Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-08-20
VOL. U.-NO. Al.

SO the children thought they would
have picnic. 1t was Doll Dink's birth
day. Doll Dinks was black baby, six
months old, and he squeaked. He had
birthday twice a month. Doll Midget
had blue eyes and yellow curls She
was invited to the picnic. Dick got
great milk-pan and filled itfull of water.
This was Boston Bay. The dolls were
first to be taken out to sail, and then
they we're to have lunch. The lunch
was large piece of spice cake and two
jam tarts. Fudge, the fat kitten, was
invited to the picnic, too. To begin
with, they put her on small table.
close to Boston Bay, so that she could
look on There was not room in the
boat for three of them.
The lunch was laid by in an old wood
box. As soon as the boat was ready,
Doll Dinks and Doll Midget went on
board. The boat was one of Grandpa
Blake's old slippers. Then they set
sail. Dick made the wind blow with
the bellows, and Fanny pulled out her
rosy cheeks with all her might But
the trouble was that Baby Ben wanted
to help with fire shovel. So the chill
dren told him he had better be the larry
godmother / he fairy godmothcr al
ways hid in the wood d-boX, and popped
out at just the right moment. Baby
Ben thought he liked best to blow the
boat with the lire shovel. But Fanny
promised to give him bite of her share
of the cake.
This consoled Ben, and they made a
pla for him in the wood-boX. There
he kept so very still that the children
thought he must have gone to sleep.
All at once loud splash was heard.
A fearful storm arose in Boston Bay,
and the boat was upset 1t was all
that fat kitten Pudge, who had tumbled
from the table into the milk-pan.
What an uproar! The dolls had no
life-preservers, but Dick and Fanny
bravely dragged them rom the waters.
AS for Fudge, the children saw the end
of her tail going down stairs, with a
stream like q small Charles River drip
ping off behind. Doll Dinks, being
hollow, could float, and he squeaked as
loud as ever when he was pulled out.
But, after all, poor Doll Midget was
drowned. Her nice, clean clothes were
soaked, and her lovely hair all came
out OF curl.
Now" said Fanny, "we must take
Doll Midget to the kitchen fire and
dry her, or she never will be fit to
come to the picnic"
"Oh nov' replied Dick. "She's
drowned. She's dead as a = as Il hair.
pm. But I've heard Uncle John tell
that they roll drowned folks on bar
rel, and then blow en- up. That rus
Iicakes en-"
(Uncle John said resuscitate, but this
was too bouncing word for little
Dick.)
Rusticakes emp" asked Fanny.
"Yes, that what Uncle John called
it. Let's rusticake Doll Midget that
way. Hold on till get a barrelP' But
all he could find was a large spool.
Then after Doll Midgets dress was
taken of, she was rolled. Dick rolled
her so hard that her sides split open.
Next he put the nose of the bellows be-
tween her ribs, for he said that her
ElOutH WAS lIOb DlS clouSH' nun Nv
blew Just as hard rs he could. The
first thing Fanny knew, putf of saw
dust flew out of Doll Midget's side into
her eyes. She threw her apron over
her head and began to cry. Dick kept
shouting, "She's rusticaked! She's
rusticakedr' But poor Fanny only
cried the harder. SO Dick proposed to
wake up the fairy godmother, and eat
the picnic. At this Fanny dried her
eyes. They crept up softly to tho
wood-box. There lay Baby Ben fast
asleep, sure enough. There were
crumbs of spice cake and jam tart on
his frock, and bit of jam on the end
of his nose. The lunch was all gone.
"Oh, you roguer' cried Fanny.
Ben opened MS blue eyes and looked
so cunning that both the children
laughed and forgave him at once. Then
they agreed to put off the rest of tho
picnic till the next day YOuthS Com'
panion.