
nothing. After giving her ample time
withou effect he pulled out the watch
gazed at it, and said: You're late this
morning"
oh" said she, "Bertie has gold
one"
You're a story-teller," said he;
''isn't she, Mary?'' Mary, whose notice
was running out, answered: awful
For two days the watch was wound
every hour. On Monday there was dire
disappointment because he was NOT
permitted to take it to school. Gould
MT | just take it to show the boys
and put il out of sight then?" A com
promise was arrived at. There would
be a a-party, but one of the condi.
tons insisted upon was that no boy
known to possess a watch was to be
invited.
One day big boy friend stopped
him with a firm hand and mockingly
asked the time. The watch-owner took
it out mechanically, then with a flash
of inspiration held il up to the big
boy and said: 81 didn't think it was SO
late!" and rushed off for home.
After all watch is very quiet sort
of toy, and requires to be left alone
too much. At the end of the first week
this one suffered from over-winding
and had to be started by violent shak-
ing. When everybody knew he had a
watch it became necessary for the
bearer of it to assure himself of its
possession occasionally by swinging
it round and round on its chain. One
day in the middle of this performance
it flew off the swivel and landed in the
cons ervatory by way of pane Of glass.
1t is now supposed to be at the
watchmaker's undergoing REPAIRS
London Outlook.