Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1874 — Frank’s Pass. [ARTICLE]

Frank’s Pass.

Frank was a bright little five-year-old fellow, full of fun and anxious to make himself of consequence. Armed with a stick, he would feel as brave as a lion among the hens and chickens; and as they scudded away from this dreadful creature to take shelter wherever they could find it he would say to himself, “I guess they think I’m a giant ;" only he pronounced the word “ zhi-ant.” He would even attack the old cock and walk right up to the big turkey-gobbler. But there was one animal which caused Master Frank to quail with terror, especially when alone and alter dark. Do you want to know what it was? I will tell you. It was a mouse! Yes; a little brown mouse, with his bright eyes and pretty tapering tail, would: make our bold little boy tremble and scream; and if he chanced to light on several of these pretty creatures playing together -you would have supposed that he had run against a herd of buffaloes. Very silly, wasn't it? Now, every night on his way to bed Frank had to pass through a lonely •room where mice and rats would Sometimes peep out of their holes and scamper over the floor, frightening him sadly and causing him to clasp mamma’s hand more tightly and hurry along as fast us -possible. But one night, when it came bedtime, mamma was sick up-stairs, and nurse away, and no one with Frank in the sit-ting-room but papa, who was busy reading his newspaper. So the little^hoy was told to march up-stairs.to bed alone. “ <Bi, papa!” said lie, “ I’m afraid to.” “Afraid of wliaj,?” said papa. “Afraid of the rats and mice, papa, in the big lumber-room.” “ Dh, nonsense!” said papa; “if that's all I’ll soon fix you out." So papa took his writing materials and wrote this: TO ALL THE RATS ANI) MICE IN THIS lIOCSE, t.REETi no ; ton arc hereby ordered to let my little boy Frank pass safe through the tiimber-rooin. and all other rooms, at all times. This order will stand good till countermanded. Any rat or mouse disobeying w ill be dealt with according to law. Witness my hand and seal. Then papa signed the paper, and sealed -it with a —big—red—seal,—and gave it to~ Frank, who thanked papa, kissed him good night, and trudged up-stairs without another word; for he had often seen papa give passes to people who wanted to go somewhere, or do something, and he had a high opinion of his father’s “ passes.” So, when he came to the door of the lumber-room he flung it wide open, and called out, “ Ho! Misses rats and mice, you can’t touch me: here’s my pass.” And every night when he went up to bed he held out his pass to the rats and mice; and none of them ever did him any harm. —The Nursery.