Year: 1875

Mrs. Osgood was frail, delicate
woman, as SO many New England women
unfortunately are. She worked all the
forenoon about her house, keeping every
nook and corner of it spotlessly neat,
and getting dinner which made every
neighbor who happened in at meal time
smack his lips and say: "What good
cook Osgood's wife is 70 But by the
time all was done, and the dishes were
washed after her MONDAY meal, Mrs.
Osgood was well nigh "done too. She
had no strength left, and little patience.
At such times a grasshopper was bur-
den-how much more q baby But
those were the very times little Sammy
took in which to make his presence most
sensibly felt. Jenny Osgood was ten
years old when Sammy was born. Dur
ing these ten years between there had
beep no baby, and when Sammy made
his appearance his parents were divided
between surprise and satisfaction.


Jenny was all satisfaction at first.
She had always envied other girls their
baby brothers and sisters, with their odd
little fingers and wonderful pink toes;
and now she had little natural curiosity
in her own house, as pink, as small, and
as astonishing as the best of them. But
when Nurse Williams went away, and
Mrs. Osgood began to do her own old
tasks again, with the care of baby added,
then Jenny's troubles began. When she
came in at noon, it was "Jenny, won't
you take the baby while 1 get the dinner
on9" When she came home at night, it
was, "Oh, you've come, Jenny; I'm
glad, for L want you to take the baby,
and let me rest little-my head is burst
. ing ~ s -. g.. W


Jenny remarked, confidentially, to her
best friend, Susy Pine, that it was al
ways that baby, and she believed if he
were going to be a baby always she
should hate him, but she s'posed he
would grow up some day.


Meantime Sammy was an engaging
little creature. He was never very
strong, how should he be when his
mother was so worn with care, and he
drew in WEAKNESS with his very milk
But he was little blue-eyed blossom of
q baby; too fair for human uses, and
with q sort of uncanny wisdom in his
face which Jenny never noticed, but
which made older folks say they didn't
believe that that Osgood baby would
ever live to grow up.


He was slow about learning to walk.
and when he was year old Jenny had
still to drag him in his little carriage.
Sometimes she liked this well enough.
for she was not a bad girl, only little
selfish, as girls of her age are so apt to
be, and she truly loved her little brother
But when he interfered with her own
plans and pleasures she was sorely i'm
patient with the hindrance. One noon
time in early May sho was tying on her
hat in the schoolhouse entry. 1t was
Saturday, and there would be no more
school that day. The sweet spring air
was swelling all the young buds to
blossoming, and all the young hearts to
song and laughter. The children were
full of fun, bubbling over with the
spring-time, that was as much awake in
their hearts as it was in the babbling
brooks and opening flowers and the
young green on the rejoicing trees.
Everybody was full of plans for the
precious afternoon. Susy Pine came up
to Jenny.


GAS for us, let us go and get violets.
I know where there are great banks OF
them. I'll come for you, and we'll gel
enough to fill cups and saucers. Will
you3" E


Yes, indeed;" and then Jennie's
face darkened, as an April sky does with
a rising shower. "I don't know.
There's always that baby. Mothers
been baking to-day, and s'pose she's
tired. Shouldn't wonder if her head
ached liked to split. Well, you come
round and see. If l can get away / will. >


Jenny went home rather slowly
Somehow there wasn't SO much sprins