The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-03-04
MRS. MACGARRET'S TRA-PARTY

The balloon viii hold two; we both viii go
And never come back any more"
@-
MRS. MACGARREI'S TEA-PARTY
Mrs MacGarret was an Attic cat, and
lived in the garret, but Mrs. O'Cellary lived
in the cellar. Mrs MacGarret had three
children, and Mrs. O'Cellary had three
children. Mr.. MacGarret had gone away,
and so had Mr.. O'Cellary Mrs MacGar-
ret's children were all of age, and Mrs.
OOellary's were all of age. The MacGar-
ret children were named Spotty MaeGarret
and Tabby Macgarret and lilly MacGarret.
The O'Cellary children were named, the
first, Dinah O'Cellsry. after its mother; the
second, Thomas O'Cellary, after its father;
and the third, Bengal Tiger o 'Celiary, after
one of their grand relations.
One day Mrs. Garret said to her children: !:
''My dears, have decided TO have com.
pany this afternoon. shall invite Mrs.
O'Cellary and her family. Behave well or
you will be punished. At supper eat the
poorest, and give the best to the company.
Be very quiet, and never interrupt That
you may look your very best, / shall put
up your tails in curl papers. Now don't
cry if pull some. And they shut their
mouths tight, and never uttered q sound.
Good childrenT said MaeGarret. '.Now
you may go down and invite the company.
'What, in curl papers p cried Spotty.
30, not in curl papers T cried Tabby.
"You can't mean in curl-papers !" cried
lilly.
aThere's no telling who might see us. -
said Spotty. Perhaps the Gray Squirrel
peeping out of his cage; 1 should be so NOR
tilted" --
cor the Parrot, said Tabby. "And so
should L"
"or the new Lap-dog," said Tilly. .'And
SO should L"
True, said their mother. '.You can't 60
in curl-papers. I'll step down myself"
"But we're afraid to stay alone, cried
Spotty and Tabby and Tilly. "Don't go %
''Don't go p Don't go = And each held
up her fOrepaw and begged and prayed and
wept. - ---
"Poor darling !" cried Mrs. MacGarret.
Chow can 1 leave you? Now, if we were
but good friends with Mr., Rat, how easily
he could do the errand I for yonder rat
hole leads to the cellar straight"
Cant you speak down to her ?" asked
Tabby. 81 think you might speak down, -
said Tabby. ''Do speak down." cried
lilly. -. e g..
''To be sure" said Mrs. MacGarret. ''Of
course can. 'Tis often done in hotels.
What smart children you are p -.-
Then Mrs. MacGarret spoke down and
invited Mrs. 0'Cellsry and her family to
tea at seven o'clock. And Mrs. O'Cellary
answered up that they would be most
happy.
Quarter before seven NE curl papers
were taken out.
Charming % cried Mrs. MacGarrett
can stand In row, that 1 may see.
Charming? Don't move p
At seven o'clock O'Cellary arrived with
all her children, and two young cousins,
who were paying her visit, and as it was
a grand occasion, supper was laid out on
black leather trunk, bordered with brass
nails, and nothing could have been more
elegant. ~. ~H1T
Now this is what Mrs. MacGarret set be
fore them for supper: first, mouse; second,
scraps; third, Goldfish dried; fourth, squash
in the rind, brought up from the kitchen
in the dead of the night Mrs. MscGarret
lamented that she was out Of milk, but
their saucer was licked dry at dinner, and
the milkman had not besn round. But
the company all said they seldom took
milk, and that everything was lovely. The
talk was very entertaining, being mostly
about a little mouse, who would peep out
of his hole at them, but popped back again
the minute they stirred. They also talked
much of the boy. A new little whip had
been given him, and the whip he used
freely. Travelling through the passages
was really quite unsafe.
ave were IN great danger coming up,
assure you" said Mrs. OCellary.
gfU, Il.
ave ran for cur lives, maam, said Ben
gal T. rf
'sBe not so forward to speak in older
company, whispered Mrs. O'Cellary.
After supper aneighbor dropped in from
the next attic, bringing her children, and
there was very merry party. And all
would have gone well, but Tabby Mac
Garret, who did not do the right thing.
This is how it happened:
All the mothers sat down on a spinning
wheel, to have q cosey talk, while the
children had great sport with the funny
little mouse. First, he would peep out of
his hole and wink at them, and when they
all jumped for him he would dodge back
again, and next they knew. his little black
eyes would be pesping out from another
hole. Then they would jump again. But
he always popped back just n time.
''Now dc come out little mousey, and
play with us, they said.
20, know you very well, said little
mousey. Il like this better"
Now Mrs. MAcGarret had given the
children all that was left at supper, to di-
vide among themselves. They chose one to
divide it, and Tabby MacGarret was the
one chosen, Pretty soon Spctty saw her
clap something under her paw, in q very
private way, and guessing that all was not
right, she stepped softly round behind, and
Just bit the end of her tail This made
Tabby lift up her paw, and then-they all
saw She had taken the best piece for her
self !!
Such time as there was so shame ?
"Shame p Shame 70 cried Spotty and
Tommy and Dinah. ''And Shame p cried
Bengal Tiger O'Cellary. And they all hiss
ed and sputtered, and Tsbby ran down the
garret stains with all the others after her,
and all the mothers behind. The oy was
standing in the passage with his new whip,
and he snapped it and cracked it and slash
ed it and lashed it, till they were frighteA-
ed out of their wits, and scampered to hide
where best they could. But Tabby got the
snartest blow of them all
Andit was in this way that Mrs. Mac
Carrots tea party was broken up.
-s.l.. Mrs. NJ A DIAz.