Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-02-28

baby. And then we'd laugh and romp
little and have the bestest time, and
then my Ma would get something good
for breakfast and tell me the incest
stories about other little boys what
did the nicetest things. Now the but
tons bother my Pa SO he can't think
any stories, and he has to hurry to
the store SOS to make money to buy
bread and bacon for Sonny, SO he
says
I'm Sonny, and there's Just Pa and
me at our house now. My Ma was the
nicetest lady and our house was the
nicetest place to live you ever saw.
Now she's gone away. They took her
In great, big box and my Pa says
she never can come back again. There's
a woman to our house who comes to
cook and sweep. but l don't like her
very much. She don't care for little
boys, and when 1 ask her things, she
says to me, she does: Now you keep
still and run away. I've got my work
to do and haven't time to talk to
you
My Ma always had time to talk to
me and she said such funny things we
used to get to laughing. and Just laugh
and laugh until we almost broke our
selves. And my Pa would come home
and find us and he'd say, like he was
mad, What's all this foolishness a-goin'
on?' And then he would catch my Ma
around the waist and snuggle her like
she snuggled me, and I'd hang onto
PAS hand and we'd all get to laughing
together. We had awful good times to
our house then. And after we'd had
supper, my Pa would say, Lets sit
down and talk awhile before we wash
the Dishes and my Ma and INV PA
and me would sit down In the omen
door II 1t was summer time, and talk
together and talk and talk.
"Those was the bestest times when
my Pa and my Ma used to talk and
talk till fell asleep and my Ma would
say, Goodness me, Sonny should have
been in bed an hour agov and at was
where she'd put me right off-smack |!
"Now It's turble lonesome, and nv
Pa he Just stares away off when asl,
him where my Ma can be. and he acts
like he didn't hear, and both his eyes
Is full of tears when we're alone, ana
he acts like something hurt him awful.
And when l ask him why she don't
( come back, and cry and say want my
Ma, he starts to cry too, till put nv
arms around his neck and say, Please
don't cry so hard, Is you got pain?'
And then he hugs me back and don't
make sound, and say: Poor Pa.
is you feeling so awful bad?
"Onct he told ME that my Ma had
gone 30 far away she never could come
back, but perhaps IL we were good we
might go some day to her. And said !:
Pa, let's go right off my Ma wants
US both and we're so lonesome. But he
don't seem to hear me and all he saws
is, oh, Sonny, don't, please don't
II can't feel happy when we're alone
just Pa and me. There isn't any fun
and we never get to laughing any more.
And nights sometimes when 1 wake
up. I'm most sure there's big black
bears in the room looking for little
boy to eat, and get scared and boiler
and sometimes my Pa isn't there. only
the woman at comes to cook and sween
and she acts cross cause I'm afraid
and she won't leave any light to scare
the bears away like my Ma used to
do. And she don't know funny stories
to tell to little boys and she never sings
pretty songs like my Ma used to sing
all around the house till almost
thought twas birds.
Sometimes most forget my Ma
has gone and think she's coming back
from somewhere shes been ut for lust
a little while, and pretty soon she'll
come and put supper on the table and
then we'll stand at the door a.watcb.
Ing tor ia to conc. ana pretty soon
ws'!l bear h!s whistle. and my Mas
checks wlll Est all eInE And warm ind