The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-12-31

experience with the other shin on the other
rocker. Is there anything more aggravating
than that in the dark? Johnny's pain made
him cry out little; and that would have be.
trayed him but for the fact that the rocking
chair made so much more fuss on the subject,
groaning and squeaking and rocking back
ward and forward in its agony, that John
nys small exclamation was quite over
whclmed. And from all quarters there arose
a chorus of loud whispers: "Well, what il
somebody has kicked your ankle? Do be
quiet or you will rouse the family, and We
shall never begin!"
When johnny heard these words curiosity
drove away both resentment and pain, and he
resolved to lie perfectly still, just where he
had fallen on the floor, carefully pulled round
him, to keep him warm, a rug which came in
contact with his hand. Pity it was SO dark,
and nobody was there, even had it been light,
to see what a funny picture he presented,
ais, but listening intently to the strange con-
versation that was going on around him.
Comparative order having been restored,
the piano said it was glad to find harmony at
last, and suggested that as it was at least a
year since such an opportunity for mutual &C.
quaintance had occurred, and particularly as
some ladies and gentlemen had very recently
arrived, it would be well to commence with a
general introduction. This idea was APP
plaudcd by long -leggcd fellow, the tongs,
who was leaning against the side of the fire.
place, and who said, to explain his enthusi-
asm, that it was tircsome being introduced to
the same person over and over again, and
that person 4 coal-hod or crate. And his
brothers, the shovel and the poker, quite
agreed with him.
Then there was for while universal SUBJ
dued buzz all over thes room, consisting of
"Mr. So-and-So, Miss So-and-So;" "Miss So
and-So, Mr.. So-and-So;" "Charmcd to meet
you, ma am, at last. Have lived opposite to
you for an age, and lOnged for an opportunity
to know you;" "Ah, sir, you tlattcr me-" and
so on. A handsomely embroidered camp
chair, introduced as Colonel" and evidently
tary character, opened a Irritation with the
piano-stool and danced attendance around her
to that extent that Johnny found it hard work
to keep out of the way Of his legs. But the
most interesting interviews were those which
took place on the floor close by where Johnny
lay. Down there it was like masquerade.
Everybody was dressed in brown paper, and,
being quite unknown to everybody else, the
work of introduction was somewhat difficult.
This is the way it sounded: MIR. m-hm,
Miss Hm-hm;" just as it does in polite So
ciety, when person introduces a person and
has forgotten The persons name, but doesn't
wish the person to find it out. Johnny was
immensely ticklcd with the first one he over
conversation between the two brown paper
parcels.
'lf mistake not, mademoiscllc," said the
gentleman, calamity, 1--WE are neighbors.
We belong to the same pile on the sofa
Johnnie's pile, you know At this Johnnie
gave a great start and held his breath till he
was red in the face-or would have been un-
der ordinary circumstances. But there are
no cOlors in the dark.
YES" said the lady. "How nice! Mr..
-, didn't quite catch your name?"
"Skates," replied the gentleman. "Ex-
cuse me for not handing you my card; but
the fact is l am SO strapped up that I can't
we'll get at it. 1 believe it's pinned to my
back"
saying, How queer" read The The Inscription,
on the card: johnny, from his affectionate
father. Merry Christmas" 1t was hard for
Johnny to keep still when he heard that; but
he choked down his feelings and listened
more intensely than ever. The lady went on:
" My name is Slippers. Hcigho! l suppose
We shall not see much of each other. There's
a paper folded up in one of my toes that
says: For Johnny to put on when he takes
off his skates. From his affectionate sister
SUSAN"
~ remember it," said the gentleman, sad
ly. Il saw Miss Susan write it and put it in.
And saw how lovely you were, my dear
Miss Slippers. That bunch of violcts which
she embroidered on your instep is the most
passed out Of hearing, leaving Johnny in
tumult of emotions that cannot be described.
In another moment there was sound like
small hail-stOrm over by the sofa. A good
many of the articles packed in the stockings
had managed, after much wrestling and
writhinS, to climb out and fall on the floor,
where they lay few seconds to recover
,x.>I
who were in the stockings: "Come on; it
don't hurt much; and it's such fun"
80 DEAR" said feminine voice, "can't
somebody let me down easy? l shall GER
tainly break"
"Slide down by the stocking" said another
voice." It's Balbriggan and comes almost
to the floor. If had known it, 1 wouldn't
screams the first speaker reached the floor in
safety. She was evidently delicate person,
or else afraid of hurting her fine clothes
which amounts to the same thing. l think
there can be no doubt she was the identical
doll of which Chicken Little was dreaming
upstairs.
80 my" said keen, saucy fellow, as she
touched the carpet at last, with sigh of great
relief, "how fine we are We live in pink cot
ton, don't we"
"shut up, you impudent jack-knife," re-
sponded the doll, sharply. "You're only tit
to MAKE a litter and play mumble-ty- peg"
When Johnny heard this, he was on the
seen grown folks do. He wanted to say:
" John, you should not speak so to your sis
ter" and Susan, are you aware that your
conduct is very unladylike? But he stopped
himself just in time, and merely reflected for
a second that such squabbling did sound
disgraceful-much worse, in fact than he
had been accustomed to think. But the next
fh0,, Srl,t hn,,s bod -
occurred to him that this must be the very
jack-knife he had been waiting for SO long
ever since he snapped the last one to Jimmy
Mcbride for brass watch that wouldn't go.
He had told Will all about it last week, and
Will had said: "Oh, your old knife wasn't
worth anything. Only one good blade, and
that as dnu as a hoe. What you want is q
was very heartless to twit him that way about
his bad bargain.
Presently along came the jack knife, talking
very earnestly with o memorandum book.
~ say" said the jack-knife, 81 know YOU
You were in the same stocking, just above
me. You had bully place to see. There
was an awful row about something-wasnt
was in the table drawer, and then they
talked about it after was put in the stock
ing, but the sugar plums ratified SO about nv
ears that couldn't tell what was said"
"Oh, it was so dreadful, you can't imagine, "
replied the memorandum book, talking very
fast. "You see know all about it, WASN'T
in the drawer. Chicken Little had me. She
bought me at the fair with the money out of
her savings bank. 1t took all the money she
had, and she hesitated some, because she
wouldn't be able to get any more presents.
But finally heard her say to her mother: II
think I'd rather give Johnnie the prettiest
one can find, and then I'll have to kiss every
body else and tell them l love them dearly,
but l haven't got any money for them this
time. Won't that doy'
At these words of the mcmorandum-b book
Johnny had harder work than ever to keen
STILL A great sob came up in his throat and
he squeezed the rug in his arms so tightly
that anything but rug would have shricked
But rugs are accustomed to hard usage and
are very rugged. Well, the memorandum.
book went on:
$50 she bought me and carried me home
and to-day, after supper, she spent half an
hour printing JOhnny's name on my fly leaf
She did it with lead pencil in very large
letters, and bore down so hard that can feel
ityet. 1t covered the whole page:
JON YFR
OMHIS