Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-04
TOODLES.

I felt like lad y that morning. was
lady, thought after all quite as much
so as Mrs. Jones, who lived in the great
cupola house on the hill. Quite as much
of lady, 1 said to myself, briskly, as I
busted up my little shop, and arranged |
the sheeny ribbons and striped goods in
the window. The window was hung with
pretty lace curtains, and there was a
globe of gold fish in it that sailed about
az courteous]v and busily as though they
were getting their living as head clerks.
It was sweet soft autumn morning,
the village street was grassy and quiet
and hummed tune as glanced cheer
lily out at little Toddles, fitting about in
her scarlet ribbons under the old willow
outside. Bless her little rosy face! why
shouldn't I be happy when I have her to
look after?
was happy, and I hummed again that
old snatch of tune, and nodded gayly
to Toddles, wondering vaguely to myself
what was going to happen that felt SO
uncannily bright. Nothing - simply
nothing; things were done happening to
me long since. My way was straight
and narrow, my days quiet and unevent-
full.
As slipped my coffee that morning I
remembered thatI held the cup up to
the light, and I felt certain sense of
satisfaction in the translucence of the
rare bit of china. It is so pleasant to
know that ones own election may keep
one aloof from the ugliness and squalor
OF poverty.
It doesn't take much to keep one per-
son, OF course, and don't count Toddles
for anything. Ii needs bat the odds and
ends of things-a bowl of bread and
milk, a cup ct coffee, with now and then
lively bit of ribbon--to keep the little
one going famously.
Yes, | always wanted to be lady.
And as I sat in nv bright little room l
half felt inclined to forgive Richard
Gray for the heart break he gave me long
ago. And, oh God it aoas heart-break
But if he had married me, perhaps he
would have shut me up in some gloomy
city house, to be lady after his fashion
to sti1e for want Of bit of fresh air, tt
} walk softly under a thousand petty con
ventionalities, and to cease being my owl
mistress. All! that never could endure
So it is, perhaps, as we'll that Richard
left me and went off somewhore-Go(
!, knows where.
You see, I like tiny little shop
} There's something so delightful in seeing
the pretty girls of the village, with nov
| and then a fine lady, hanging over m
! dainty wares and trying the tints of scar
let and blue and orange with many
: laugh and many glance in the mirror
3 I call it my reception when they pour il
: of holiday afternoon. I love colors;
8 love grace and beauty; and perhaps
might have been bit of an artist, in m
0 way, if I'd ever had an opportunity
}, Richard used to say so. But ali !! he sal
many fattering thing and many
n false thing in those old days And if I eve
e dreamed Of any higher life than content
o me now-well, I've given up dreaming.
It For there's Toddles, SO round and swee
10 and soft and real. She leaves me .ittl
d time for building air castles.
r. You see, I love the child as if she wei
At my own. For she came to me one da
l. about tours years ago wee little bah
ID thing, curled up in heap on my doc
" step when went to open the shutter
% Wherever she came from never kne1
d, Toddles never explained; she just stretc]
r ed up her little fat arms to me and gurE
Ii led "Tod-od. doddle,' and that was h.
Mt sole introduction.
It was surmised that the child hs
re been dropped by some travelling circ1
to passing through the town, and 1 had e
er cellent neighborly advice about putin