The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-12-29
Nice Inqui.iaiyc Children.

If the frst-bora of Egypt vera lively chill
dren, with . tendency to ask questions, l looi
upon Herod a. benevolently wise man
whose acts have been misconstrued and who's,
memory has been villiied. A yast amou,
of nonsensieal interrogativss, which wonlt
have bothered the patriarchs and perhapi
stopped the wheels of that paternal style o.
government, was spared that generation.
The other day, in an unguarded, moment
accepted the charg. and custody Of a young
gentleman who wore halt gaitess and a Charles
| III. hat and feathers. -His sponcers in bap.
tism had given him ono Observation-Disclosures
another. His latter appellation was buster
His age, as he informed me, was 'going On
seven." When he had made up his mind that
We were to be left together, he eyed me MAJ
lsvolently a moment, and then commenced
his system of torture. What was my name,
and my brother 9 name, and my fathers name
and why? Did l have any little boys
What wasltho reason, ifi diden't havs.any lit
| tie boys, that diden't have any little girls :?
All this was put as one question, with NO
| stops, ans a gradually rising infection. Was
them buttons gold in my sleeve, and why !:
How much did they cost? Dill they cost oIe
hundred and fifty five dollars ? If they diden't
cost one hundred and fifty :ivs dollars what
would be the price of a gold house, with gold
furniture, and q gold staircase? Did l ever
see house with these aar;terous pcculiariiies?
No. What, then, would be the cost of a sill
yer carriage ard a gold barncss What, then,
would be the cost of q leaden carriage with
an iron harness?-aad why? Did know
,-hv the flies walked on the ceiling? Couli
7 w.ir IN the ceiling? Not If had one man
to hold nv !. ..ad ami another my legs? Why
Could'n, /? Con,,At'nt | if vas giant?
Was ersonally aequa,n,Hed with any! pid
ever see them eat? How far W. 1t to New
York? Vas 1t million OF miles tifty
million of miles? If he (Buzter) had ba,
loon, and should start off, would he get there
tonight? ? Nor next night, nor another night,
nor noxt week ?-and why?
| soon found out that this why was a form
Of closing all questions, Ike the usual not.
OF interrogation What was my business, aad
did know of any stories and why? This
f,.ed plan OF relist, instantly started iato
an animated history o. my previous life aud
adventures. | invested all M relations ana
friends with supernatural attributes, and
made myself creation something between q
genii and KobinsoR Crnsoe | made the rsost
astonishing voyages aud saw the most re-
I,arkable occurreuoes. drew literally from
the Arabian Nights and Baron Munchausen.
Whenever ! saw the open mouth address IL
self to motion, as though 'tsould speik, |
brought ia rock, or geaii, or a casket OF
dia m onds, aad took away the unhappy chilIs
breath. In the mids, of All animated de.
rcription of my last voyage to the Hoarhound
islands, and my adventure. III the dark caves
where the candies hung in long s,alac,iteIl
the parants happily returned. hurriedly !
received their thanks aad LETT. Bat | have
the secret satisfaction ., knowing that all
that pen; up sorren; OF questions burst on
the unhappy father, and that geographical !
inquiries regarding the localities Of the |
Floating Islaais,' the "Ba.:c Mango Arch- !
ipelago,i and the Valley or Cream Cakes
will heacei)rih be his dreadfIl lot to m-e: |
and answ.r