The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-03-01
.HELEN'S BABIES.
With Some Account of their Ways.

1t was an enticing invitation from my
only married sister, Helen Lawrence.
that moved me, Harry Burton, salesman
of white goods, bachelor, aged twenty
eight, to spend my fortnight's vacation
at Hillcrest. Tom Lawrence's cigars
and claret and horses, a splendid flower
garden, plenty of handsome girls, and
unlimited leisure for reading-these were
the inducements offered me. Inciden-
tally, as Tom and Helen were to be alb
sent on visit was just to keep an eye
on the children, who, was assured,
would not give me "the slightest
trouble"
Remembering Bulge, the elder, as n
boy of five, with a serious, noble face
and great, pure penetrating eyes, and
Toddie as a happy little know-nothing of
three summers with head of tangled
yellow hair, l set out for Hillcrest with
out apprehension of impending woe.
At the end of the trip hired hack
man to drive me to Toms. On the way
our horses SHE'D violently, and the driver
exclaimed:
"That was one of the imps that
little cuss that scared the hosses. There
he comes, runnin. Wonder where
t'other is? We call 'em the imps,
cause they're so uncommon likely at
mischief 7"
The offending youth was Bulge, in a
very dirty sailor suit, and the other
imp" who bore down on us i'll cloud
raised by thrusting a branch into the
s dust of the road was Toddie
"They're my nephews ~ L gasped.
The recognition was mutual.
"You're Uncle Harry" said Bulge.
"Did you bring us anything?"
Bring us anything p echoed Toddie.
4" l wish 1 could have brought you
some big whippings," said l, severely.
"Get into this carriage"
Iu they climbed, each with very
dirty towel, knotted in the center.
"They're not towels" explained
Bulge, "they're dolles we don't like
buyed dollies; these is lovely"
"I want to shee yours watch" re-
marked Toddie, rolling into my lap, fol-
lowed by Bulge.
( Obediently [ showed them the dial of
my three -hundred-dollar timekeeper.
"Want to shee wheels go wound, "
said Toddie.
"No," said 1, fearful of dust.
,
repeated Toddie: "want to shee the
wheels go wound"
81 tell you I can't, Toddie; dust
spoils watches"
"Want to shee the wheels go wound, u
murmured Toddie again.
Abruptly 1 pocketed the watch. To-!
dies jaw dropped, and he cried:
Ah-h-h-h. Want-to-shee-the
wheels-go wou-ound ~
"Stop that noise this instant ~
Yes--oo-oo-want to shee y
"Toddie, I've got some candy in
Wheels go wound Ah-h-h-h =
"Toddie, dear, don't cry SO. There
are some ladies coming in a carriage"
Ah-h-h-h. Wants to shet
wheels -
Madly l snatched my watch from m,
pocket, opened the case, and exposed
the works to view. The passing carriage
stopped; my name was called, and
looking up, I saw-bright eyed, fai
faced and smiling-Miss Alice Mayton,
lady whom for about a year had adoreC
from afar The ease with which sh
greeted me, praised actually praised
those dreadful children; and let me dis
cover that a bouquet from the Lawrence
garden would be an acceptable offering
converte my confusion into delight
When the carriage started again, Toddi
! murmured
"Ucken Hawwy, does you love tina
lady?"
: "No, Toddie, of course not"
"Then you's BADLY man, an de Lor
won't let You go to heaven if you don
love peoples
You may believe [ was glad to ge
: those children home and turn them owe
2 TO the girl At dinner they found faul
? with my blessing, and taught me the on
5 their papa says Then they condemne
| my version Of Jonah, and Bulge CAV
one certainly much more graphic. An
l finally, after requiring me to say m
1 prayers first, that performance, too, wa
. boldly criticised. Bulge prayed wit
+ a face fit for an angel, and then Todd
closed his eyes, wriggled, twiste'
/ breathed hard and at last began:
"Dee Lord not make me shO bad, al
bcsh mamma, an papa, an Budgie, al
doppity (grandfather), an both boggie
= (grandmother), an all good people
: dish house, an everybody else, an m
dolly. A-a-men !!
! "Now give us candy" said Budg
- echoed by Toddie.
u u I gave them the candy and escaped
Il last to the parler, where passed d.
= licious evening with my books. Th
{ night Teddy howled for his dolly like
a young demon, and made me get up al
i find it for him; and next morning, befo
Il he was fairly awake, I was appalled,
i hear him murmur
q "Want--to--shee---wheels--go
D wound"
$ At breakfast he remarked:
$ "Ucken Hawwy, daysh an awf'
Il funny chunt up 'tairs-awfoo big chun
e / show it you after brepspup."
u "Toddie's a silly little toy," sa
u Bulge; che always says brep 'pup f
u . brekbus breakfast"
/ ooh what does he mean by chun
y Budge?"
y 81 guess he means trunk"
y A direful thought struck me. Irusht
> up stairs. Yes, he did mean trunk-n
5, trunk-open emptied. A backing b.
e in my dress hat, and rolled up tightly
my dress coat, one of those dolls B
worse was to come. 1 made an exquisi
bouquet for Miss Mayton and put it in
IS box which I sent to her by the coac
st man. To my surprise he brought
- h,ol- op1 To11ia chriaEino with 4