Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-02-21
LITTLE BRIGGS AND |.
ny fIrz HUGH LUDLOW.
CON NTINu 4 -.

evening, wished to run down and visit her
sister. If Mr. Barker was engaged in quar-
ryinga page of Cicero out of some stony boy
in whom nature had never made any Latin
deposit, Of had just put Il fresh batch of Of
tenders into the penal oven OF untimcly bed,
and felt compelled to sun up now and then
to keep upthc fire under them, by harrow
ing description Of the way their parents
would feel if they knew Of their behavior
an instrument dear to Mr.. Barker us favor
te poker to boss baker in love with his
profession after a clucking noise, in
dicativc ofhow much he would like to chuck
her under the chin, but for the presence OF
company, Mr.. Barker would coo to Mrs.
Barker. "LOvey, your pick, SWEET waving
his hand comprelensivcly even the whole
school-room or Dear, suppose we say
Briggs, or Chunks or Thrlwal, aa The case
might be. The only difficulty about Briggs
was clothes. That used to bc obviated by a
selection from the trunks of intimate friends
and Briggs was such nice boy, that 1t was
real qualification to see him with your best
jacket on. Many's the time the old fellow
has said to Chunks or Rue, What blessing
that grew. If hadn't how could 4! ever
wear your trousers?'
In process of time these occasional visits,
as ese1rl to Mrs. Barker, expanded into an
attendance Of oil the older boys (when not
in bed for moral baking purposes) upon a
series of bi-monthly soirecs. given by the
remaining Miss Noodle, with a superficial
view to her pupils attainment of ease in So
cicty; and material substratum of sand
wiches, which Miss Noodle preferred to see,
through the atmosphere of refinement and
intellectually. as "a simple repast.' To
this was occasionally added refrcshment,
which have seen elsewhere only at Sunday
school picnics,- mild tap Of siighily sweet
ened water, which tasted as if lemons had
formerly been kept in the pail il was mad,
in ;-only for Sunday schools they make il
strong at the outset, and add water during
the hymns, with vague, but prase-worthy
expectation that, in view of the sacredncss
of the occasion, there will be some miracu
lous interpostion, as in the case of th,
widows cruise, to keep the beverage up tt
proof; while Miss Noodles liquor preserved
throughout the evening weakness of whicl
generous natures scorncd to take advantage
beyond the first tumbler.
AT this portion of my career was dawnet
upon by Miss Tucker. From mature years
l look back with shudder upon the number
of parchmcnty sandwiches which ate, tn
reservoirs of lemony water which drank
in order to be in that lovely creatures socie
ty. experienced agonies in thinking how
much longer it might be before got a Goa
with tails, when calculated how soon sh,
would be putting up her back hair. He
eyes were as blue as was when / though
she liked Briggs and she had II complexion
compared with which Strawberries and cream
were nowhere. When she was sent to til,
piano, to show people what the Noodle sys
tenn could do in the way of a musical educa
ton, fell into n cataeptic state, and floatet
off upon flood of harmony Miss Moodl
and her mits, self and lemon kids, even tin
sleeplcss eye of Barker watching for an in
discretion, upon the strength of which h
might defensively send somebody to bed tn
next Saturday afternoon, all vanished from
before me, swallowed up in mid glory
which contained but two objects,--an angc
! with low neck and short sleeves, and an in
sensate hippopotamus of piano, which di
+ not wrggle all over with ecstasy when he
white fingers tickled him. AT such moments
l would gladly have gone down on all fours
/ and had a keyboard mortised into my sid
at any expense of personal torture, if Mis-
Tucker could only have played piece o
me, and herself been conscious of the chord
she was awakening inside my jacket.
loved her to that degree that my hair neve
seemed brushed enough when beheld her
y and l quite spoiled the shape of my bes
u boots through an elevation of the insteT
caused by putting rolled-up pair of stock
d ings inside each heel, to approximate til
y manly stature, at our b-monthly meetings
Even her friend, Miss Crickey,-a mealy
y faced little girl, with saffron hair, who ha
IT higher branches, that she had a look of bein
perpetually frightcd to death with the eA
n pectation of hearing them crack and let ht
4 down from great height, seemed beautifl
:, to me from the mere fact of daily breathin
the same air with such an angel, sharing he
liquorice- stick, and borrowing her swet
u little thimblc.
's had other reasons for prejudice in Mi
u Crickey's favor. She was the only perso
to whom could talk freely regarding I'll
lie depth of my passion for Miss Tucker. NJ
N even to the subject of that tremendous fee
he ing could utter syllable which seemed
any way adequate With an overpowcrin
T. consciousness how ridiculous it was, an
v. not only so, but how far from original,
he could give her papers Of lemon jackson
lg balls, limiting simultaneously that thoug
plump as her cheeks, they were not half
h sweets and through figure, whose CORE
a, name have since learned to be periphrasi
Al, | could suggest how much much my so
:, yearned to expire on her ruby lips, by as
ing if she had ever played door-keepcr; +
GREETING that the atmosphere of refneme
" and intellectually did not admit of til
heathful recreation at Noodles, and be
~ ging her to guess whom would call out il
~ were door-kceper myself. When she opcn'
~ ~ her blue eyes innocently and said, 'Mi
Crickey ?" the intimation was rejected wi
a melancholy dissatisfaction, which wou
'a' have been dsdain but for the character
''A my feelings to its source. And when,
~" my pressing her for the name of the favor