Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-20

! Toddie had watched the windy rain,
and 1t had been fun for him to see how
fast the drops came and how they
splashed against the panes, and how
a little gust Of wind would suddenly
blow them outward SO that they fell
to the ground instead of striking the
window.
But this third morning Teddie cried
out impatiently, as Aunt Hannah came
up behind him, ''This old rain is too
mean for anything!"
ooh, no, Toddie,'' reasoned Aunt
Hannah. Think how dry all the win
ter wells were getting, and how the
farmers we're having to drive the cat
tie to the ponds to water them, and
to bring water In barrels for the week
ly washing!"
1 "Huh!" said Toddie. 81 guess the
wells were over being dried-up long
before this morning. They've been
drinking in rain for two whole days
and more, and have wanted and
wanted to 60 over to see Grandma!
Grandma said the next time I came
we'd make molasses candy-the kind
you pull never made any of that
kind and Grandma knows how to do
1t, and she says she sometimes puts
peanuts In it, and I'd just love to see
her make that kind. You know any
little boy would"
Aunt Hannah smiled. Everybody al
ways smiled at Toddie's sweet tooth"
! Come here" said Aunt Hannah,
"and let us talk. There's no prospect
of going to Grandma's today, but you
shall have real rainy-day story, a
true one, here at home"
"All right" said Toddie. Toddie's
love for true stories was nearly as
strong as his love for taffy. Have
you got particularly good one. Aunt
Hannah?"
well, you just hark!" Aunt Han
nah answered with an air of trium-
plant mystery. Bring your little
rockingham over here. and sit real
quiet, and I'll tell you what think is
a very nice rainy-day story, and every
word Of 1t true, about dear little boy
that had two club feet!"
| Had what " asked Toddie.
Club feet said Aunt Hannah, "are
feet just like yours, Toddie, except
that they turn in towards each other
instead OF turning out straight, and
they made this little child walk lame
and queer, and people called him a
cripple"
/ "oh. yes!" said Toddie. "But then,
OF course he was cripple-he couldn't
help but be cripple! I thought,
though, you said this was going to be
nice story. think it's going to be
an awful one, Aunt Hannah
Well, said Aunt Hannah, +" in. one
way it Is, but in another way it is not!
Now. sit still and bark!
This little boy couldn't run like 9th
er little boys, nor do things to amuse
himself. and the people he lived with
didn't take any pains for him. They
didn't love him, and their own children
sometimes slapped the little fellow
and made him cry, If he didn't get out
OF their way fast enough"
What made him stay there? Didn't
ne have any home Of his own asked
Toddie, with sudden interest. "I,d
! have played nice with him if I'd have
been there!''
I believe you would have, DEAR
Aunt Hannah said, earnestly. 81 want
you to remember this story all your
4 life, Toddie, and whenever you meet
cripple, to do your best to cheer him
up. Will you, Toddie I"
Toddie warmly promised that he
would do his very best.
This lame little boy" went on Aunt
Hannah, whose story am telling you
lived in the mountains of North Caro-.
INA, down near where your Uncle
johns mica mine is. Your Uncle John
and were going down to see the mine
and we expected to arrive there be-
fore dark. But something went wrong
with the horses, and the carriage broke
down, and it was SO late that we had
to go into mountain cabin and ask
the people to keep us and our horses
over night.
The cabin was large and clean and
the people seemed kind and prepared
US nice hot supper, and made US com
portable, and we expected to continue
on our Journey the next day.
But IN the morning 1t was raining
hard, and'Fwe couldn't CO., went on
Aunt Hannah, land then the second
day 1t rained again; and the third day
it was raining just like this-and all
the fields and mountains sides were
overrun with little torrents!
J, 'The first two days I was patient
and cheerful. So that wouldn't be in
anybody's way, stayed in my room
and sat by the window and read. But
A when I got up the third morning and
lokoed at the sky, said to Uncle John.
I think this is too, too mean for any
thing! just as you said this morning,
you know. Toddie!
II was tired of reading, and after
breakfast went and sat out in the
kitchen and watched the work go on;
and it was then that noticed the little
lame child for the first time. You see
if it hadn't rained the third day, Tod
:, die, I'd have gone away without seeing
him, probably.
4 "The child was only about seven
teen months old, but so bright and so
smart, he would have seemed older if