The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
THEIR FIRST NEW SUITS.
Grandpa Tells Teddy What Happened to Him When He Was n Little Boy.

1 : Mayo's door-bell. Grandma heard it, and because Bridget was having day out and there was no one else in the l house but grandpa, she opened the l door herself. There stood q little boy, who was just standing on tiptoe to ring the bell a second time-a very ] little boy in new knielzerbockers. new jacket and new fur cap, who looked ] for all the world as though he had just come out of band-box.
 Dear mem said grandma, taking off her spectacles and wiping them and putting them on again. "How do you do little boy? Won't you come l in?"
 The little boy didn't answer word. Indeed. you might have thought he acted very strangely. for he put one hand tight over his mouth and made q queer little gurgling noise. But he followed grandma in through the hall to the study.
 Grandpa was in the study reading the latest paper, but he laid it down and took off his speetacles as his small visitor entered.
 1t is some one to see you, think, - said grandma, sitting down and taking her knitting-work.
 Grandpa put on his speetacles again, and his eyes fairly twinkled behind them, though there wasn't the first hint of u smile on his face.
 Well, my young friend he saia, just as he had said good many times to good many little boys, what can do for you?'
 Then this little boy did another funny thing. He jumped up and down and clapped his hands.
 Why, gran'pa" he cried, ''why, gran'pa, don't you know me? I'm Teddy
 Oh, how surprised grandpa did look, And grandma dropped the little red mitten sine was knitting, she was so astonished.
 Why, l can't believe it, said she Teddy had curls and wore skirts the very last time I saw him. and that was only yesterday"
 L "Teddy-our Teddy-doesn't wear pants and jacket like-like grown-up boy,' said grandpa
 "Oh, but yes I do. nowm Teddy made haste to explain. "'Causo I'm not a baby any more. gram pa; I'm six T mean, I'll be seven years old my next birthday after this one. And papa cut off my hair this morning, and mamma sent gram'ma a curl, though don't think it mounts to muchm
 Grandma thought it did, by the lov- ing way she opened the tiny tissue paper parcel which Teddy gave her; and was almost as sure he saw a tear drop upon tho yellow curl within 1t, though he couldn't see for his part what there was to cry about. He didn't feel one bit like crying, himself.
 And this is my new suit" said he, proudly. My very first pants l ever had
 Well, we'll" said grandpa, after turning Teddy around and around, to view him on every side, "I declare fl it doesn't make me think of the first really new suit l ever had.
 70 gram'pa tell about itr' cried Teddy, eagerly. Was it like minePn
 No, not exactly grandpa an swered, with funny smile; "if I re- member, the pants were longer, and so was the jacket And there was a waistcoat, too"
 What's waistcoat?a demanded Teddy, so much interested that he for got to be polite. He remembered in n minute. If you please, grandpa he added.
 That's right" said grandpa, ap- provingly "A waistcoat is a vest, Teddy, very much like those men wear nowadays l was older than you are when l got my new suit l think must have been as much as ten years old because l cut all the wood mother needed to burn in the brick oven that winter.n
 Whats brick oven, if you please, gram'pa?
 Then grandpa laughed. II do be- lieve this is Teddy" said he, if there had been n doubt of it in his mind all along. "A brick oven, my boy, is large oven built in the House just as the chimney is, of brick or stone, and the fire to heat it is made in the oven itself Ours was built Of stone, though we always called it the brick oven Mother used to heat 1t two or three times a week, and had to work pretty hard sometimes, to furnith wood for it.
 But when sheep-shearing time came, in the spring, l had my reward. One day l heard mother say to father
 ..J ant vou to sava ont ona of tba