The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-15
TIFF'S BIRTHDAY.

L III lIitllS 6uOlllu nave. ItdCuCu IIlC
elimination of their real existence on
that one particular day; that they did
so, not one of the household felt at all
inclined to dispute.
Only the day before Tiff had been but
''free years old-'most four" On this
day, however, she had attained to the
advanced age of four years! Ample
reason for added dignity on Tiff's part,
and Grandpa Davidson had been
awakened at an unusually early hour
by the pat of a wee dimpled hand on
his old wrinkled face, and n chirrup of
''Wate up and hear the birds sin ~ in a
tone sweet as echoes from fairy-land;
land, Dranpa,' Event on the sweet little
voice, edit yight up an see how tall
I've drowed! I'm four years old to-day,
Dranpa, and | shan't play with Drace
Wheaton any more! cause she said in
dust little while | wouldn't have any
teeth-dust like you. Dranpa! Come,
Dranpa, dit up and see how I've
drowedn'
Grandpa's obedience was the begin
ing of the trouble! Not even standing
on pink toe-tips would bring Tiff S sun
ny head to the desired and expected
height.
''I'd been all drowed up bid, if only
mamma had let me staid out in the wet
yesterdayr' moaned poor little Tiff,
anXious-like older mortals to turn
the blame in the manner most satisfac-
tory to herself.
Tiff was ''drowed up That was an
incontrovertible fact in her small mind,
to remain there in spite of all proofs to
the contrary.
Papa had met with a wifely reproof
for swallowing his coffee so extremely
hot; and Tiff, thinking that merely a
privilege of grown-up people, had at
| tempted three large swallows, ''as papa
does" and the result was a scalded and
sore little mouth. ...
Papa had way of saying: ''Now,
Margaret, listen! You are to under
stand that I've no intention of doing
sou with an air of pomposity that had
duly impressed itself on Tiff's quick lit
tie mind. But now, at last, all the airs
of older. folk must surely be hers, for
was she not four years oldP
Mamma had seen fit to issue some
command that had been met by Miss
Tiff with pompus ''Now, Moderator.
you must dust understand I've no at
! tention to newer do sor' and for this
large impertinence Tiff spent long
| half-hour in the dim recesses of NAM
| mas closet.
Grown-up ladies wore 1owers For
once, hers must be the right of selec-
ton. Of all the rare plants in mamma s
conservatory the one most rare must be
rif1ed, that its one dainty bloom might
be a companion for the one immense
sun-hower Tiff had-by dint of climb
ing-at last secured from the garden.
Disobedient Tiff One rare flower
and the plant broken! The result was
one more scolding added to the birth
days list.
Jane, the colored cook, taking n
brief leave of absence, returned to find
her own particular domain invaded by
the small mistress of the mansion; u
trail of white showing the paths Miss
Tiff had taken while makinga mixture
of lemonade, flour, milk and sugar, de-
nominated by her as ''pie-curst." Poor
Tiff, elected from the scene, trudged
away, and in spite of her advanced age,
at last took up dilapidated adelaide
May''--first of doll-family of eight
and for five minutes found comfort in
| pouring her wrongs and griefs into the
lndia-ink ears of her sympathizing doll.
'rm drowed up, but they won't be-
lieve it, nor let me have flowers nor pie
curst, nor nothingn walled the child!
Then a bright thought caused poor
"Adelaide- May" to bow her leaby head
low on her breast in apparent detection
| hon. on11 ,,,icf,.oc, c,,IJapl,r 1aft
| lying on the edge of the garden-path,
with her one remaining arm uplifted as
though calling on all objects to witness
her despair.
Not in vain had been the espionage
placed over mammals matchmaking by
this same small Tiff, as mamma had OPP
portunity for realizing, when a grotesque
little figure entered alone and unan-
nounced were the afternoon callers were
being entertained. .a. .Hu .l...
Where were the long curls and the
fresh, rosy face hidden! Fat little hands
had tugged at the wealth of sunny hair
until it was quite securely tied high up
on the little head-there surmounted by
a cast-otf switch" of mamma S, Civ
ing all the striking contrast OF black and
gold .
The scissors, in mammals absence,
erringly guided by the wee hand, had
done their work thoroughly, if not wen!
as the short, ragged, Jagged fringe OF
hair over the forehead and about the
ears plainly showed. ......
Alas, for mammals complexion! and
alas! for Titl's! How was She to under
stand the art of applying paint and
powder, or the proper distinction be-
tween red and white? So it was that
red bore witness to a promiscuouS APP
plication on brow and nose and chin.
while the white produced an equally
startling effect on the round, usually
red cheeks. Was it lifts fault that
mammals ideas suddenly became con-
fused by the sudden appearance of her
four-year-old daughter in this guise?
Was not Tiff ''drowed uphP
Poor Tiff! would the day never end
that had seemed to go so wrongly The
day she had asked so eagerly about:
That had been ''day-after tomorrow, y
then tomorrow, and at last this bit
ter to-day?
When the twilight shadows fell there
was sad little face at manuals knee