The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-11-24

"Won't IL be bully, sis2" cried Fred
from his side Of the table. ...
How that boy does pick up the slang
Of this vicious age is astonishingi It's
no use .reproving it. "Boys will be
boys, as friend of mine once remark
ed when he sat down on q bent pin
placed in his chair by his oldest son in
. frolicsome moment.
"Whst a good papa he Isl" whispered
Sallie to her sister, next plato east.
"Oh, he's gayT' slanged Fred.
l gave Sallie some more gravy.
"DO you like kisses, plpa2" put in
Nellie. .r. ... DO. .t
81 like everything good, dear. Why
do you ask2" I'D
because we're going to have all the
girls kiss you tonight"
"They won't be big enough, Nell-.not
half. I prefer big girls to little ones"
"J,mesT' said Mrs. Dobb, reprov-
ingly. ... Dl
ooh, Mary Ann Smith is great big
girll' said Nell. "Her dresses almost
come down to the ground" ... ...
"Do they2 That's encouraging. Is
Mary Ann coming7" ...~ ....
eyes, aud two other big girls. They
write compositions"
"CompositionsI They must bo get
ting very oldH"
Compositions are such a proof of ma
turily among these little bodiesl Did
you ever notice ii? ...
"Bring the nuts when you come Il
dinner, James," was my wife's parting
injunction.
"All right, my DEAR"
l was detained down. town that after
noon later than usual, and when / cam
home 10 the evening, l found the fou
little Dobbs sitting in solemn state i
the, parlor, awaiting the coming o
guests.
Shortly after the door-bel rang, an
the children were in a high state @
e commotion. Sallie jumped down fro
] the sofa aud made dash for the doc
but suddenly recollecting herself, re
turned to her perch aud smoothed he
hands over her apron.
Bridget ushered into the .parlOr
$ string Of seven boys of assorted size
who ranged themselves along the wa
without saying word. But there wa
any amount of subdued giggling amoni
them:
IT.: The next arrival was cluster Of lit
tie girls, looking as sweet as June rose
l went out to tea, and when | locke
t in again, the room was filed with tn
neighbours progeny, including Mar.
Ann Smith aud two other big girls.
Such staid conclave never saw be
fore in my life. There they all sat, a
bashful as mice, never uttering lou
! word, and scarcely daring to look eac
! other in the face. 1t was vastly anus
ling to me to observe the conventio ma
awe under which those boys, especial!
-, labored; the very boys that had bee
e saluting each other roughly in tn
, street an hour before, perhaps pullin
D each others hair. AS sedate as deI
cons now.
J The ice was broken in this way:
One of the big girls, by tho way o
opening the ball, said to youngster
some eight summers, named joey Pc
> ry.
"Its a pleasant evening, Mr.. Perry
e "Ob, how are you, Mr.. PerryI" bur
a forth our Fred, derisively, at the top
his voice. .9
J. And then such broadside of laug
teri In less time than it takes me
write it the youngsters were in hu
J. bub as noisy as the meeting had befO
o been sedate.
They played the "POst- office" al
"Cedar swamp" aud "Forfeits," and a
= that sort Of games, whose principal fe
y ture is an abundance of kissing.
went into my study and began writ n
The merry bursts of laughter came co
u Ding to my ears, but they did not d
d turb me. am fond father.
One of the big girls came into my a
" gust presence and threw cushion
my feet, on which she kneeled, poutiI
It up to me a pair of ripe red lips.
"Who's this2". said I, laying down q
Is pen. '.'.r .a ...
y "That's Mary Ami" cried Fred fro
Al the doorway, which was thronged wi
giggling little spectators. "She wan
: you to kiss her."
lP "Ahl" said I, as memory suddenly i
8. called the old-time game. Chow ma
10 can have2"
u "Twsntyl" "Thirtyi' "a hundred
TO cried . dOIen voices.