Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-08-29
Other Peoples Children.
A STORY BY THE AUTHOR OF "IIELEN's
BABIES.n

nlgn-pllcheu shout OF, Il got IN lyrst! ="
and louder, deeper one of, " SO did |! p"
And then, MS Mr. and Mrs. Burton sprang
from their chairs with faces full of uppre-
hension and inquiry, the dining-room door
opened, and Bulge and Toddy, their little
nephews, shot in, as if propelled from IL
catapult.
Hello" exclaimed Bulge by the way
of greeting, us Toddie seized the tail of the
family Skye terrier. What do you think
now? We've got new baby, and Tod
and have come down here 10 stay for Il
few days; papa told us to. Don't seem to
me you had II very nice breakfuX," CON
cluded Bulge, after critical survey of the
table.
Mrs, Burton kissed hes ncphews and
inquired as to the sex of the new inhahi-
lant.
"Oh, that's the incest thing about ii, y
said Bulge. ITS II girl, I'm tired of
such lots of boys--Tod is as bad as II
whole lot, you know, when l have to
take care of him. Only now we're bothered
cause we don't know what to name her.
Mamma told us to think of the loveliest
name III all the world, so l thought about
squash pie right away; but Tod thought
of molassts candy, and then papa said
neither Of EN- would do for the name of II
little girl
During the delivery by Bulge Of this
information, TCddie had been steadily ex-
claiming;
AN I-I-I-I-I'm goin' to give her
my turtle, an show her how TO make mud
pies wifi currants in 'em
uahn' said Budge, with incxpress-
ibc contempt in his tones. Girls don't
like such things. I'm going to give her
my blue ncck-tic, and take her riding in
the goat carriage"
Well, anyhow" said Toddie with the
air of u man who was Wrestling victory
from the jaws of defeat. "Ill give her
caterpilars; know she'll be sure to like
them, cause they got lovely fur jackets,
all heavenly-green an red an brown,
like ladies' dyesscs."
"And you don't know what lots of pray
in Tod and me had TO do to get that
baby" said Budge. my! it just makes
me ache to think about it, Whole days
and weeks and months!"
"Yesh," said Toddie. "An' Budgie
sometimes was goin' to stop, 'caush he
fought the Lord was too busy to listen to
us. But just told him that the Lord was
our biggest papa, an just what papas
ought to bean papa ut home was just like
papas ought to be, and he always listens
TO little boys fyrst, mamma says. An
baby conceded. Oh, YES, in we had to be
very good, too. Why don't yOu be real
good an pray lotsP-then maybe go@W
get dear sweet little baby"
Mrs. Burton remembered that it was
time to ring the cook and chambermaid to
breakfast. A moment or two later she re-
turned to the window, but the boys were
gone; so was n large stone jar, which was
one of those family heirlooms which are
abhorred by men, but loved more dearly
by women then ancestral robes Or jewels.
The boys were invisible, and u careful
glance at the adjacent country showed no
traces of them. Mrs. Burton called the
cook and chambermaid, and the three
women took each one II roadway through
the lightly-wooded ground near the house
Mrs. Burton soon recognized familiar
voices, and following them to their source
she emerged from the wood near the rear
of the b. vs. own home. Going closer, she
traced the voices to the Lawrence barn
and she appeared before the door of that
structure TO see her beloved jar in the mid
die of the floor and full of green tomatoes
over which the boys were pouring the
contents of bottles labeled "Mexican Mus
tang Lniment," and "Superior Carriage
Varnish.' The boys became conscious o
the presence of their aunt, and Toddie will
Il smile in which confidence blended will
the assurance of success attained, said:
"We'se maxim pickles for you. This
is flst the way mamma makes 'em, only
we couldn't make the stuff in the bottles
hot"
Mrs. Burton's readiness Of expression
seemed somehow to fail her and us sho
abruptly quilted the spot, with I. hand o
each nephew in her own, Bulge ndicat
ed the nature of her feelings by eXclaim
ing
SOW! Aunt Alice don't squeeze m!
hand so hard!"
Boys" said Mrs. Burton, "why die
you take my jar without permission?'
"What did you say" asked Bulge
" Do you mean what did we take it lor?'
Certainly"
"Why, we wanted to give you s'prise."
"You certainly succeeded said Mrs
Burton, without moments hesitation.
You must give as s'priscs, too," sai,
Toddie; "s'prises is lovely; papa gives II
, lots of 'em Sometimes they're candy. hu
; they're incest when they're buttonanocs'
(bananas)
: How would you like TO be shut up il
} dark room nl the morning, to lhiuI
about the naughty things you've donc?'
, asked Mrs. Burton.
2 Huh" saId Bulge, " that wouldn't b
no s'prise ut all we can do that a'tQ tim
that we do anything bad, and papa ant
mamma finds ont. Why, YOU forgot t.
bring your pickles home; | don't thin
you act cery nice about presents am
sprises."
Mrs. Burton did not explain, nor d
= she spend much time in conversation
i When she reached her own door, however
y she turned and said;
"Now, boys, Won may play anywhGr
in the yard that you like, but you mu,
not 90 away or come into the house until
u call you at twelve o'clock. | shall he yer
> busy this morning and must no, be dis
turbed. Now you will try and be goo
boys, won't you?'
II will" exclaimed Toddie, turning II
{ an honest little face for II kiss, and dral
ging his aunt down until he could pnt Ii
: arms about her and give her in allectiouat
u hug, Budge, however, seemed lost in med
tali0n.
= The door closed, and Mrs. Burton, somt
what confused but still resoute, seate
herself at the piano for practice. She ha
~ been playing perhaps ten minutes when
" long drawn sigh from someone not hersel
caused her TO turn hastily and behold til
boy, Bulge. A stern reproof was all read,
Ie but somehow it never reached the youn
f. man. Mrs. Burton afterward eXplainc
y her silence by saying that Budges counlt
l. nance was SO utterly doleful that she WI
r sure his active conscience had realized ii
r. impropriety of his affair with the jar an
e he had come to confess.
n Aunt Alice" said Bulge, " do yo
+, know l don't think much of your garden
Ie There amt turtle to be found in it frol
J. one end to the other, and no nice grass
l. place to slide down, like there is at OF
l. house."
a Cant you understand, little boy sai
h Mrs. Burton, that we arranged the hou'
+. and grounds to suit ourselves, and NJ
1t little boys who come to see us?'
Of "Well, | don't think HHt was vel
1. nice thing to do" said Bulge. " My paI
st,o,hA 10, rn t1tnnh a hDnt n1nu