Wichita eagle., 1888-02-23
THE MARIONETTES.

The dinner was over. The servants
had cleared away the ornamental pieces
of confectionery and, the automatic figures
at which every one had laughed SO hard.
The ladies had gone to the drawing room
where Signor Marcimallo the tenor, was
singing for them. Some Of the gentlemen
were lingering at the table to finish their
cigars and coffee and to hear Gen. PIN
pan tell once more how he had received a
sabeT stroke ON his cheek at the battle of
Sumtown. Grandfather Wsg was asleep
in the corner snoring like horsefddle
The room was blue with cigar smoke, and
the little majolica clock in the corner was
SO blinded by it that it got its hands
crossed and pointed to ten minutes OF four
when it was really twenty minutes after
ten.
On the top shelf in the pantry were the
automatic figures. They were silent, ap-
parently, and had all stopped in con.
strained attitudes, which made them look
extremely funny. The central figure OF
the little assembly was very proud
young lady with yellow hair that looked
like well pulled molasses candy, big dark
eyes with very dark lashes and brows,
with crimson cheeks and lips and snow
white teeth. She looked just like one Of
the beautiful ladies we see in the comic
operas-all except her teeth. When she
was wound up che would fan herself with
a most disdainful air like the saleslady
who has ruined her prospects OF marriage
by compelling her lover to take her to
hear Patti.
Next to her was a baseball player, who
or nd ho6
very large legs, though he never ran bases
In his life. He was not very fine base
ball player, because he could not get of
his base; but perhaps he was more sensible
on that account. When he was wound up
he made three strikes with the bat which
he held over his shoulder, and, no doubt,
like many other baseball players, he could
have hit ball if it got in the way Of his
bat. Then there was q beautiful blue
faced monkey, with pink eyes and green
teeth, who could wink and open and shut
his mouth while he played tastefully on
the tambourine There was also a colored
man, who looked like Mr.. Dockstader in a
misfit, and wore collar used by all the
fashionable flies of the neighborhood as an
evening promenade. This gentleman had
. one stringed guitar, and when he was
wound up he could play lovely accom-
paniment. No one ever wanted to be &C.
companied by one stringed guitar, unless
he played a one stringed Chinese fiddle;
but the minstrel's soul was full of accom-
paniment and he played just the same.
And there was the old woman who lived
in a shoe and had SO many children she
didn't know what to do, except when the
children ran down and then they gave her
no trouble, and she liked that well enough,
you may be sure.
This was very goodly company, as may
easily be imagined, and they knew a great
deal about the world, for they saw it often
at dinner where it drank q good deal Of
wine and said many things better left I'M
said. Now that one more big dinner was
over the marionettes sat on the shelf and
looked at one another. They often did
that. They could not help it very well,
for they could not get away if they tried.
They had once seen walking doll and
had envied her, but when they found she
couldn't fan, or play on q one stringed
guitar, or make three strikes, or spank
any children, they felt more resigned.
81 never was so Disguised in the whole
course of my life remarked Fannie, the
young lady with the fan. at makes me
burn all over. / wish some one would
wind me up so could fan myself"
whats the trouble, Miss Fannie?"
said Johnny Ward, the baseball player,
who was very fond of this young lady,
but being stuffed with sawdust did not
feel SO deeply as he might.
"Did you see those two young ladies
opposite me carrying on with that boys"
NO" was the general answer.
"Wen," said Miss Fannie, highly de-
lighted at the opportunity to tell q story,
there were little Miss Belle Carter and
Miss Millicent Meredith, one of them II
years old and the other 10. Opposite them
sat Master Harry Hinton, who is only ID.
And what do you suppose those three
were doing?"
"It's quite impossible to tell" said the
old woman, whose name was Sue. "No
one can tell what children are going to do.
They're the worry Of my existence. Be
fore can get up in the morning Tom is
sure to be-
..Sayr shouted Sambo, the colored man;
"no one hain't talkin' about yore chillen,
old Teddy"
Don't you dare to speak to me like
thatr' exclaimed the old woman. do
you think you're . dialect story in maya
Nne''
That's right, Sue" said the ball player.
"See here, Sambo, don't you speak to any
one here in that manner again or III hit
you with my bat"
"Yo' can't" said Sambo; 'yo' hain't
wound up" Johnny Ward could make no
reply to this, and there was moments
silence. Then the blue faced monkey,
Jocko, said:
"Well, I'm sure thought everything
went wrong at the dinner
"Oh, you're unhappy" said the old
woman, because Uncle Toby poured half
a pint Of champagne into you when your
mouth was open"
"Well, / don't care" said the monkey,
blushing till his blue face was purple; lit
was a mean advantage TO take of me when
/ was wound up and couldn't help opening
my mouth"
well" said Miss Fanny, lam to be
permitted to go on with my story"'
go ! Now you're off !" shouted Johnny
Ward. Il beg your pardon; forgot this
wasn't a game of ball"
"Well, what was going to say was
this. Miss Bell opened kiss paper and
handed it to Master Harry. 1 saw the
paper, and what do you think Ii said ?"
"We all glib dat un up, Miss Bones"
replied the colored man.
'This isn'ts minstrel show" exclaimed
the monkey.
IL do declare" said the old woman,
''that African worries me so that, if
could, I'd spank all tho children, SO
would. Now, therer'
Ons Of the children, Who had thrown
the old woman's key into vinegar bottle
while at dinner, so that she could never be
wound up again, winked at the others and
said nothing.