Tom, Dot and Talking Mouse

Tom, Dot and Talking Mouse
and Other Bedtime
by J. G.
Kernahan and C. Kernahan

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Bedtime
Stories, by J. G. Kernahan and C. Kernahan
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Title: Tom, Dot and Talking Mouse and Other Bedtime Stories
Author: J. G. Kernahan and C. Kernahan

Release Date: September 29, 2006 [eBook #19409]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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TOM, DOT AND TALKING MOUSE
And Other Bedtime Stories
by
J. G. & C. KERNAHAN
Illustrated

[Frontispiece: Tom Lecky]

New York The Platt & Munk Co. Inc. Copyright, 1916, by The Platt &
Peck Co.

CONTENTS
The Miller's Mouse
The Old Rocking Horse
The Message of the Lily
Water-Lily's Mission

ILLUSTRATIONS
Tom Lecky . . . . . . Frontispiece
Little girls with flowers
Tom dreaming
Mouse at mouse-hole
Mouse at cobweb ladder
Little girls picking flowers
Child with basket of flowers

THE MILLER'S MOUSE
The reason why every one loved Tom Lecky so much was, I believe,
that he was so good-tempered, so cheerful and so unselfish.
Tom was not good-looking, and, indeed, if one were disposed to be
critical in such matters, one could have found fault with almost all his
features except his eyes. These were brown like sealskin, and nearly
always brimming over with merriment. But no one ever thought of
criticising Tom's features, and there really was a common belief among
the villagers that Tom was a handsome fellow. And indeed he was, for
his beautiful unselfish soul gave to his face a beauty which merely
regular features can never do.
Tom Lecky owned a flour-mill, which was situated a little way from
Ellingford, the village where he had been born. He was "well-off," for
the mill brought him a good deal of money. He had no relations, but
hoped to have a very near one--a wife. This was Anne Grey, the
blacksmith's daughter, who was as pretty as she was winsome. She was
fond of pretty things too, flowers especially, so it was Tom's delight to

gratify her fancy.
For this reason he bought Brooks's cottage, which had a lovely garden.
And week by week he purchased this or that to make his cottage pretty
and home-like for his bride. It would be difficult to tell how much
pleasure Tom found in furnishing this cottage. He would wander in the
garden-paths among the rose-bushes, smiling to himself as he thought
of the many surprises in store for Anne. But a surprise was in store for
him which was not at all pleasant. Anne Grey married some one else.
When Tom heard it, he locked up the pretty cottage, put the key in his
pocket, and went to the mill to live. To Anne he spoke no word, though
he saw her with her husband coming from the church. In fact, he spoke
to no one, but did his work at the mill like a man in a dream. Some
there were who tried to break through his stony reserve, but no one
succeeded. Tom Lecky had become hard and soured. He remained
alone in the mill--except for the mice, and for these he set traps. He
caught a great many, and plunged them, trap and all, into a bucket of
water. When he found a trap with a mouse in it he would look at the
little creature beating itself against its prison, turning rapidly round,
forcing its pointed nose between the wire bars, while its long tail hung
down through the bars on the other side. He would watch the bright
little eyes almost start from their sockets in fear and agony, and yet no
feeling of sorrow or pity came into his heart for the tiny captive, and
after a time with a smile on his face he would drown the little creature.
Could this be the Tom Lecky who had had almost the tenderness of a
woman at the sight of pain?
Tom's "living-room" was in the basement of the mill. In it were a table,
a chair, a bed, and a cupboard. There was also a hanging bookshelf,
with a row of books on it, which Tom never opened now. Through the
ceiling of this room descended a ladder white with flour.