Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-18
Joseph, His
Mother and
. The Fish


win turned the corner, and, sure
enough she was carrying parcel;
but instead of having it tucked under
carefully.
ooh, mother, is 1t for me?" shouted
Joseph, his eyes shining, as soon as
his mother had stamped the snow off
her feet and come in.
Eyes, it's for you, Joseph; but you
must let me help open the bundle, be-
cause it's something that will spill"
And together they sat down on the
rug in front of the open re, and JOS
eph excitedly began to unite the
string and take off the paper, while his
mother held the bundle very still.
"Oh-they're gold fish-three little
bits Of ones,-and don't they shine!
What shall we give them to eat? and
what shall we name them? and what
is that green twig in the bowl for?"
Joseph was all interest and and eager
ness as he bent his black head over
the bowl
That's not twig. dear, though it
does look like twig from larch tree,
doesn't It? It's just piece Of kind
of sea weed, and the fish like to dart
through 1t. and rub their noses against
It. And look in my muff. and you'll
find q little tin box of fish food. The
fish man said If we gave them Just q
little each day, they would keep we'll,
and II we would give them each day
at just the same hour they would
learn to expect US, and would get
tame, just as canary birds or rabbits
or any pets are, and would snap for
the food the minute we put it in"
Joseph had opened the box carefully.
Shall we feed them each day, just
now-just before supper?" he asked.
Eyes, if you like. and remember
they will be your little pets, If you
don't forget them"
Joseph dropped few grains Of the
food in, thoughtfully. But, mother.
fish don't ever get tame. do they? Did
you ever see tame fish,"
Eyes, ever SO long ago, when I was
q. little girl; and they were not fish
in a bowl. like these, but wild trout
in mountain stream, up In the noun
tains in California"
zone summer, when you went cam.
ping with your mamma and papa"
Joseph's voice was always witfu1 over
camping stories. Why couldn't he
have been taken camping every sum-
mer, and slept on bed Of fir boughs,
all rolled snug and warm in a big
buffalo robe, blinking up at the stars,
till he fell asleep-the way his mamma
did when she was a little girl!
Eyes," said Mrs. Baldwin, smiling.
I'VE had camp one summer near
cold little creek, and when we scamp
cred to the creek to wash, or to bring
water to camp, We often saw big fat
trout; but the minute they saw us
they darted away like a flash!''
But I thought you said they were
tame" Joseph prompted.
mot at first, but by a great deal OF
patience my little sister. who loved all
animals, and never wanted q fish
caught or a quail shot, finally tanned
them. She chose little clump Of f1r-
trees that grew at the edge of the
creek, and from behind them, every
day, just after lunch, she would throw
crumbs into the creek For a week
she was very, very careful to make
no noise, and to keep we'll behind her
little trees Then for day or two
she let just a little bit Of her dress
show, and the fish, who had grown
to expect their food every day, and
had found out that there were no fish,
hooks under the crumbs, to be jerked
into their mouths. very gradually grew
less and less afraid, until finally Janet
could stand right over them, on mar
row plank she had put across the
creek. and the fish would come dart.
ing to her from up stream and down,
fighting for the food, splashing and
jumping, not in the least afraid; and
Janet was so pleased! I can see her
now, as she used to stand bareheaded
In the sunshine, on her little trout
bridge, as she called it, throwing
crumbs to the fish and laughing to see
them snap for them almost before they
touched the water"
and did you feed them, too, nam
MAJ" Joseph was looking into the fire
as if he saw the camp, too, and felt
the clear mountain sunshine.
mo, indeed" Mrs. Baldwin went on.
THE fish are smarter than most PEG.
pie think them. Let any one but
Janet go out on the plank, and not q
single fish would appear, no matter
how many crumbs were thrown to
tempt them. But the minute Janet
ran out again, and every one else dis
up darted innumerable hun.
CRY, friendly fish.
And now, Joseph, I'm nice and
warm. and We'll put the fish bowl up
here on the corner of the table, with
the little tin box Of food In the table
drawer; and every afternoon we'll
feed them together, and see If we
can make them tame-shall we?''
And can tell them apart already"
announced Joseph, 80 can name
them I'll call the goldest one Mug.
get. and the one with the black spot
on his TAIL Spottail, and the one with
three parts of his tail, We'll call Look
sharp You didn't know there was one
with three parts to his TAIL did you,
mother" Joseph demanded, laughing.
No. admitted Mrs. Baldwin, look
ing curiously into the bowl, II hadn't
noticed. But I'm glad you did, because
think maybe you would make good