Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-03-30
"Ah-h-h-h. Want shee--the
wheels-go wou-ound !"
s'Stop that noise this instant!'

"Wheels so wound! Ah-h-h-h!"
''Toddie, dear, don't cry SO. There are
some ladies coming in q carriage.''
"Ah-h-h-h. Wants to shee wheels!"
Madly [ snatche6 my watch from my
pc ket, opened the case, and exposed the
works to view. The passing carriage stop
ped; my name was called, and, looking up
[ saW-brigilt eyed, fair faced and smiling
M SIS Alice Mayton, a lady whom for
about year had adored from afar! The
ease with which she greeted me, praised
actually praised those dreadful children;
ii let me disc over that q bouquet from
tn Lawr n e garden would be an accep-
table offer ng, converted my confusion in
to lig..t. When the carriage started
again, T0ddie murmured:
'Ucken Hawwy, does you love that
lady?''
mo, Toddie, of course not.'
''Then you's Daddy man, an de Lord
won'6 let you go to heaven if you don't
! love paoples.'
| You may believe was glad to get those
children home and turn them over to the
girl. At dinner they found fault with my
| blessing, and taught me the one their papa
says. Then they condemned my version
of Jonah, and Bulge gave one certainly
much more graphic. And finally. after
requiring me to say my prayers first. that
performance, too, was boldly criticised.
| Bulge prayed with face cit for an angel,
and then Toddie closed his eyes, wriggled,
| twisted, breathed hard and at last began
''Dea Lord not make me sho bad, an
besh mamma,a AN papa, an Budgie, an
| doppity (grandfather), an both boggies
| (grandmothers), an all good people in dish
house, an everybody else, an my dolly.
| A-a-men!'
"Now give us candy,'' said Bulge.
echoed by Toddie.
| | gave them the candy and escaped at
last to the parlor, where passed delici
| GUS evening with NY books. That night
Teddy howled for his dolly like q young
demon, and made me get up and find it for
him; and next morning, before he was
fairly awake, I was appalled, to hear him
murmur
"Want-to-shee- -go-wound.'
At breakfast he remarked:
''Ucken Hawwy, d.iysil an awfoo funny
chunt up 'tairs-awfoo big chunt. Ishow
it you after brepspup.'
'Toddie's silly little boy" said Bulge;
the always says brepspup for brekbus
| breakfast"
ION! what does he mean by chunt,
Bulge 20
II guess he means trunk"
A dreful thought struck me. I rushed
up stairs. Yes, he did mean trunk-my
trunk-open! emptied. A backing box
| in my dress hat. and rolled up tightly in
my dress coat. one OF those dolls. But
worse was to come. I made all exquisite
| bouquet for Miss Mayton and put it in a
| box which sent to her by the coachman.
| To my surprise he brought it back, and
Toddie, shrieling with delight snatched
! it and excl lined;
! Goa, darsh my lolly's 'adle! Somebody
put nasty Gle flowers in it; l froed 'em
away y
Opening Il he box ne displayed-that in
| fernal doll! l viewed him so sternly that
|
my Shirt front, and lnurmured:
Il want sh TO love you, and vanish you
to love ne"
Wuo could resist? 1 petted and kissed
him till he Was conspled, and resumed his
sovereignty, with the infantiie command /:
KISS my dolly, too"
| obeyed, but closed the interview alb
| T II
frame TO Miss Mayton.
The next day was Sunday. In the morn
ing those two boys invaded my bed to
''fWulic7' and ''Wlde 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 ges-
tu Is, low
Dave, let re sling go bang .bequeen
BliaiT eyes, an knocked him down dead
an Dave took Bliaff's sword an sworded
Bli;l1I ) head off, an made it all buggy,
an Bliaif ruined away"
Then Toddie ruined away" and got
himself sung by Il hornet, and rushed in,
sobbing:
''Waut to be wocked. Want shin Tod
die, boy, ole day
And l had 10 rock him and sing, line by
line after nudge, some absurd little dog
gerel ab. ut u basket, beginning:
where is my little baslilz gone?
said Todde, boy, one day.
" ilem he Was s0othed, those children be-
guiled me out to treacherous, muddy
brooks;tle, in search Of jacks-in-the- pulpit;
Toddie tumbled i'll, and SO did Bulge, and
in pulling them out [ was most horribly
spattered! Hurrying home, a carriag e
overtuok US with ladies i'll it. Could it be?
of course it was Miss Mayton herself
'You seem to have been having a real
good time together said she, as the car
riage passed. Rs member, you are all go
ing to call Oh me tomorrow afternoon
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 grad
ualiy filed with the ladies of the house
Suddenly Shrek arose from tie lawn;
Toddie had pinched his fingers Sin the
little wheels Of the cutter-grass," and
rushed up to me sobbing:
Sing, sToddie, boy, one day.
My blood seemed to freeze, but when
Bulge explained that che always wants
that song when he's hurt and the ladies
urged me, [ wrathfully picked Toddle
up and hummed the detested all. But the
little tyrant was not satisfied, and sue
cessively required me to ''sit in Wockln'
CHAIR to ''sing the words.'' and to ''slng
| lo,,dor = till at last b. fore that audience