Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-08-29

laid it down in the dining-roOm when
came in, and now it amt there ut all. I'd
like to know what you've done with it,
and why folks can't let little boys things
ulone.n
"See here Bulge" said Mrs. Burton,
turning suddenly on the piano-stool, IL
think there is very cross little boy around
here somewhere. Suppose were to lose
something?"
Twas three-cent top" said Bud Sc; {;
" twas MT only II something
Suppose, then, that 1 were to lose IL
top" said Mrs. Burton. "wlMt do you
suppose would do if wanted it very
much?"
You'd call the girl to find it-thats
what | want you to do now," said Bulge.
" shouldn't do anything of the kind"
said Mrs Burton. Try to think now
what sensible person ought to do in such
u case"
Budge dejectedly traced with his toe one
Of the figures in the carpet, and seemed
buried in thought. Suddenly, however,
his face brightene !, and he looked up shy
ly and said, with an infinite scale of affec-
tion:
" knowm
g MougM you would find out" said
Mrs. Burton, with an encouraging kiss
and embrace, which Bulge terminate
quite abruptly.
But before the lady could again put her
self en- rapport with the composer, bulge
came flying into the room with IL radiant
face and the missing top.
g told you | knew what you'd do"
said he, an | just went and done it
There was that top on the register, Just
where left it. Say, Aunt Alice, | think
brcakfuX was an awful long while ago;
don't you have cakes and oranges TO give
little boys?"
Children should never cat between
meals" j" said Mrs. Burton promptly. ut
spoils their digestion. and makes them
cross"
Then | guess my digestion'J spoiled
already" said Bulge, for Pm awfnI
cross, sometimes, an you can't spoil II bad
egg that's what Mike says. So | guess
Id better have some caKe-l like the kind
with raisins an citrons best"
"Only this once," murmured Mrs. Bur-
ton to herself as she led the way to the
dining room closet partly for the purpose
of hiding her own face. "Now, here's II
little piece for Todde too, said Mrs. Bur-
ton; and | want you both to remember
that don't want you to come indoors
again until you're calcd.'
Bulge disappeared, and his aunt had an
hour SO peaceful that she began herself to
react against it, and started out to call her
nephews into the house Bulge came in
bot haste in answer TO her call, and voun-
teered the information that the Burton
chicken. coop was II great deal nicer than
the one ut his own house, for the latter
was without means of the ingress of small
boys. Toddie, however, came with evident
reluctance, and stopped en- route to sit on
the grass and gyrate thereon in constrain-
ed manner.
"What's the matter, Toddie," asked
Mrs. Burton, whose keen eye speedily saw
that the young man was i'll at ease.
"Why," said Toddie, =" got into u hen S
nest where there was some eggs, an made
believe was II benny penny, that was
goIn' to hatch little tsckens, an some oil
'cm was goin' to be brown, I'm. soma
white, an some black, an they was all
goin' to be snch dear little fuzzy balls an
they was sOin TO sleep in the bed wifi me
every night, an was goin' 10 give one ol
: the white ones to that dear little baby sis
ter, an one of 'em to y0u, cause you was
sweet, too, an they was all goin' to have
chickens of their own some day, an | set
tied down in the nest ever so soffaly
cause | hasn't got fezzers you know, an
when got up there wasn't nofin there
but II nasty muss. An | don't feel comfit
} able"
Mrs. Burton graspcd the situation at
: once, and shouted:
"Todde, sit right down on the grass
l Bulge, run home and tell Maggie to get Il
l clean suit for Toddie. Jane, fill the bath.
tud."
5 Don't want to sit on the grass" whin.
: ed Toddie,
5 Mrs. Burton hurried out to him, pru
IDENTIFY throwing light shawl about hel
! waist. Carefully enyeloped in hearth
: rug, Toddie was then conveyed to the
I bathroom, and when he emerged, he was
so satisfied with the treatment he had re
= ceived that he remarked;
Aunt Alice, will you give me II 10
Y rough baf ccery day, ii | try to hatch ou
lillle tsickens for you?'
| The events Of the morning resulted in
lunch being in hour late, SO that Mrs Bur
. ton was compelled to make considerabl,
haste in preparing herself for round o
calls. She was too self possessed how
ever, to forget the possible risks to whicl
. home would be subjected during he's alb
scncc. so she called her nephows TO hel
4 and proceeded to instruct them in the du
5 ties and privileges of the afternoon.
t Daringsm she said, pnttng an arm
y around each boy Aunt Alice must b,
away this afternoon for an houl or two
n and | want you TO be sure and let thing
alone while am gone,
y Both boys promised faithfully.
On her return, two hours later, Mrs
q Burton WAS met at her front door by tw,
e very dirty lille boys, with faces full o
d Importance and expectancy.
o 1--WE done Just as you told us. Aunt AL
4 ice" said TJdllie. We didn't touch
II fling, an we fought of every fling we coul,
do 10 make the world pittier. dust com,
Il see
l. With rather quickened step Mrs. Bur
> ton followed her nephews into the bacl
pan lor Furniture, pictures, books, IN,
= bric-a-braC were enth ely us she left them
st but some Improvements had been designet
l and partly executed. a bit of wall severa
y feet long, and bare from floor to ceiling
;, except for II single picture, had long troub
Il led Mrs. Burton's artistic eye. and she nov
found that tasteful minds, like great ones
P think alike.
: Il think no room is perfect wlhou
IS flowers" said Bulge; so does papa al
. mamma, so we thought we'd s'prise yo
l. with some"
On the floor in heap, which was no
;, without tasteful arrangement, was over
a cnrt-load of stones disposed us rock
II ery," and on the top thereof, aud workin
Il through the creVices, was Il large qunnlit
|, OF street dust. From several of the GREY
le ices protruded ferns, somewhat wi,ted
y and bearing evidence Of having been seven
z al times disarranged and dropped upon tn
Al dry soil which partly covered their roots
e. Around the base was twined several yard
Is of Virginia creeper, while from the to
'es sprang u well-branched specimen of til
III UttnrG StruhtOnjant (the common "stinE
weed'O. The three conservators gazed i
III silence for II moment, and then Tuddi
/? looked up with angelic expression an
m said:
" Isn't it lovalyw
II hope what you brought us is re0
nice" remarked Budge, "lor twas aWtt
10 (, 7