Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-06
OLD DIGGLYB0NES.
BY CLARA G. DOLLIYER.

! You would think from his name that
he was old and wrinkled, bent and
brown, with a dreadfulIy cunning,
wicked face; but he isn't at all. His
checks are round and soft and downy,
and pink like peaches; and he has such
bright, innocent look that he walks
into your heart at once without knock
ing.
We call him Digglybones because he
is so fond of the play in which a dread
full wicked old man steals all the lady's
children and turns them into pies; the
poor lady, heartbroken for her loss, goes
to the bakers to console herself with a
pie. She calls for gooseberry but no
sooner has she received it than she eX-
claims:
Mercy mel This is my daughter
Ameliaw Then old Digglybones cries
out Pie, pie, pie" and chases her home.
If he catches her he gets Amelia back,
and the poor mother has to 90 pie buy
ing again.
You would never think that our little
round-cheekec boy would be able to
run fast enough to make successful
Digglybones, his legs are so fat and so
short, but he can catch the mother and
get Amelia back four times out Of five.
liz Has IL Dl9 SlSlGI udulGu nose; lie
calls her WOsie with his little unman-
ageable tongue, and thinks that she is the
most wonderfully wise, perfectly beau
tiful, dearest and best sister in the wide
world.
Wosie is eighteen and still goes to
school, where her anxious teachers
haven't half such high opinion of her
as DigglybOneS has; though they can't
help liking her after knowing her little.
There is tall young fellow with black
eyes and a great mustache who comes
to see her sometimes, and / really believe
that he quite agrees with DigglybOneS in
his high opinion of Wosie; at least the
little boy put his naughty eye up to the
keyhole of the parlor door one day and
saw the black mustache as near Wosie's
mouth as his own sweet lips ever got.
One fine summer morning while Dig
glybones was building an Indian fort with
his blocks on the dining-room table, there
came terrific peal at the doorbell
Land" cried grandmother, nearly
leaping out of her seat What d0 peo-
pie want to ring that bell in that style for?
It's set me all in a flutter. Run to the
door, pet"
Grandmother doesn't call him Diggly-
bones; she thinks it is dreadful name.
When, after no small amount of tug
ging, he succeeded in opening the door,
he found the pOstman there, not looking
so very pleasant as he might, because he
had been kept waiting so long. Here,
bub," he said, there's letter for you;
and don't let the grass grow under your
feet another time"
DigglybOneS was so astOniShed about
the grass that he let the letter fall out of
his hand, and did not shut his mouth or
pick the letter up until the postman had
disappeared, and might have stood there
longer if his mother had not called out
to him to shut the door quick, before the
house was full of flies
When he took the letter in to grand
mother the good old lady read the direc-
ton out loud:
4" Miss Rose Stillingfeet. City"
Land" she said, " guess that's from
Mr.. Afford. I wouldn't wonder if Rosie
would give the best two bits she ever
saw to get this letter Well, put it on
the table in her own room, dear"
Digglybones trudged off up stairs with
it, thinking all the time as hard as he
could think with his busy little brain; he
had never breathed word of his putting
his eye up to the keyhole, for he had a
strong suspicion that everybody, from
grandmother down, would strongly dis
approve of such a performance on his
part; but he hadn't forgotten it all, and
he guessed" that Mr.. Afford, the owner
of the black mustache, was the most
dangerous rival he had; and he thought
to himself that Wosie ao0uld give two bits
to get the letter.
After while Digglybones knocked
down his Indian fort and went out of
doors to play; he knocked at Jimmy
Lees back door and asked Mrs. Lee, in
his sweet voice, could pease Jimmy
come out doors and play soldier?"
But Mrs. Lee said Jimmy had gone in
town with his auntie and wouldn't be
back until lunch-time; so Digglybones
played soldier by himself for a little
while
But he found it exceedingly dull to be
Captain, Lieutenant, company and every
thing, and began to wish he had some
candy, or somebody to play with, he
didn't care which.
Grandma" he SAID, straying into the
house, " l wish you would dive me five
cents"
What for, pet?" said grandmother,
who had been reduced to the verge of
bankruptcy by Digglybones already.
= want some tandy"
IL isn't good for you" replied grand
mother. g Some of these days somebody
will say, Why hasn't that nice little boy
| any teeth?' and somebody will have to
answer, Because his naughty grandma
gave him so much candy"
Then can buy teeth like yours"
answered Diggiybones; Il want some
tandy anyway"
But grandmother shook her head, and
that day she was proof against teasing,
although Digglybones teased his best.
| He found his mother equally untract-
able and then his busy little brain began
to think and he thought, among other
things, that Wosie had some . five
centses," and if he gave her that letter
she would give him some OF them.
! Grandma had said that she would give
two bits to get that letter, and he was
sure there was a good many five centses"
| in two bits: and visions of an unlimited
amount of candy passed before him.
! He knew the school where Wosie went,
and was sure he could find it; he had
watched her go down street so many
| times.
! So, without saying word to anybody,