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Only a little, and other stories, by A.L.O.E.
Only a little and other stories by ALOE Author:Charlotte Maria Tucker Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ttle Brother. P I'm to be kept away from the Christmas feast just because of this tiresome Tommy, I'm sure that I'll wish him far enough away !" cried Sarah C... more »heeseman, rocking herself to and fro on her three-legged stool before the fire, in order to put to sleep a pale little boy whom she held in her arms. "Poor little Tommy!" said Carry softly ; " he does not want to go to sleep. See, his eyes are wide open." " But he must go to sleep I" cried herelder sister, with some impatience. " I've ever so many things that I want to do, and that I can't do with this great heavy boy in my arms ! Ah, you are going to cry, Tommy, are you ? If you do, I'll beat you !" The poor child seemed to understand the threat, for his cry died away into a low, weak whine. "Tommy is a dear little boy!—Tommy will be so good; won't he ?" said sweet- tempered, kind-hearted Carry, in a coaxing voice, to the child, as she knelt down on the floor beside him. " He's not good! He's the most troublesome, fidgety child in the village ; and it's too bad that I should be worried with him!" cried Sarah. "Why is he not like other children 1 Matty Lane could run alone at thirteen months old —most babies do before they are a year and a half; but here is this stupid lumpof a boy, who will be two years old on New Year's Day, and he can't—or won't —so much as stand on his feet. I've tried him twenty times, and he always tumbles down, and then takes to roaring, which brings me into trouble with mother. " It wants ten days to New Year's Day. Perhaps Tommy will walk by that time," said hopeful Carry. " He won't walk—I don't believe that he ever will walk!" cried the angry Sarah. " Does mother think that I can drag him about with me all my life 1" " I wish that I were big and strong enough to take him,...« less