Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1876 — Our Young Folks. [ARTICLE]

Our Young Folks.

imiiß KATIE’S niHf TEA* R).* PaRTT > T . t Katie staod on the porch steps ahd watched them drtte otT. They did 'took 1 ho pretty-Wjousln Lily In bar white frooltp kill ruffles and puffs; Cousin Lulu in,her blue Sltl; Shff Aflßlir a hli Velvet knickerbockers. “They are as beautiful as my pa’per dolls.’,’ said Katie. And could higher praise be given i tihe watched them until she lost sight 6t the carriage over the hill, and then she sat down on the door-' step; and I grieve to say she wept I . What bad bappencrl to the sun ? I declare, it was hiding its face behind a cloud, 'just as Katie was behind her apron. ’But r ant sure he could iof- be crying because Ids little cousins;had gone to a party and jhe hadn’t,been invited., Why, die very idea ia too absurd. And then the birds arid the'katydids and'the tree-toads nttrf all been giving concerts of their own, and now they sang a chorus: “Little Katie Ulosaom couldn’t, go! Little Katie Blosspm couldn't go!” . ~ ■ . .< • “It is too bad,” said Katie, looking up' leploitthfully arid Wiping he^eyes, ' “ trie yox to go on like that. It fsß’W my fault .that Mamie Hichards. didn’t invite 1 srippose she was 1 talking to the birds .and katydids; but they didn’t pay the ’least attention and went on with their own business, I think Katie must, have been mistaken about the song they sang. I 'listened; but I only heard “tweak, tweak; Katydid, Katydidn’t; hum, hum; and bazz, buzz.” . , In a few minutes little Katie felt ashamed of herself for crying, and, after staying out just long enough to iet the tears dry and her cheeks grow cool, she i entered tffe house. i y *J)ra r -”i h.¥% ITBfadt* sMd Mrs. "Wthd wsrt I httsy>#B the big kitokun baking riake tm\ ■ tea. “ Run away and play. Go dpwn.tp [your .He ia.making hay this afternoon.”

i So Katie' Went. Mrs. Blossom was rathjer cross that afternoon. The kitchen was very hot, the cake had to be baked, and S lots of nice things made for tea, ior Mrs, 'Blossom had visitors. Mrs. Smith, the : mamma of Lilly and Lulu, ahd Katie’S [mint had come to spend the summer at the old homestead where,she and her brother, Mr. Blossom, baa lived when they were young/ That'was many years ago, and Mrs. Smith had become a fashionable city lady since then, with beautiful dresses and, what Katie inwardly proud wars. That was how it Happened that ; Lulu and Lilly - and AttKlir ‘hacTbfeeriTnvitoULtoa party at the grand. House id tbb Ivilljurffc ft-nii little KM.tn u whu lm.iJ no . iwrT L” i 'Whiwj SwwaMw™ wlt ■'looked■ ‘sO very and bright that he* . spirits rose, and die felt so happy she could not help giving .little skips. Wlihn ahe reached the field she found all busy. Even the lazy oxen wene working haid to get the new-mewn : hay into the barn. Perhaps .they under‘stood they were storing away their dinners for the long winter days. Little Katie stdod and ‘WatoliW them. Tke boys, iu their bed Bhrrts, raking the sweet smelling hay; the men with long Yolks tossed it qn the carts; anff the oyep were'“ geehawed aud gee-uped to the barn.” Kiltie [kept out of the way as best she could, but the men seemed to be in the whole field ■at ones. So at test Mr. Blossom called out: “ Run home, Katie; you are in the way here.” | “Dear me!” said Katie, as she turned .rather sadly, away, “qO one seams to want rite very mudh. I wondei - ;’ 4 ' she went on, talking to herself, •’‘why mother never kisses me the way Auntie kisses Lulu and Lily. Herhftps it is because we are poor and'don’t have time.” 1 Little Katie wished way down in that [good little heart of hrirs that they were irich and had more time; for, though she Joyed her mother dearly, she* longed for a little of tfie petting she saw bestowed uporiher cousins.

* Bhe'wandered along past the farmhouse and through the woods, until she came a brook; and there she sat down and watched the w&ter.dashingand splashing over the stones. Presently a. happy thought struck her. She would have a party of her own. ■ 1 •< You, little reader, who have, a pretty tea-set and lots of do{lies, in the nursery, wotild have laughed at her tea-party had you seen it; yet Kati£ thought it. whs beautiful. She found a flat rpek, ah A 6A* it she placed all the little flat' stones and pebbles she, eould;.find. She .soon had dishes for si), and fflen, picking spmg flowers and ted berries, she put them on the plates.'‘ Then shb’fbtthd some larger stoneb, and arranging them around the edge, they formed the company; A very long and thin stone she named Arabella, and a very; short and tat ong sue called George Whshjngton. Theh, seating herself at the head of the table, the feast bdniL i — ■*% ~. , 4 si iv , i i .Now it.happened that old Mr. Brown had walked from the village and w'as taking a quiet stroll through the woods. He was thinking of the next chapter to the jfreat book'’be was writing. The first thing he knew he tripped over a little girl and knocked down a pile of stones. “ Dear! dear!” said Mr. Brown, looking through his spectacles “ What’s all this!”’ But Katie didn’t hearhim. She was busy picking up,the pd>}e and examining, the, ■niured company. , •j ‘‘‘Oh*!ihy!’’ i Clie’slfid*pickit(gap Vlong'’ tjiin stone rad'fl’vdfy snort' one. ** Whit' shal l'l dob l What shall I dot” i ■ < : M r - BrbWn : robbed bis spectacles, and looked again and again; but hq could See nothing but a little girl sitting on the grass and holdidg’kime stones in her lap.'- --T+-■ a - “.I am sorry,!’ he said. “ Have I done any damage,!”. ~ , r NO,” said Katie. ” Only you see Lulh and Tilly havd gone to a party, and I thought T’would have one too. Bo I invited Arabella and George Washington; and you see you tipped us over, and tore Arabella’s areas most awful and broke George Washington’s neck.” “l)ear! dear! What a pity!” said Mr. Brown, sitting down on the grass beside her. “Perhaps you will let me take George Washington,’* place at the party, and we . ; knd ofieriSdbta a blade of gtfess and a bhlo- forgdt-mfe-not, 'oh,»sipne pia**, “ T’Jiank jpu”’.saW Mr. Brown, with f"Hati#> the team roiled down her,oheeks;to*bp the old gentleman 'pass the bumercups to Miss Arabella and help her with great gallantry to a dead ladybttg. ’ A plCafeahter tea-party cOnldn’t be imagined than Katie had that afternoon in the woods. • On thp way pome, as she trotted beside her new friend, holding his hand tight, she told him ail about the, other party. “ Ahd why aidii’t you go too?” ho asked. “Obs saW Katie, “ I Hadn’t any pretty dress; and then I Wasn’t invited/’ “ I donn think it was very* kind of Lulu and Lilly to go without yob,” said Mr. 'Brown. “ But they dftl want to go so dreadfully,:’ said Katie; “ and they did look so beautiful, just like fairies; and they will haVe such a splendid time. Why, you don't understand about it at all,” added Katie, after a pause. “They wear’silk

AlOu • VOli BCf. . • " Dhl yof." said MrMkriwn. AadstooprSSS Si t her cousins, yeiy tired and stoepy, .wm^ The next morning she had up waft hrifors tlixv cane HlnlSf iau>. Uii bIS, ffikn'aSouri’ ties, nit s-< v • .*. -..iff iA .iimH said^lr 7>y 9aqn^f,t * , « “A» lor Maiale,” sUld Luln, * f T ham ;4We. didn’t Lava akiiee time at all, ».t S “^l)eaf r me,» laid “■rehad'A'beaatifkl time at my party.”J- l #;* - a party r • “Ohl 'noUlliDg,” tnid Katie, hmtfty. veryiden. •“ “ T *> is j»-7Tj “ OKI yes,”, said Arthur; “hut it waft jioor stun—not our city ice.” Little Katie was mttre* mystified than ever. thsy mean shout, Icecream not being good. She could not understand It.' But at that moment a" trwmftndoMk kpockiftg was heard at the.door, and. the whole party, of children rushed into the hall, while Katie opened the door. , , , !* i,. 4.. U , “ A note for MiSa Katie Blossom,” said a strange man, and she Was si surprised she could not say a word, but just stared at the envelope and read her own name. When she opened tt she found this note: the .pleas ura> of nhebuaemiitmy to-morrow afternoon.at tiveo'dsek- -3bU —ma il HlossOm read' it, but could' not; make it out. Auntie read it, and,sjl the children; and yet n 6 ohe Understood it in the least And Mrs. Smith said she thought ” the maa must be crazy.” But Katie knew better, and how she longed for to-morrow. Wheft the day came, how she triaged for five O’CIQCk. . ... I* <4*

At last'the clock said four, and Katte, In hwyjrettiest catfco and her hair as smooth as a great brushing could make it, started for the stone honse, where Mr. Brown, the rich old bachelor, lived. She did not ride, as her cousins did the day before, because she had no white frock and bronze 1 shoes, to be injured by the dusty .road. I think she looked just ay pretty as though she had, and she managed tdsk fp ’fttot g'Wbflt 1 As «»t TKfiMSSfltte 3 tiV horish,-* wWch’ ‘' Woritfi wevc?" Wive been heard if some one imd not been washing for her, was answered by a motherly old ladyi whb kissed her and ' took her sunbonnet. f.’.f '>l > . Of ■ *i “Go into that room, dear,” she sai<n “and triakeyorirself at home.” So Katie gently opened the door.. Sh« stood a. moment and stared about her, with her eyes as big as aauceris; and then she gave a great shout of delight, and I don’t wonder a bit. In the center of the room was a low table, jnst high enough for Katie; and on it were all manner of good things, touch cakes m hearts and mounds', such Jams and tarUets, such sugar-pbMM and sach a lot. of ice-cream. An empty chair stood at the head of the table, and one still larger art the foot; but around the sides were, ranged in little chairs six dollies, so beautilulandso njagv. nificentiy attired that Katie was lost m wonder and deUghtc > *>. , U * * 4;. <ti not recognize them at first. I dont want you to think that Mr. Brown kept a stock of dolls and playthings on hand: nor yet that was one' «f. those faity godmotliem who lived so far hack as “ once upon a time.” No, irideea, bht Mr. Brown had plenty of money mod* there.were shops in • town, so he did, ju«t t ahpu j ; ju. well, as though he had been a fairy with a wand. I can’t tell you whata glorious time talked, how* Mr. BriJwn Hsterien, nor yet how well the dollft behaved. ... .=■ f When the time came for Katie to go home she Went rather badly tri bid the* dolls (good-bye; anff then Mr. Brown told her they were all hers—the table and dishes arid m* sfc4lies: ; : if breath. —; * . The last time I heard of Katie, rite was nri'longbr little, hut growing to be a big girl, and asweetonetoo; andkerhipplest hours werg those she spent, nql witu her doll or at tea-parties, but with her dear old friend. —Sydney ‘Lee, tp Y. Independent.