The Youth's Companion Part 14

"Well, if Aunt Gussie and Annie say so, I will let you off this time,"

said mamma, with the little pinch of pepper in her hand all ready.

"But remember, if I ever hear your tongue call any one 'Pig' again, I shall put the pepper on it and burn out the naughty spot."

Chubby Wubby sobbed over and over again, "Never no more, mamma," and Aunt Gussie and Annie were very glad to say they would not like to have their darling punished "this time," and Aunt Gussie whispered to little f.a.n.n.y's mamma, "I feel half to blame myself, for I suppose she thinks if I call her a _name,_ she may call me one," and after that day little f.a.n.n.y never called anybody "Pig," and Aunt Gussie stopped calling f.a.n.n.y "Chubby Wubby."

G. de B.

For the Companion.

LITTLE RUDOLPH.

_"Guten morgen! Guten morgen!"_ [*]

Sounded at my door, Eager footsteps in the entry Outside, and before I could answer, on the threshold, Happiest in the land, Stood my little German neighbor, Bowing, hat in hand!

[Ill.u.s.tration: (rudolph)]

But I scarcely knew my Rudolph.

What do you suppose Changed him so? He laughed and shouted, "Don't you see my clothes?

I'm a boy at last! And even If my hair does curl, Folks won't ever dare to call me Any more, a girl,--

"Will they?" "No," I said, half sadly, You're a big boy now!

"I shall miss my baby Rudolph."

Such a saucy bow As he gave me! But his sweet face, Br.i.m.m.i.n.g o'er with joy, Made me glad we'd changed our baby To a noisy boy.

M. M.

[Footnote *] Good-morning.

For the Companion.

"PINKY."

Pinky was a white mouse that a friend of mine bought when it was very young, and so small that when it was more than two months old it would amuse itself by running back and forth through her finger ring, as she held it on the table like a hoop; and he seemed to like his plaything so well, that when he got too large to get through, his mistress let him wear it round his neck as a collar. But soon he outgrew it, and then Pinky had to give up his little gold toy altogether, and made friends with a spool of cotton, which he would get out of the work-basket, stand up on the end and sit upon and then with his tiny paws unwind the cotton, twirling the spool round on the polished table, and so giving himself a ride, and looking very cunning perched up there.

Sometimes his mistress would hold a knitting needle over the table, and he would put his fore paws over it, and dance up and down the whole length of the needle until he was tired.

He had a little red cloak with a hood, and he would stand quite still to have it put on, and then scamper off to a little block house the children had, and would peep out of one of the windows, looking for all the world like a little "Red Riding Hood."

There is always danger in letting our playful pets play too much, and one day poor Pinky laid in his kind mistress' hand, seemed tired and sick, and the next day in her hand he died.

The moral of this true story is,--always let your pets, whether puppies, or kittens, or anything else, have plenty of time to rest and sleep.

R. R.

For the Companion.

IN THE DARK.

I know it is dark, my darling, And fearful the darkness seems; But shut your eyes! in a moment The night will be bright with dreams; Or, better, you'll sleep so sound all night It will _seem_ but a moment till morning light.

There is only one kind of darkness That need to trouble us, dear; Only the night of temptation, And then we must all of us fear.

Yet even then, if we are but brave, There is ONE who is ever at hand to save.

We have only to ask Him to help us, And He will keep us from harm; Only to whisper, "Jesus!"-- His Name is a holy charm: "Jesus, save me!" we need but say, And the night of temptation will flee away.

How can He be always near us?

Near all of us, everywhere?

Ah! that is beyond our knowing; But there is no bound to His care, And dear as the whole big world in His sight, Is the little child that He bids _good-night._ Harriet McEwen Kimball.

For the Companion.

PATTY'S FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL.

Patty was only four years old, but she was just crazy to go to school.

Her three older brothers and sisters all went, and why couldn't she? So, as much to quiet her teasing as anything, her mother fixed her off to school with the rest, one winter morning more than thirty years ago.

Miss Dobbs, the teacher, was very strict and made the scholars learn well, but I'm afraid they did not love her as much as if she had been more gentle with them. But it was the fas.h.i.+on in those days for teachers to be severe, and whip the scholars whenever they needed it.

The school-room was a new place to little Patty's round eyes, and for the first hour she kept very still, looking about in wonder at all she saw and heard. She sat with her oldest sister, Anna, and felt very well pleased with everything.

By-and-by she wanted something else to do, and spoke up promptly, in her sharp little voice, "Anna, I want to see the pictures in your Dogathy!"

Of course all the scholars laughed.

Miss Dobbs rapped on the desk sharply with her rule. "Silence!" The house became quiet.

"You must not speak out loud in school again," she said, sternly, to Patty. "I shall punish you if you do."

Patty was very angry. "What right had Miss Dobbs to speak so to her?"

she thought.

She began to be afraid of Miss Dobbs, but she was sure Anna would not let any harm come to her little sister. She slipped down quietly off the seat, and sat down on the floor under the big desk. There Miss Dobbs could not see her, and she could free her mind. So again her clear voice rang out, "Miss Dobbs is drefful cross, isn't she, Anna?"

The scholars laughed again, but Miss Dobbs walked quickly up to the desk, pulled out little Patty, and boxed her ears soundly. Then sitting her down hard on the seat, she left her with a stern "Now see if you can keep still!"

Patty was too scared to cry. She found Miss Dobbs was to be minded, and for the rest of the winter she went to school and was as good a little girl as you could wish to see.

M. C. W. B.