The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-03-31
DEPARTMENT
" BOBBY BOOTS.o


years old now but from the day he was
six, when he put on his famous blue boots
with red tops, for the first time, he had
been called by no other name than Bobby
Boots and Bobby Boots he will probably
be called for years to come.
And this is the way he got his famous
blue boots that gave him his name His
mother, the wife of sea captain who was
at home but three or four times year,
lived in cosy little cottage half hid
among the trees that lined the road lead
ing to the pretty village of s.. Bobby
was her only child. One day when he
was about year old his father came
home from voyage. The day was wet
and the road was muddy, and the Captain
had on a pair of big boots that came above
the knees. These caught Bobby's eye at
once, and he hardly looked into his fathers
face. That day Bobby spoke his first
word, and that word was hoods" and his
father laughingly declared that he should
have a famous pair as soon as he was old
enough to use them.
Bobby did not forget his first word
Slippers and shoes had NO charms for him
and passed by unnoticed; but as soon as
pair of boots came into the loom,
"boods, hoods, boods," sounded from the
cradle at intervals till they were out of
sight As he grew older he began to ask
when he would &c big enough to wear
boots like papa?
The day he was six he received, as 8
birthday gift from papa and mamma, the
famous blue boots and red tops. And
what day that was! mamma pulled the
boots on and Bobby was wild with de-
light; he really had pair of boots of his
OWn-had them on, tool First he stamped
his right foot, then the left, then both at
once; he tried walking in them slowly,
then fast, and then broke into a run, and
kept it up till he caught one of the pretty
blue toes in the rug, and he fell on his
little stub nose, but he wasn't hurt bit,
because it was so short. Then he must
run up stairs half a step at time, just to
see how much noise his heels could make
in running down. Mamma told him to
stop or he would fall and get hurt; but
Bobby thought he knew more than mann
ma, and by-and-by one of those pretty
light heels, so full of shining nails, caught
on almost the top step and Bobby came
rolling down to the bottom, head and
heels and nose and toes all together in
nose suffered more than before, and the
red drops fell fast on the blue boots and
on the floor to the great dismay of Bobby,
who began to cry: "Tve spoiled my
boetsi I've spoiled my boots !" His
mother feared he'd spoiled his nose, but
there wasn't enough of it to hurt, and
neither that nor the boots had suffered
any real harm-a little water making
both as bright as ever. After breakfast,
which was made musical by the constant
humping of Bobby's boots against high
chair and table, he was allowed to go into
the garden and make as much noise as he
pleased.
Here was plenty of room, and the boots
were everywhere almost everywhere at
once; in the paths and on the grass,
through the melon patch and the straw
berry bed, and under the apple trees and
the plum trees, and finally up the big
grape vine. This last adventure quoted
him for little time for one of the blue
boots caught among the branches, and
Bobby in his struggles to get clear. found
himself hung by the foot. His loud cries
brought the cook to the rescue, and Bobby
celebrated his escape by a short rest.
Then he walked straight to wash tub OF
water to see if his boots had sprung a
leak. From this the cook jerked him out
very quickly and scolded him sharply, all
of which made the same impression on
Bobby that it did on his boots. Not so a
half remark made about having "to grease
them" That was new idea to Bobby I;
he was very sure he could take proper
care of his own boots, and he started
straight for the cupboard. The butter
| dish was high on the shelf but the firkin
stood on the floor After much strug-
! Cling Bobby got the cover off; there was
nothing with " hich to cut out the solid
| layer but Bobby didn't care for that, he
was equal to anything; climbing up by
| the window he stepped both feet into the
| frkin and stamped around till the boots
were well creased. Jumping to the floor
he rushed into the parlor to tell mother OF
his smartness, marking his path by splat-
tiers of butter. Bobby lost his boots for q
whole hour for this maneuver, and did not
get them again until after dinner.
| Allowed to go into the garden on his
promise to keep away from wash tubs
grape vines and butter firkins, Bobby
amused himself by making heal marks in
every corner Of the walks and flower
beds, till tired of running around, he set
| tied himself in low crotch Of plum
tree and looked at the clouds moving
across the sky.
al wonder" said he, off the blue be,
| tween the white is made of the same kind
of stuff as my boots? Perhaps it is, and
then the whole sky may be a big pair o.
| boots Just like mine; / know | saw the
shining red tops the other night at sunset
| Then there are the white clouds; they
must be the long legged white stockings
| such as mamma makes me wear sometimes
and tits the rain that always keeps then
| clean, for l know they get awful black
lust before it rains sometimes, and theI
| the wind comes out and blows to make
them dry and warm just as they lool
now; / wonder if"
Here Bobby's right boot gave twitcf
that caused him to stop in surprise; theI
the toe of the left boot began nodding IL
"a very strange manner, just as though i
was saying something very earnestly
Why" said Bobby, :" do believe my
boots are trying to talk" and he bent hi
head forward to listen. He could hardly
believe his eyes as he saw the right noe
its toe in a solemn manner, the left nod
ding back. and then both of them noddins
and bowling and twisting and wrigglins
all together.
| Rut his wonder knew no bounds WheI
suddenly stopping their strange motions
the right exclaimed "Let's go!' I es,
said the left, "let's got and let's give hin
a good walk for stamping us around SC
cruelty all the morning"
Before Bobby saw what they were at
they had him on his feet and were walking
off with him at rapid jog. Stop (!
cried Bobby; "where are you going ?
But neither Right nor Left paid any at
tention to his cries, only walked the faster
through the garden, out of the gate, across
the road and straight over the fence int
the field beyond, with bump that bounced
| the bread and milk that Bobby ate fol
| dinner, almost out Of his mouth.
Crying was of no use. Right or Lief
| did not mind the noise or struggles hi
made, for Bobby began to do both as he
| found himself going away from home Sc
fast that his legs and feet ached with the
ra D;iity of the motion, and he could
scarce stand on his feet. On, on, went