New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-29
NETWORK LIFE.
THE LITTLE BOY.

potent and strong az Sara Bernhardts We have all
seen him a thousand times as no bounds buoyantly
to school, with elasticity Of step almost rivailins
that ascrbed to the young Virginia by Lord Macau ay
and his shining morning face all PINK rom tho
nippng, frosty air He Is always clean and fresh at
this hour, with his polo cap pushed back rom his
smooth blond bang, his body, Just lengthenlng out
Of baby roundness buttoned snugly Into his REFER
coat, his tight knckerbockcrs with three buttons
at the hnee his long black stockings his unnatura''y
large feet in stout calfskn boots, laced with leather
thong and his modest pile OF books dangling at the
end OF strap. The innocence OF babyhood Is yet on
his face, the clear and candid glance Of tho pure
chlld-sou yet In his eyes. He Is cherubIc. Tho
withered old maid, with her cherished yellow COM
plexIon and the gathered front of her bodice filed
with airy receptions like empty cream puff pauses
to gaze wstfully after him, he skips whistlng
down the street. The heavy-eyed lounger with his
seedy hat the back Of his head, and tho tails Of his
dress-coat dangling sheeplshly down below his light
ovcrcoat, turns, and with his remulous fingers rub
bling his stubby chin, followed the dancing figure
with a sad and haggard glance. Both think pensvely
OF what might have been--beng ignorant Of what IS
Tho moving of CULVER by the Llputians is nothing
compared to the maunal moving from his bed of this
little boy. He sleeps soundly on his face, with his
round sleek blond head jammed fercely into the
pillow. As the Gathering of tho breakfast dishes
sounds with a cheerful promise through the house,
and the faint, seductive Of coffee and hot rolls
ascends tempngly up the staircase, the air Is sud
denly filed with shrill feminine cries:
Brdget-where's Master BertIel"
He won't sthurr, mum-aven though pove shuck
him TIL I'olm toired."
Bertie Notwithstanding scale" get up this
minute you disgraeful, lazy boy"
He's terrible. He won't stir. He'll DO fate for
school," says tho head nurse, signing despairngly
Bertie-get up, sir" cries mamma and dashes
through the hallway into Bertes hor long hair
flying and an ivorybacked brush held warnngly In
her hand
Then arises a hubbub Of haranguIng feminine
voices, which BERTHE TO the extent of uttcrng
a long and lazy groan, and turning over with slow,
bcatled smile.
"what shall do with hm9" says Mamma, in des-
peraton, addressing the ceiling He'll be lao for
school. All the boys will laugh at you.n
" 1 know it-but don't mind. l like IT," comes a
SOFT drowsy murmur from the depths of tho pillow.
CARA now, git up Burrct-aInt yez ashamedl'
says the under nurse, coaxIngly.
Tho head nurse resorts to action and sweeps the
coverles down, exposing Bertlos little lean legs, in
all their unblushng tcnuy, twned about each other
In attitude remarkable than restfuL She
lays hold Of him by the ankle, and attempts to draw
him forth, whereat he clutches tho beds head and
hangs on, laughing consumedy." The other chill
dren In various stages OF undress, stand the door
way and peep In, palpatng; their fluffy blond heads
make yellow blurs In tho bright morning sunlight,
and flannel pettlcoats of spans length stand out
from their straight, little waists like faint remnis
cence OF the ballet last night They &" snatch fear
full Joy" In watching tho open insurrecton Of this
rebellIous brother But suddenly Deep
ominous Tone like tho grJwling of distant thunder
tho hgl pitched, feminine concert Father
enors in his dressing gown. Father has been using
tho flesh brushes-the kind with long handles, and
being a man rich in knowledge of the world, knows
-
words though father. being lawyer, has necessarily
a firm belief in tho efficacy of spoken language. In
this his actions speak quito loud-you hear
them across the hall Their information IS at once
sbllan and sharp They have a soft and yet resonant
quallty-tho ccholng smack of slap. Father with
draws as BERTHE rises
On ordinary evenings when there guests,
Berthe and his lttlo sister, Resale, spend an hour
after dinner In tho drawing-room with mamma and
father This IS the hour when father is to enjoy the
society of his children. This is the hour when the
family snaps his fingers at the Ssacnoior and the
signs ana looks and signs again This is the
hour when tho parent, resting after the tolls of the
day, studies the budding souls of his little ones, and
dccoys them into unfolding their childish thoughts and
dreams. But the complex BERTHE does not to be
unfoldcd He affects tho secretive reticence of the
third Napoleon. A battling eye has BERTHE which,
questions him his progress in school, he wont to
roll upward and fix upon the chandelier, saying, with
a bored frown
"Well, father I've told you all know. certainly
think you ought to be satisfied to hear I've the best
Latin accent In the school,"
Haven't you made mistake ~ says Aunt Loo,
from her by the lamp don't you mean Latin |
brogue 2"
Father stays the sofa pillow which is about to be |
- red O.: A::2: noos head Aunt Loo has good
nerves, and TRANQUILITY turns the page of her book,
while Berthe, breaking away from father, begins
game of play with Rosalle Rosalle is seven-twO
years Bertle's Junior wholesome tradition makes
her love her brother love which has Ueen cementcd
by many mutual fights Resale is ciEeadv quite
warrior-a modern Terminus She won her spurs
two years before in the Iomcrc conflict, when she
loo ked BERTHE in the lumberroom and refused to let
him out. Her attack is brilliant, her retreat uncx
pcctcd and expeditions but she is deficient In stay
ing powers as evinced in this particular battle when
upon Bertie's crying through the key-hole,
Rosalic-you fool-let me out" and then:
Rosalic-you id foo-let me out,'
he had weakly surrendered and opened the door.
Is IL necessary add that Berte-outslde the door
Illustrated in mastery style the process of getting
square with hers Up to that point the honors had
been easy.
Moreover, Resale Is too lachrymose ever to make |
great genera. She has constantly been known to |
90 through whole campagn-from the nursery, down |
he staircase, through the hail. and into tho drawing
Dom, dissolved in tears, but gamo to the last. Tho
first tcar-thc equivalent among youthful amateurs Of
he first blood of professional crcless always drawn
rom Resale. She IS also not to be relied on. There |
layc been record when, like Cleopatra at
a failing popular among warllke
gomen-in the burning midst Of heroic combat, she
las turned and fed up the stairs like a hare into the
nursery Like cyclone, over tho chairs, In between
urse and tho window, there to COVER painting and |
earul, waiting for the advent of tho bafed Berthe,
yho enters waving the bloody shirt. Yes, certainly,
Iosalie is not to be relied on. 1t was she, who on
hat dreadful day, when mamma was entertaining a
distinguished guest In the drawing room, quite dis
raced the family. series Of thuds, more or less
ickenlng proceeding from the sair-head had caused