The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-31
ARCHES TRANSFER PICTURES.


"What kind of pictures did you say
they was Archie?" said Ted, as the two
little boys rushed into the dining room.
Why, they're transfer ones; that
means you can stick 'em on to somethin'
and they'll stay there, and make it look
pretty; and they're magic, too, cause
when you wet man and stick him on,
he isn't man at all, but goose, or a
woman, or somethin' !"
Where'd you you get your pictures,
Archie?"
"Oh, Aunt Louisa sent them in let
ter last March-my birthday present, you
see! Now look here; I've got this saucer
OF water, and I'll put picture in it to get
wet. You may choose one, Ted. I'll put
it on card, and you may keep it for
your own"
"I guess I'll take this woman with a
pole; I'd like to see how she looks on the
card" said Ted, as he looked over the
animals and other figures on the paper
in Archie's box of knicknacks.
"Oh, she won't be like that, you'll
seei" cried Archie, as he laid the God
dess of Liberty in the tepid water.
" Therel 1 guess it's soaked minute"
cried he presently, taking out the sticky
paper and pressing it firmly on the sur
face of the white card. "Now see me
peel the paper right off"
"Oho, Archie! 'Tain't what it was at
all It's Chinese lady with blue jacket
n red skirt N green trousers, and she's
got big red fan in her hand!"
"That's the magic of it, you see, Ted"
said Archie bringing little paper book
from drawer. 81 put the most of my
pictures in this book. See! here's a
picture that was wheelbarrow; now it's
pig; and that goat and cart was man
lying down, and this little one was little
girls face, n now it's monks head"
"a what? You mean monkeys head,
don't your" asked Ted, looking per-
picked
No, monk--a fellow that wears a
big hair rope around him, n shirt full
of knots, n he lives in cave--no, on a
high pillar-no, l mean in big house,
n says his prayers all day! Aunt Ray
told me all about EN-"
Aunt Ray laughed as she sat writing
letters in mammals sitting room, whose
open door led into the dining room.
" How Archie mixes things!" she said to
herself. Then she laughed again as the
little boy went on.
"Now, Ted, we'll stick some more in
my book, and see what they'll be. There's
another picture on the other side of 'em,
under the paper peel off, you know, n
that's what I soak 'em for, to get the
paper off. I'll show 'em to Aunt Ray
when they're all done. 1 guess she'd
have something made up bout these
pictures il she was here-some good talk,
you know; she always does bout every
thing do. Why, when 1 had my card
board buzz don't you remember we
twirled it round on string, n made it
go in Mamie's and Biddy's faces to kind
O. scratch 'em, just for fun-Aunt Ray
said it was like unkind words and looks
we gave people; they went right against
'em! s'pose it's cause she's an infidel
or whatever it is sickly people are
that she talks that way. They're always
good, you know"
81 guess I know! Aunt Deb's one,
n 1 always cut n run when she gets
talkin' to me bout bein' good boy, m
dyin'. She awful cross N fussy, m won't
let me make the least speck o. noise
cause she says she's 30 miserable. 1
don't see what sickly folks has to preach
SO much for, though"
"Oh, Ted," cried Archie, "Aunt Ray
don't preach. She isn't like your aunt
bit. She is the dearest, best auntie that
ever was. My! here she come! 1 didn't
know she was in there"
What a nice time you seem to be
having, little boys" said Aunt Ray, as
she came behind Ted and Archie, and
watched her little nephew stick the pict-
ures on the pages of his tiny album.
Won't you tell us story or some
thin. Aunt Ray?" asked Archie, drop
ping his pictures and coming up to the
big chair into which auntie had sunk,
quite tired with her writing. "Ted's
going home pretty soon, N he never
heard you tell anything yet"
was thinking about your transfer
pictures, just now, Archie. DO you know
1 have seen people who were just like
them?"
Auntie was smiling little.
sob, auntie really" cried Archie, with
wide open eyes.
Really They looked like something
different from what they really were, and
they had to be peeled off before one
could see their real faces"
"Myl" cried both boys, wonderingly.
Was 1t in Europe when you was
there? asked Archie.
Did they have to have themselves