The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-06-03
Mrs. Headache.

Mrs. Headache.
WAS taking walk lately in a town
which l sometimes visit, when l came
suddenly upon a Strengthening little
house, with narrow windows, in front of
which were standing crowd of queer
looking creatures, with very small bod
les, big heads and plouths, and long, ugly
arms.
"What can they be?" I wondered.
"Perhaps elves or fairies"
| had read about elves and fairies, and
knew that fairies are always very pretty,
and very nicely dressed in what we
would call evening dresses, but that elves
are awkward and ugly, as well as poorly
clothed. But these little fellows had
very nice clothes on, all made of scarlet
cloth. What and who could they be?
So stood looking at them until the tall
est among them, by mounting on the
shoulders of another, rang the bell.
Very soon little fellow, just like them,
opened the door, and in they rushed. 1t
was evidently their home. Before the
little porter could shut the door Ipushed
in after them. l think now it was rather
rude thing to do under the circum-
stances; besides, if they had been elves,
they might have changed me instantly
into white mouse, or rose bush, or a
brass door-knocker, and l might never
have recovered my own shape to this
day. But, without stopping to think of
FIJI, T ,uopt Tho 1ittla MORTAR usboroI
me into little parlor, where everything
was very small. Here, at little table
covered with books and papers, sat lit
tie old woman, dressed in bright green
and wearing spectacles.
She bowed her head. bowed mine.
Then began to make an awkward sort
of apology for the strange way in which
I was behaving; but the lady of the
house stopped me by saying:
"Make no apologies. am Mrs Head
ache"
"Mrs. Heaiachep' repeated.
eyes; Mrs. Headache"
"Poor creaturep' thought to myself.
81 wonder if she has a headache every
day."
She really seemed to understand my
thoughts, for she answered very quickly.
"No, l have no headaches myself in
your sense of the word, but / have the
control of all the headaches among chill
dren in this part of the world. Those
are my sons. Look" And looked and
saw innumerable little fellows, all busy
some hurrying out, some hurrying
home, some waiting for orders. Mrs.
Headache turned to her pile of books.
"Here," said she, Il have in writing
all that they are to do to-day. Number
496I'
Number 496 came in at once
"I want you," said his active little
mother, "to take thirty-ive of your
brothers and go to the party in Grand
street this evening. There Is to be fine
supper set out, and great deal of gas
lighted, and great deal of heat. The
children are to stay very late, and one of
you will be needed to go home with
every child and remain with it all day
tomorrow"
"Will they show themselves to COM
pany?" I asked.
"No; my children will be invisible;
but they will use their fists we'll to pound
and hammer the heads of those young
guests tomorrow"
"How dreadfulr'
"Not dreadful at all. Those children
are all disobeying the rules of Health,
which are very simple. I send my little
ones to them, not as punishment, but
as a warning. / heard Of children's
party yesterday in the open air. They
all went home and to bed early. l sent
no headaches there"
More little fellows came in for orders.
She sent them away in crowds. Some
went to children who would play in the
hot sun; some to some little boys who
made themselves very dizzy sliding down
the banisters; some to children who
spent great deal of their pocket-money
in colored sweet things which looked
like pink and yellow eggs.
! ado you think, then, that children
should never eat good things, Mrs. Head
ache, nor play much, nor rum"
"By no means. want them to play
and run. want them to eat good things,
but not such good things, or rather bad
things, as pink and yellow and purple
sugar-plums.F I must send them my
warnings if they will not obey the rules
OF Health. Some of them sit up great
deal too late; some walk great deal too
much; others not half enough. Some
study too hard-pore over their lessons
when they ought to be playing. Oh! l
have great deal to do, can tell you,
but can always wait upon you, maam,
| if you want me. Just let me know"
"By mail?" / inquired.
"No; by my telegraph. Sit in very
hot room, or eat anything you know to
be bad for you, or sleep with your win
dows shut down-there are many ways to
summon me-and will attend to the call
at once, and let you have any number Of
my mest active children to try their fists
on the tenderest part of your head"
thanked Mrs. Headache, and went
home just as fast as could.-St. Nicholas
| for June.