Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-03-10


81 guess he means trunk"
A direful thought struck me. Irushed
up stairs. Yes, he did mean trunk-my
trunk-open emptied. A blacking box
in my dress hat, and rolled up tightly in
my dress coat, one of those dolls But
worse was to come. made an exquisite
bouquet for Miss Mayton and put it in
box which sent to her by the coach
man. To my surprise he brought it
back, and Toddie, shrieking with de-
light snatched it and exclaimed
"Oh, darsh my dolly's k'adle Some
body put nasty ole flowers in it L froed
'em away p
Opening the box he displayed-that
internal doll 1 viewed him so sternly
that he took refuge in sobs, wept plenti-
fully on my shirt front, and murmured
81 vanish to love you, and vanish
you to love me"
Who could resist l petted and kiss
ed him till he was consoled, and resumed
his sovereignty, with the infantile COM
mand:
d" Kish my dolly, too"
/ obeyed, but closed the interview alb
ruptly, and wrote the best apology [
could frame to Miss Mayton.
The next day was Sunday. In the
morning those boys invaded my bed to
"fwolic and "wide horsie backen,"
and [ sadly learned how it was that my
brother-in-law had grown so fiat chested.
In the afternoon we tried the stories
again, and Toddie told, with the most
spirited gestures, how
"Dave, let re sling go bang bequeen
Bliaff's eyes, an knocked him down
dead, an Dave took Bliaff's sword an
sworded Bliaff's head off, an made it all
buggy an Bliaff ruined away"
Then Toddie "runned away, ;" and got
himself stung by hornet, and rushed
in, sobbing:
"Want to be wocked. Want shing
Toddie, boy, one day.
And had to rock him and sing, line
by line, after Bulge, some absurd little
doggerel about a basket, beginning:
"Where is my little 5astik gomez"
Said Toddie, boy, one day.
When he was soothed, those children
beguiled me out to treacherous muddy
brookside, in search of jacks-in-the-
pit Toddie tumbled in, and so did
Badge, and in pulling them out I was
most horribly spattered Hurrying
home, carriage overlook us with ladies
in it. Could it be ?-of course it was
Miss Mayton herself
"You seem to have been having q real
good time together" said she, as the
carriage passed. Remember, you are
all going to call on me tomorrow after
noon"
And so we did, Toddie bearing an ex-
piatory bouquet. The children raced off
to watch grasscutter, and / sat down
to a delightful chat with Miss Mayton.
Men were scarce among the summer
boarders at Hillcrest, and somehow the
piazza gradually filled with the ladies of
the house. Suddenly a shrek arose
from the lawn Toddie had pinched his
fingers Gin the little wheels of the cutter
grass, and rushed up to me, sobbing ::
"Sing, 'Toddie, boy, one day."
Ny blood seemed to freeze, but when
Bulge explained that che always wants
that song when he's hurt, all the ladies
urged me, and wrathfully picked Tod
die up and hummed the detested air.
But the little tyrant was not satisfied,
and successfully required me to sit in
a wockin chair, " to "sing the words, -
and to 8" sing louder" till at last, before
that audience and her, was obliged to
sing that dreadful doggerel, line for line,
as Bulge repeated it, Ny teeth were
set, my brow grew clammy. At last
/ heard some one whisper /:
See how he loves him Poor man |!
he's in perfect agony over the little fell
low"
But the agony was prelude to most
unexpected rapture. An apprehensively
accepted invitation to dinner, where Tod
die tilted his soup over Miss Mayton' s
dress, led to twilight tete-a-tete, which
Bulge interrupted by informing the lady:
"Uncle Harry 'spects you, Miss May
ton"
The little rascal had, that very morning,
demanded to know whether 1 didn't
love" Miss Mayton, and accepted with
suspicion my assurance that "respect
ed" her very highly. Now, before |
could stop him, he continued:
"Only what he calls 'spect, I calls
love"
There was an awkward pause-some-
thing must be done.
"Miss Mayton," said I, "Budge is a
marplot, but a truthful interpreter. T.
E" When / loves anybody" observed
Bulge, 81 kisses them"
Miss Mayton gave start. She did
not speak she was not angry. Could
it be that? l acted on Budge's sug-
gestion, once, twice. She raised her
hea and saw that Alice Mayton had
surrendered at discretion. Then Bulge
and Toddie came in for share of the
kisses two OF three ladies appeared,
and ] calmly said:
"Come, boys. Then I'll call with the
carriage at three tomorrow, Miss May
ton. Good evening""
shall not tell you what / thought OF
did during that interval, except that /
bought my angelic nephews everything
they wanted, beginning with candy and
ending with goat and goat carriage.
Nor shall ] say word about my ride
with Miss Mayton, except that it was
suddenly interrupted by a runaway goat
aud two boo-hooing boys; and that night
Bulge prayed:
" Dear Lord, bless just lots that lovely,
lovely lady that comforted me after the
goat was bad to me. -
The next day was wet and those chill
dren led me terrible life Their only
real comfort was Jonah, or rather,
the whey-al," picture of which Tod,
die tenderly caressed, murlnuring
Dee old whay-al, ] loves you. |
ntlfa xuaa1 sAaaa., s-. h.~oa1, L.. -