The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-21
GRANDMOTHER'S DAY.
Amusing the Children; or Mrs. Humpty
Dumpty Who Sailed on Log.

11ng-a-ling, ting a-iing, sounded Mrs Blacks
door bell The door opened and in came Fanny.
Mrs. Mortimer's little maid. She brought a note
from Mrs. Mortimer to Mrs. Black. who opened
1t and read:
Dear Mother-As todav IS the only day can go TO
visit the Morgan collection, want to know If you
have such bad colds that dare not send them to
school. Fanny says she knows she can take care of
them" but do not want them to be exposed in the
least Your loving daughter, LELIA MORTIMER.
Mrs. Black smiled as she folded up the note.
and told Fanny to say to Mrs Mortimer that
she nigh, go to see the collection, and that she
would be over as soon as she could put on her
hat and cloak Fanny ran home with the mes
sage and Mrs Black soon followed She found
Harry, Danny and Annie with big shawl over
their heads looking out of the window, impa-
tiently waiting for Grandma" as they called
Mrs. Black Now, the question was what to do
to amuse two lads and a little lassie They
all three rushed at Grandma, and
kissed her, and began to talk at
once, and then Grandma soon perceived
that their mother was right in keepingthem home
from school, for Harry was hoarse, and Danny
had a croupy cough and Annie was sick general
ly. Grandma Black thought the first thing to
do was to get them away from the window.
where the cold wind came in through the cracks
and crevices i'll spite Of the weather strips; so,
after divesting herself of her numerous wraps,
for every one knows the thermometer had grown
sad and sulky. and had slid down, down ever so
far below where good tempered. warm hearted
thermometer ought to stand on that last day of
the exhibition of the Morgan collection. and she
was wrapped up like mummy. She asked the
children, What shall we dos" They all cried
out. Read to us So grandma seated herself in
an easy chair, with Annie on her left Danny on
her right and Harry in front of her She finished
reading "Davy and the Goblin"-Danny called it
"Davy and the Gober'-which their mother
had commenced to read to them Then Harry
went into the parlor and got the big family Bible
out of the cabinet where his mother kept it, and
Grandma read the ever beautiful story OF he
becca at the Well"; then she read Jacobs
Dream" and then the story of Joseph and his
Brethren" AS her throat began to tire with SO
much reading she proposed that the children
should try to make up story themselves They
all clapped their hands and shouted, Yes, yes,
let's make up story" by this time Grandma
had changed her position and happened to sit on
a low seat with her back to the firepace Annie
stood beside her, and every once in a while would
turn and give her hearty squeeze whenever
farcy Danny sat on chair at the right and
Harry sat in front of Grandma in little.
low rocking-chair. ''Well, what shall our
story be aboutl" asked Grandman. "Humpty
'.Wei," continued Grandma, "Humpty Dumpty
Dumpty st9" ion tree" mildly suggested
Harry, and Annie said eyes, on the tip top of
tree" and clapped her hands "Humpty
Dumpty is always represented as an egg dressed
up as man. Shall we have ours dressed that
way or shall we have Mrs. Humpty Dumpty
instead of Mr.. Humpty Dumptyl' queried
grandma "A Mrs. Humpty Dumpty' they all
shouted, and Annie Rugged her grandma SO tight
Dumpty be an egg2" asked grandma, and Danny
said, Let her be egg plum, like egg plums;
and once boy up in the country gave me one to
eat" So it was settled that Mrs Humpty
Dumpty should be an egg plum living on the top
of tree, and then grandma asked, And what
shall she be doingP'
Sewing promptly rejoined Annie
What shall she sewq'
Leaves, making dress OF the leavez," said
'.Where shall she get her threadl' asked
grandma
"Cobwebs," shouted Danny. "Let there be
spiders on the tree to spin the thread"
Every one thought that quite a brilliant idea
and then they wondered what she would do for
needle. Annie said, "Take little twig;"
Harry said, THAT would be too big, and Dan.
ME puckered up his brows trying to think of
some way to find Mrs. Humpty Dumpty a
the cobwebs for threads Grandma waited a
while and then suggested that 'thistles might
be blown that way by the breeze and she could
take sticker or thorn off of it."
y,
the next question was, WHAT'S Mrs Humpty
Dumpty makingF
IA dress" was Armies quick reply.
Where will she wear til"
ITO Sunday school. said Harry. ITO learn.
added Annie
''Now when she gets her dress made she will
try it on and then she will want to look at her
self. Where will she get looking glass.
s'Ill lend her my dolls said Annie, and start
ed to fetch 1t. Grandma held her back and
r. ccadh a l'c
glass is too large for Mrs Humpty Dumpty who
sits up on tree sewing with cobwebs. Can't
You think of anything else2"
The children all looked wise, as if they were
racking their brains, and Grandma said, Cant
you see Your faces in glass of water2" and both
boys said, "Rain!" Let her looking glass be
rain dropi" And Grandma added Rain might
spoil her new dress Of leaves, so we had better
say Mrs. Humpty Dumpty's looking glass is
drop of dew caught leaf"
Annie said, YES" and then acted as though
che were trying on new dress before the glass
When they got the story 80 far along Grand
ma said:
.NIr Humpty Dumpty fell of the wall; new,
how shall We get Mrs Humpty Dumpty off the
tree2"
Let some bad boys FIRE stones at her." said
Harry, gravely.
THAT will bring her down surely" said grand.
ma; land the boys will think they have knocked
down lot of plums when, 10! and behold, Mrs.
Humpty Dumpty will be among them, all dressed
up in her new dress sewed with cobwebs. Well,
what shall we do with herr
Put her in basket suggested some one
"That's it, said Grandma lets make believe
that the old lady who owned the tree rushed ont
and drove the naughty boys away, and picked
up the plums-"
And put 'em on the tree again." suggested
Danny.
mo; sent EN- to her grandchildren said
Harry.
THAT will do very nicely, said Grandma; 'she
puts them in basket with Mrs Humpty
Dumpty on top"
And sends them by little boy" said
Annie
"And he eats her up" added Danny, eagerly.
meaning Mrs. Humpty Dumpty and not the old
lady.
No. objected Harry, don't let him eat her
up; let him stop bridge and some one jog
gle him, and then let Mrs Humpty Dumpty fall
out of the basket and sail away on little log"