The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-18
A Stage Journey.

were passing their vacation stood upon
a breezy hill among the New England
mountains. From its long and wind
ing street they could see distant lakes
shining deep down in the wooded val
leys, and fleecy clouds creeping along
the deep blue sides of far-of cliffs.
The houses were clustered oddly about,
and over their gray old roofs the birds
sang all day long in the summer
silence.
Of course, the children were always
busy. Their pleasures never seemed
to wear out What they threw aside
to-day they would take up again the
next day with new interest, if it so
happened; and, if not, they invented
something better. They had peddled
sand for sugar, selling it at the low
price of five dollars pound; they had
broken croquet-mallet and mended it
three different ways; they had sent an
arrow straight through the kitchen
window-glass; they had played "wild
Indian" in which game Master John
nv, fercely decorated and personating
"Old-chief not afraid of Wolf" had
distinguished himself by scalping Ber-
tha's doll with a table-knife. This act
of the great sachem so demOralized the
rest of the tribe that it was a long
time before peace was restored to that
people.
In fact, Johnny exhausted all his elo-
quence in proving that if boy was 60
ing to play Indian, why, he must play
Indian, and of course he couldn't scalp
Bertha, herself, could be? and anyway
he could fix the hair on again.
As for Bertha. she said she wished
che could go to Barcelona, for she had
heard that there, on the eve of the
Befana, every kind of doll, in every
possible phase of dollhood, from old men
and women down to babies in era
dies, could be bought, for the shop
windows, brilliantly lighted, were full
of them.
They were in the midst of heated
discussion whether twas best to play real
real or only make-believe, when the
sound of stage-wheels clacking at the
foot of the hill sounded upon the still
noon air.
II know what We'll do" shouted
Johnny, as he turned a sudden somer-
sault upon the grass, ''we'Il play stage,
and go somewherem
In short time number of chairs
were arranged upon the lawn, and the
passengers comfortably seated therein.
Johnny pointed out the sights as they
drove off.
"see that big stone house owe,
:here?"
"Over where?" said Bertha. "Idon't
see any house."
"Why, that great very large house be.
side the sage-bushes. -
"Oh, yesr'
"Welf. that's where John Bunyan
lives. There's Mister Bunyan out there
now selling shoe-strings!'
$50 it is, indeed. Why, 1 hardly
knew him, he has changed so. Do drive
over and buy some strings. They say
they are very nice"
"Oh no." said Johnny, ave shall
never have time. Be dark before we
get there. Whoa! Where does your
uncle live?''
"He's-he's-he's gone out West"
"What West?''
"Out 10 fekln, China; don't yOr
know?''
"All right; Wen just peek in and see
him. Get up along"
In about a minute the stage rolled in
to the land of idols and tea with fins |
flourish.
Ever seen an idol?'' said Johnny.
"Yes," replied Bertha, 81 saw one
down at the vestry made out of wood"
''You just come along with me and |
Pn SHOW you a real one," said Johnny,
land isn't any wooden image, either.
It's Ne. c is 'Goo-go.'"
The idol Goo-go sat enthroned in .
hammock. So intent was she in shak.
ing little rubber-rattle. that she gave
very small attention to her foreign
guests.
Indeed, she was so very Indifferent
that the travellers withdrew, and in an
incredibly short time were back in
America
There they were welcomed by a speech
from Bridget, and a banquet consisting
of marmalade and cake. YOUTHS COM.
pdn,0n.
-i1eOrpia contemn1afoS a suoot th;po |