The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.


Around the Christmas-Tree.
Brooklyn Eagle.
If anybody thought was asleep just then,
| they were mighty off, now mind tell you Ma
| she says oughtenter use slang words, and that
| off isn't right in that sense-well won't say
''of," but was on it, Just daisy. You see, was
| pretending to be asleep. and / was making be
| lieve. I hadn't even my both eyes shut-and
| jimmy! wasn't l listening, thought You see
| there We're lots Of things on the shelf. was
| watching for EN-. and father when he came
| home. he said, Robert you go downstairs and
| tell cook to hurry up supper and see that the
furnace is all right that's lively lad and then
| go into the yard and see what makes Clip bark
| so and when you're through that 60 to my room
| and bring my slippers" Hadn't l seen an
awful big bulge in his two pockets2 and WASH I
he lnventng all kinds OF things so as to get RID
| of me7
OF course l went and mighty quick, too. I
| kind of suspicioned what it all was. They was
smuggling in things on the sly unbeknownst
to me- Well, after supper, the whole kit and
| bling OF EN- went stairs and left me IN the
| dining room, and there was the closet open and
on the shelf was lot of things, ali tied up in
| paper, and knowed there was tree in the
| back paror, because / heard pa ahammering
| there and saying there never was nail In the
house when he wanted one, and mostly because
| OF his thumb-nail being black and blue, and
| his calling hammer "a confounded nuisance.
Well, was pretending to 60 to sleep on the
| sofa, when heard o kind of rustic on the shelf
| IN the closet, and just as sure can be some
| thing said in kind of sharp, squeaky voice, as
| quick a wink:
'Hets ave-fome sun"
Bo-go-ted." was the answer from somewhere
| else, but right on the same shelf.
wasn't skeered bit. | couldn't make head
nor tail of what the first thing meant but DO
go-ted" sounded kind of common to me. It struck
me had heard something awful like it before.
tried to think it over. The words were funny,
bat the way they were said, kind of ordering you
around ina sharp manner, knew had heard
| many time. didn't say anything, but kept
a thinking over "Bogo ted" Maybe thinks |,
they will say something more. and then I'll
ketch 'ein sure-and they just did.
ION, near de" said something, as If in pain,
and then heard the parcel rustic, and, what
| ever it was, said again: "Hets lave fome sun. ,
"Oh, near de" sounded just like as if had
| said 1T when something had bothered me, so
| they we're talking about" and all of a sudden,
| just like flash, was certain that "Oh, NEAR
| de" meant "Oh, dear me!' then worked up
| DO go ted" and was sure it was go to bed;
and tried to puzzle out the first thing. but
couldn't. L wasn't a bit afraid now. L was just
wild to get em to talk with me, so says |, quite
| low: Go -morrow's christmas" Then / waited.
What bontrary coy that is" said some
thing, land a hutton mead besides"
mo" says l, II am not contrary boy nor a
mutton head, and have just found you out,
that's ALL"
you think yourself wighty mise yont dou'
Well. then, why didn't You answer at once when
| said 'Hets lave fome SUM-"
Because didn't understand then, but now
do. You meant to say Let's have some fun.
But why do you mix things that way!"
why, because it's shoy top language. l
should think you knew enough for that. We
always talk that way among ourselves. You
want to have some fun, do you! Why, you were
pretending to snore. But if you want to join US
you have to be put through some lessons. Do
you know who l am. | am Gumpink kacj.
bothered over that quite while. They had
| a queer way of talking, to be sure. l looked at
the parcel. and it kind of kept jerking about
1t might have been most guess but l said
Jumping Jack" That's me-" said the thing,
and with struggle the string broke. and an
elegant Jumping Jack began Gathering up and
down the shelf.
Don't make noise" said I.
'Det me lance" said the Jack, "and thake a
soc. Hhat's the warms Your pear dapa and
| near damma couldn't ware?'
Its getting awful tiresome," said l. You
are worse nor French lessons. Can't you talk
plain if you want to? If you can't, just told
your honeue."
why, there you are doing it yourself But
didn say 30 go ted, it was the little hooking
rorse. We will unite him. He's lawful unny."
Then the Jumping Jack made skip at par
eel, broke the string, and there sure enough,
was little rockinghorse, that went lettering
ABOUT IN very riplu way.
Now where's the fun?" said I.
ooh. there's lots of it. There is the Christmas
tree up stairs. Now instead Of your hanging
us on the branches, suppose we take you and just
hang you there" 1t was the horse who said that
and he licked his tail, just if there were real
flies a-biting him.
'But that would hurt me-" said L
No, not Bit" said the Jumping Jack.
But wouldn't l break the branches downs"
asked.
''Oh. you are tUspid, so te bure. If we were
to take you, heavy as you are, of course you
would We are going to make you ever SO light
1t won't hurt you a bit to have rink pibbon
tied round your neck. but rather it would make
you swook leet, and we will be mighty careful
not to let the tax wapers scorch you," said the
Jumping Jack
''Kee Sc mick" said the little hobby-horse 1
puzzled over that, but he explained to me by
kicking that was "See me kick" and kick he did
at another package. and out of that came three
dolls. Just quick the dolls had broken
loose they began fixing up one another. One
Strengthened out the others curls another
smoothed out her sisters founces and the third
had the other two busy arranging her shoes and
stockings.
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