The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-23

a Visit to Toy Town.
ooh, dear whatever is the use OF
doing dull, old lessons this hot wealth
err" Here came long yawn and
stretch, and q longing glance OF the
drowsy blue eyes toward the playhouse
in the corner and then once more the
inky little fingers began their weary
journey over the copy-book.
"'Delays are dangerous, ID. d. /, 2,
3, a. / wish Miss Bruce would not set
such dull copies, and put in those stupid
figures at the end to fill up the line.
Thin up strokes, thick down strokes,
dot your is and cross your t's-' Delays
are "-blot-sputter. And then some
how or other the words in Rosie's copy
turned into "Dolls are delightful" and
somebody called out, "Come along, Ro-
sic I'm off to Toy Town."
Rosie had never heard of Toy Town
before but, strange to say, she did not
feel at all surprised, but jumped up in
great hurry, saying, eyes, I'll come !;
it's not very far, is it9 Nurse is so cross
if L am late for ten. and / do hate being
scolded.
Soon they were Jogging along the
road together, and Rosie found out that
her companions name was Goodchild,
and that she was the youngest of large
family of little girls and boys, who had
all set off to go to Toy Town, but had
never got there md had come home dis
appointed. There were Miss Giddy and
Miss Idle and Master Jack Dawdle and
little Wilful and Ned Obstinate but
none of them had ever got to Toy Town.
sob, because they wouldn't go the right
way, you know. There's only one way
to Toy Town ; but it's rather long
way, and they all got tired. But mean
to 60 on 20 the end so have put on
my plodding shoes, and Aunt Industry
has given me nice strong stick called
Paying Attention. to help me over the
gates and stiles.
Rosie thought it all sounded very
nice, and resolved to go on to the end
too and as they went along, Goodcnild
told her about Toy Town and its pleas
ures. Its all games and fun and holi-
days there, she said I" and it's all toys
everywhere. and you can play from
morning till night. All the trees are
Christmas. trees, and the houses are
baby. houses and Noah's arks ; and the
carts are musical carts, with red wheels
and spotted horses, and little sacks in
them full Of real coal and the trains go
by clock-work, and have white wool
coming out OF the engines to look like
smoke. Boys generally like Rocking
horse road best, because it's near where
the soldiers hve-tin ones, you know.
Real soldiers live in barrack but the
nnae hox-a a how haaor,aa if'o a al,o rt-
er word but It's very grand all the
same, with a glass top, and they
march about all in one position to the
sound of penny trumpets and whistles
and drums, with sugar plums inside.
Then there is Mr.. Jack in the-box
He lives halfway between Puncl
and Judy and the baby's part, where
yellow-plush parrots, with feathers OF
their heads and button eyes, fly up and
down on pieces of elastic, and make {
rafting noise inside; and there are
woolly lambs on green stands, and mic,
soft dolls that do TO be sucked and can
break. But the best place for dolls il
close to Skipping Rope square, ate
you pass the bricks and picture books
Some people call it Little Girls End,
and that's where / mean to go, If L can
There are several families of dolls
There's Lady Wax's family. That's tn
grandest Of all. Many of them have rea
hair, and eyes to open and shut, ant
they wear clothes to take off, The
there are the Woods and the Rags, an,
the Dstches and the Chinas, all OF then
very nice in different ways. The Wood
are so strong, though they are general
rather plain. The Chinas are capita
people for washing, and many of tn
Miss Rags squeak beautifully when the
are pinched."
wish we were there !" cried Rose
and, just as she spoke, they turned dow
lane, which looked very long.
I" Is this the way to Toy Town 2" sh
asked ; cit looks very dull"
eyes" said Goodchild "this
Lesson-bool. lane, and Toy Town lies a
the other end OF it.
"Does il take long9"
"That depends upon how fast you gc
and how often you stop" And, as sh
spoke, Goodchild began running alon
a straight, narrow path, called A, b,
and Rosie ran after, finding it cas-
enough.
90 It's al very well for you and me,
said Goodchild "but / know lit
girl called Laura Lazy, who would NJ
90 even this little way so she had to |
sent to a very ugly place, called Il
Corner, with no one to speak to but Ii
tie Dommy Ounce, who is the stupide
boy in the world"
Soon they came into a broad plac
called Reading road, and this too Ros
did not mind much, though she did n,
like having to climb over Spelling still
which she thought very dull, and coul
not zee the use Of, though Goodchi
assured her that they would never &