Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-30


lance. Then down she ran In hel
nightgown and sped quickly across the
green lawn out where the lamb was
lying.
1t looked at her with piteous eyes
and tried to rise; and she petted ane
coaxed 1t. And presently it was strong
enough to hoDble by her side to the
porch, where she made it bed of rugs
and cushions. And, finally, she tel
asleep by the side of the lamb WITH
her hand on it's warm back.
When Mary's mother looked into mel
nttle girls room that morning she
Iound shoes and stockings and little
gown ana petticoat but no Mary. sc
she fastened down the stairs anO
there she saw the open door and wen,
out. There on the porch among some
rugs, warm in the sunlight, lay-whati
Two heads were raised at once and
Mamma looked into her little girls
eyes and a lambs eyes.
20 Mamma! Mamma! mayn't KEEP
it," cried Mary; and the lamb softly
bleated, Mama! Ma-ma!"
Mamma was astonished and then she
laughed and said the lamb certainly
might stay little while.
1t was very busy day at Mary's
house, for the newcomer had to be
washed and be fed and be combed and
be brushed, and be adorned with gay
ribbons and the lame foot was to be
made well and strong. The day was
full of Joy, besides; for Marys father
found the drivers who had passed that
morning and they said Mary was wei.
come to keep the little lame lamb.
One breezy day the postman brought
Thelma this little letter:
Dear Thelma-Will you come to play
with me this afternoon?
The Real Mary.
So, when Thelma had had her after
dinner nap, and her eyes had grown
as bright as stars and her cheeks like
roses and she was dressed in the whit
est of white dresses and the bluest of
blue sashes, she and her mother set
out to walk along the pleasant country
road again. BY and by they came to
the large white house where they had
been before.
That's Car'lines house." said Thel-
ma
Mary is in the meadow said
Mary's mother, smiling at Thelma as
she opened her door. Just walk
down yonder little path until you come
to the stream. Jump across the water
and look over the wall, and you will
see her.
Thelma walked down the little path,
jumped across the tiny silver brook,
and peeped over the wall. And what
did she see?
There came the real Mary running
across the green meadows to meet her
the very Mary of the picture-book,
with strapped shoes and pink dress
and a large white hat with ribbons
floating in the wind. She held a blue
ribbon in her hand and the blue rib.
bon was tied around the neck of a
snow-white lamb that skipped and
jumped along after her.
you darling little Thelma!" said
Mary; and she helped Thelma over the
wall and let her pet the lamb, and lead
him by the blue ribbon, and feed him
with sweet red clover-tops.
What happy time they had! They
jumped and ran and played just as
lambs and little girls like to; and,
when they grew hungry, Mary brought
out basket that had been hidden
among the bushes, and spread their
tea on white cloth on the grass.
They had tiny sandwiches Just
crowds of them," Thelma said-and de-
licious little cakes and bottles of milk
to pour into the doll cups from which
they drank; and the lamb lay beside
them as they ate, and would have a
taste of everything.
When it was time to go, Thelma
kissed Mary and the lamb twenty
times apiece, and said: II shan't call
you Car'line, never no more; for you
are the real Navy"
Thelma and her mother walked
home across the fields, and Thelma
looked back again and again to see
Mary waving her hand and the lamb
skipping about her as she stood.-A
L. Sykes.