SPARROW, THE TRAMP.
“The sparrow again waited until the child had almost reached him.”—Page 155.
Sparrow, the Tramp.
A Fable for Children.
By LILY F. WESSELHOEFT.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSIE McDERMOTT.
BOSTON:
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
1902.
Copyright, 1888,
By Roberts Brothers.
University Press:
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge.
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE.
The lamented author of “Little Women” inher last days read with great delight the manuscriptof this little story; and its publication isowing greatly to the interest which she hadin it.
Mrs. Polly.
[Pg 7]
SPARROW, THE TRAMP.
——◆——
CHAPTER I.
“Let that sugar-bowl alone, Posy,”said Tom, as Posy extracted alump while they were waiting for Papaand Mamma to come down to breakfast.
“I’m not taking it for myself,” answeredPosy, as plainly as the large lump in hermouth permitted her to speak; “I’m onlyjust getting a lump for Dicky.”
“That’s a story,” said Tom.
“I was only just tasting it to see if itwas a real sweet lump,” said Posy verydistinctly now, for the lump had disappeared.“I didn’t mean to eat it, but itwent all to pieces in my mouth.”
[Pg 8]
“You might have known it would,” saidTom.
“I guess I’d better pick out a real hardlump next time,” said Posy; and she madeup her mind not to put that one in hermouth, so she only lapped it a little as shewalked towards the canary’s cage.
Just then a noise was heard from thechina-closet, and Tom at once went to seewhat it was.
“Why, there’s a mouse-hole right inthe corner of that upper shelf,” he said;“I thought it sounded like a mouse gna