Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-02-17
Adopting an Orphan.

/ Deacon FlintS WldoWn0od, suggested
| that he tHke a girl from the orphan
asylum to keep house and for COM
pany.
The deacon started for the city next
morning and returned in the evening
with the orphan. Her name was
| Ruth. The deacon liked her at first
| glance, and he kept liking her better
all day. Before going to bed that night
she was shown over the house and
through the pantry and told what to
get for breakfast and at what hour to
have it ready. and the deacon's heart
swelled up as she called to him:
"Good night, my own dear old papa.
Your little daughter is awfully glad
she has come to live with you"
Breakfast was to be ready at 6.
The deacon oversight, and it was Z
before he got out of bed and went
| downstairs. There was no one about.
He knocked at the daughters door,
but got no answer. He went outside
to look for her, and, finding nothing, he
returned and opened the door Of her
room. She was still asleep, but when
he called to her she woke up and de-
manded to know what was wanted.
"You should have had breakfast all
ready an hour ago."
mot on your life" she exclaimed.
when you get it ready come and call
me-"
"But-but, what do you meanw de-
manded the astonished man.
you skiddoO and don't ask questions.
Say, pop, you might as well under
stand right now that I'm a lady and
must be treated as such. After this l
shall take my breakfast in bed'
The deacon got breakfast, and Miss
Ruth came down. She found fault
with everything and when reproved
gave him such back talk that he
reached over and boxed her ears. The
next minute everything on the table
! she could reach was flying at his head.
| After being hit by three plates, the
cruet. the coffeepot and the sugar
bowl he flew the coop and made his
way to the parsons house.
"Ah," said the good man, II was
wondering if you came home last night
and brought the orphan with you"
81 did," exclaimed the deacon with
great deal of energy.
"And-and"-
"And you come over and see her.
She was as humble as a kitten last
night but this morning she seems to
be limb of Satan"
When the house was reached the
adopted orphan was found in the yard
throwing pieces Of the broken crock
cry at the hens. and she had already
| famed an old rooster and knocked
| speckled hen gally west.
| Morning. parson," she called out.
81 suppose pops been telling what
bad kid am? If he wasn't a dub he'd
have stayed and fought it out with
me-"
"My dear child, / am sorry to hear
such reports of you," solemnly replied
| the parson. "You seemed to me the
other day to be such an innocent. hum
BILE young girl that
"That was in the game, parson.
was after papa and home. Oh,
can be an angel when l want to. See
me knock that black hens head off,"
The parson and the deacon walked
aside to consult, and the latter asked
in anxious tones:
"Well, what shall do about it?"
"Sit down with her and talk of
heaven and angels and appeal to her
better nature. I think you will have
her crying in five minutes. 1t seems
that in some way l must have got
wrong impression of the child"
The good man returned home, and
the deacon sat down to try moral sua-
sion. The village graveyard was in
sight, and he looked over at the stones
and asked the girl If she knew where
good folks went to when they died.
"Oh, come OFF, she answered. Cant
we go to a circus or something today?
/ knew you was an old poke, but I've
| come to stir you up. Come in and
shave. don't like your whiskers."
AhS uOoNOh iooC dP anu IOOh ucI ny
the ear and led her into the house and
locked her up In a closet and said
something about bread and water until
she could behave herself. He then
went to the field to put In a short fore
| noon. At IL o'clock, when he came
back, the closet door lay on the floor,
the table and chairs were on their
backs, and the girl was getting ready
to smash windows. The deacon went
out and cut and trimmed a peach tree
limb and wore 1t out around her Shout
ders and locked her up In another
closet. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon
his barn was found to be on fire and
couldn't be saved. He went to the
house to find the prisoner gone, every
thing a wreck and the following note
pinned to a door:
Dear Papa-You are no gentleman, and
I don't like your style. As you can't
hustle. l will.
And on top of that the good parson
came around to condole with him and
to say:
81 guess we made a mistake deacon
I'M % 49,