Year: 1872

STORY FOR THE LITTLE ONES


Trot seems more like the name of dog
than of bright rosy boy, yet Mrs. Tin
ker's little sons name was Trot. 1t was
quite a good name for any one who ran
about as much as he did, and this was the
way he obtained it:


When he was baby boy, his mother
used to ride him on her knee and sing
this little verse:


Is The ladies they ride, so pretty, so pretty, so


The gentlemen ride faster faster faster;


The little boys ride trot trot, trot, trot, trot-"


Suiting the motion to the song, the
baby boy would listen, and then cry:


I'm Trot, I'm little boy"
And so he began to be called Trot, and
as he grew older his father and mother
kept it up.


Trot had no brothers or sisters, and
wanting something to play with, was
fond of pets, and always had bird, OIL
Cat, or dog A cousin who lived in the
country remembered this trait of Trot's
and sent him for a Christmas present d
little eel, about half as long as a shoe
string and dace, tiny brown fish with
| a lighter stripe down each side of his
body like regimentals. These little fellows
came FROM fresh stream in the fiel !, and
were lively and graceful, swimming about
in the clear warer.


Mrs. Tinker found large glass globe
on the top shelf of the closet, and put
ting bright shells and red and white coral
in the bottom. she filled it with water,
and placed the fish in it, Trot was per,
fectly delighted, and when she bought a
| gold fish and put it with the others, he
was the happiest boy one could see in
many day. His mother helped him to
take care of them, the only thing which
was necessary being to change the water
once in a day or two, and feed them very
small hits of raw meat, like pin points,
once a week.


Trot named the dace Brownie the gold
fish Goldy, and the eel Snaks, and spent
his leisure time looking at them Goldy
would flash through the water swiftly
like beam of light, even disturbing the
level surface with his tail. Hither and
thither, up and down, lowering and rails
ing the broad fin ON his back and NOV
ing the small side ones like oars.
Brownie was much quieter, often hid
ing under a spray of cpral, and when he
swan, gliding quickly in zig zags from
the top to the bottom of the globe You
cnuld hardly see him open his mouth,
while Goldy kept his in motion as if he Was
sucking in all he could find from the
water When they were fed it was pretty
to see them pounce on the meat, and
when they had enough they would spit
out piece, and then Mrs. Tinker would


''There, Trot, don't give them any
more for fear it makes them sick"


Snaks hardly ever came out where he
could he seen, but lived mostly in the
piece of red coral. That had holes in it,
and Snaks would lie through it with his
head out one of the doors, as Trot called
the holes, as if he lived in a cave under
the water IF he saw any one looking at
him he would draw in and hide, and very
seldom came out to swim on the top OF
the water, though when he did, his swift
ness was wonderful, curving about like a
brown snake. Trot's fish were great
pleasure to others as well as to himself,
and they were as well and as happy as
possible.


When he had them for some time, his
cousin Dick came to spend few days
with Mrs. Tinker Trot was delighted al
the prospect of having some one to play
with him, and at first he and Dick had
the pleasantest times in the world. After
day or two they had used up all the
plays they both like, and little disputes
rose as to what ito do next" The fish
had been shown to Dick at first, and he
had admired them very much, and wish,
ed they were his, which TIot said could
not be. because


"I want them myself"


On one occasion. when they had de-
sided to play the Battle of Bunker Hill
with their tin soldiers, and the engage
ment was indefinitely postponed by both
parties refusing to take command of the
British forces, Dick suddenly jumped up
exclaiming:


"Oh, Snak's outr' and he ran to the
globe.


There was Snaks sure enough, thread
ing around on top of the water, his heaC
a little raised, and his beady eyes a
bright as could be.


"Oh, splendid Is't he jolly" CRIED
| Trot.


81 wish could take him in my hand,
said Dick.


"You couldn't hold him." said Trot
81 like Brownie best: see how tame ht
| isr and Trot put his finger in the water
and Brownie came to see if he could ge
anything to eat.


fsThere, you've frightened Snaksl'' sait
Dick, pushing Trot.


81 don't care; they're mine," replied
Trot. pushing up again


81 think you might let me have share
| in them," said Dick.


81 don't want to. replied Trot.


"Just let me feed them tomorrow,
said Dick.


No" replied Trot, pushing Dicl
roughly, for the boys were now elhowini
each othr- "It's only once week, anC
1 want tc % it myself"


"You always do it, and I'm goins
away pretty soon" said Dick, looking In
to Trot's face for relenting. Seeing
none, he put both his arms about thu
globe, saying, Then you shant SCI
item"


"Iwill," said Trot. putting his arm
over too; and they beg IN to struggle TO
the globe.


1t stood on a small table. and in tn,
contest the boys pushed against the tabl
so hard as to throw it yer, and they, tn,
table, globe, fish and water fell to tn
floor together.


"Oh! screamed Trot, jumping up
while Dick stood aghast at the disaster


Mrs. Tinker had heard the fall and raj
o see what was the natter. Trot mac
cut his finger on piece of glass, an(
both of the bows were wet through. I'M
globe was broken in many pieces, ane
the fish lay gasping on the floor
Mrs. Tinker repaired the damages ant
cleared away the ruins as well as sh.
could, and having heard how the accl
dent happened, separated the boys TO
the afternoon. When they came in t.
supper. Trot ran to the basin where tn
fish had been placed to see how the.
Jared. Brownie was floating on the to!
of the water with his back downward
Jaad Trnt went tn he'd In tears