The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-20

cation tablG-h0 said, "Now let's play
Robinson CrusOe." First he called the
old open cellar Crusoe's cave, aud scooped
out place between some stones and made
II clean, aud | braided a little mat and a
curtain out Of some long grass for Il, and
there he put his old copy Of "Rohinsou
Crusoe," and for days and days, after
school was out and in vacation, We PLAYED
Robinson Crusoe together.
Kate was a parrot, and wanted 4 great
deal Of crackers, Teddy was 4 goat, aud l
was the dOgRnd imam Friday" BY turns.
We walked about in the cellar pretending
to look for the print OF naked feet, Billy
going in front carrying a rusty old broken
musket we had found in the garnet, and A
piece Of rubber hose billy always could
lind or make anything We wantedl for q
telescope, which he used to look for to SEQ
I there were any sAvages in sight when
he climbed up to the edge Of the cellar.
The cellar was really an island, Just like
Robinson Crusoe's: for Billy and Teddy
had digged n ditch all round It, and filled
1t with water, but it was u very trying sort
Of an ocean, cause We had to iii Ii nm
every morning. Teddy, who could whit.
tie nicely, made some little canoes, and
when Billy was looking through the hose
lOt Savages it was Teddy's part 10 poke
the canoes with a long stick like a fire.
pole, SO they would float right In front Of
Billy's hose. Then Billy would scramble
down the wall and would come running
TO Us round behind the chimney and tell
Us 10 lie very still, for there were seven
canoes full OF cruel savages sailing for the
island. Then we would all creep close to
the chimney on the shady side and not 60
out for two weeks, which meant about
fifteen minutes (Bllly counted seven min.
uteS to a week., and we liked this part OF
Robinson Crusoe very much indeed,
cause then Billy would give US what he
called "rations"-nic sugary raisiuS,
dried beef and seed cookies, which he
said were cOcOa.nuts given to-him by
monkeys that lived In tall trees in another
part Of the island, where We should 60
with him some time when he was sure die
savages had left.
Oh, il you never played Robinson Crn-
SOC, you can't think what fun we had
playing it. and woplayed almost the whole
book through, sometimes one part and
sometimes another, and whatever part we
played, Billy tried 10 have II Just as near
like what the book said Us It could be
made without a real ship, a real ocean and
a real island; and he wa so in earnest
that 1t seemed real to me, and | used to
feel shivery and scared when he cried ont
the savages were coming.
There were all sorts Of nice rubbishy
things in the cellar to play with, cause
everything that got broken or too old for
use In the house-or "the wreck as Billy
called It got thrown out into the old eel.
lar; empty fruit cans, broken dishes,
leaky old pansan clippers, parts ofbroken
chairs and broken looking-glasses, aud old
kettles and irying.pans; bits Of shingles,
old nails, and piles OF clam and oyster
shells; aud Billy knew the minute he saw
a thing what TO do with II. Kate and ]
helped with pieces Of muslin, ribbon and
old calico, so that everyday the little square
place behind the chimney was more and
more like Robinson Crusoe's own house on
the real island.
One day papa stopped and looked al Us
as he wa going by and said he was afraid
II wHsn'ta sale place for us, the old chin.
ney might tumblcdown on us or we might
cut Jul feet on some Of the broken things;
but mother only smiled and said, "Oh, do
let the children be happy" Iguess she
was jolly to play with when she was q little
girl.
She often came out, or sent Biddv out
with a nice turnover or q hot plate Of
ginger cookies; and after papa spoke about
the chimney, she climbed doTniuto the
cellar and v ent over and felt the chimney
all round 10 see II 1t was quite firm. Once
We coaGed her to stay with us during the
two weeks while the Sayages were on the
island. Billy, who liked to play Just what
was in the book, said at first that Robinson
Crusoe did't ever have his mother with
him, but he guessed the man who wrote
the story would have put that 10 II he had
known what larks II was.n
But onc day something happened that
stopped our playing Robinson Crusoe or
anything else for u long time. Mother
had sent Billy on an GRAND a long way
of, Kate AmeS wa sick and Teddy had
TO stay at home to amuSe her, and ! was
In the house, In the sitting.room with
mother.
The morning had been very pleasant
and warm, and though | wished We were
all together In the cellar 1t play, was
quite cOntented with book called dBeech.
NUT q FranconiA story, and | was think.
ing that "BeeChnut" was almost lust like
Billy, Mother laid down her sewing and
went out Of the room, patting my cheek
with her kind hand rs she passed, to tell
Biddy something about dinner.
In q lew minutes 1t grew NO dark that l
looked out OF the window to see what
made 1t, and saw the sky covering with a
big black cloud that unrolled oyeT 90 fast,
aud the wind began to blow very hard,
and the trees bent and turned over the
white sides ottheir leaves In Il, II DilIy
had been at home | should have gone oIt
with him to run in the wind, because II,
feels 50 pleasant on my checks and in my
hair, just as flowing water looks. Il grew
darker, began TO rain, and the wind grew
louder, with a queer sound but | could
SEQ to read, and got SO interested In
"Deechnut' that, though IBRw ont oil the
side Of my eye some II so by tho win.
dow, did not really think about Il, but
kept on reading TIL ! heard papa's voice
in the next room, and heard mamma say:
"lmso glad you're safe in the house!
but where can billy DO? | sent him to
Motions, but he ought 10 have been
home IN hour ago. It's a perfect hurri.
cane"
"Oh, he'll do said papa; "he's under
cover somewhere, butt
couldn't hear any more, for lust then
the windows ratified; the floor shook 80 l
could hardly keep my seat. There was an
awful roar Of wind, q cracking sound In
the walls, q crash outside q II a load oi
coal were being tumbled into the bin, and
the pretty vases on the mantOl fell and
broke to pieces on tho floor, ran as
well IS | could and caught hold Of papa,
He held mammals hands. She was white
and looked 50 strange. It frightened me
more than all the rest, aud I couldn't keep
from crying.
"HurricGnel my dear" I heard papa
say; tits an earthquake shock. l do wish
We knew where Billy Is"
Then remembered, and / said, "oh,
mamma, don't DO ~tdEhtsnedi Billy came
But when papa, mamma, and I-Biddy
coming alter Us, with her apron up over
her lace, and crying, "0ch, what q niEel'
and "God save uslh every st0p-went
from room 10 room, We didn't tlnd Billy,
maggie, are you gura YOU saw himYi