The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-11-07
now ToppY HELD THE FORT.

Now, mind you, Toppy! No didoe'
while | am gone. You are to knit fifty
rounds Of your sock, an sit on the bach
porch stiddy, an keep the hens out o
them dryin' apples"
"Yes'm," replied Toppy. She stuck one
lean little finger into a morning glory bel
and looked up with a queer little glance
from her two bright, twinkling eyes &c
Miss Mehitable.
"And mind you nobody gets into the
house. Be a good girl, Toppy, and mebbe
I'll let ye off with twenty-five rounds on
your sock tomorrow"
Miss Mehitable gathered up the reius,
and started old Sulky off toward Dover,
whittier the austere spinster made fort
nightly pilgrimages with butter and eggs.
She did not see Toppy's small nose TURF
up; but tura up it did, for this day Miss
Toppy watched the blue taiiboard of the
wagon vanish down the road; then she
picked up the corners OF her long brown
apron, and with speed in her heels, fire in
her eyes, and vigor in her elbows, she
shooed every chicken into the large winter
chicken-coop and shut it up tightly.
She returned slowly to the house. and
picked up her gray sock and yarn ball
from the place on the porch seat.
"You nasty. horrid thing." said Toppy
glazing at the dangling leg yindictiyely.
With sudden energy, she gave the needles
a toss and swish; the stocking landed
among the grape Leaves of the arbor.
Toppy danced a bare-footed double shuttle
on the soft turf.
How'd we get up thereoa she asked,
eveing the stocking with a little snapping,
sideways quirk Of her eye. You flew up
there, soekies, to get away from being
made wuss lookia' than you are already
She ~sauntered down to the gate with 8
jaunty air, and looked up and down the
road.
"Taint just time for 'em yet" she
said reflectively. 'Guess I'll make me a
wreath
She invaded Miss Mehitable's patch of
marigolds.
''They hain't sweet" said Toppv, GULL
ing them profusely, 'but they'll make a
jolly good lookin' crown"
She pulled them with long stems, and
woye a wreath very dexterously. When
she had placed this firmly on her smooth,
$1,000 oo1aroJ how hraflad into two MIR
tails which braoched cut behind her ears
in perpetual defiance, Toppy was an i'm
posing spectacle.
'I'll wear dahlyers in my button-holes, y
she said, surveying her little ~shapeless
calico jacket. ''Dahlyers ale handles for
triumph"
A row OF dahlias forthwith left their
parent stems to adorn her slight figure.
a loud sAhem" sounded from the re-
gion of the garden gate.
Toppy turned around quickly. Her gar
den party had arrived in full force. There
were six of them. They were p%oorhouse
children, the same as Toppy, and bearing
the stamp of their pauperism plainly upon
them. Such clothes, such misfit hats, such
pathetic gowns and trousers!
Toppy flung open the gate with a mag
nifcent air of hospitality.
"All here? Yes, there's Crazy and
Tom. and jimmie and Marth, and Bobby
and little Pete. You've had a hot walk.
Dida't nobody ask you where you was
a.comiu' to, did they? Sit down on the
porch! Three on a seat and no squeezin'.
Wait till | hook Miss Mehitable's turkey
tail fan. 1t gives wind splendid, and you
can pass it round"
Toppy whisked into the house and re-
turned with the fan.
Six yellow pumpkins were placed III a
circle behind the hop poles.
ssThem's chairs; ladies and gentlemen.
sit right down." said Toppy.
Three overturned milk pans served for
tables. There were apples, bread and but
ter, a mug Of milk. the largest fraction of
a molasses cake, and a pile of cookies.
For dessert there were some half-ripened
hazel.nuts and some early-ripe sourg grapes.
How the hungry eyes of the children di-
lated as Toppy brought the viands on
They began with low Abs" gradually
rose to squeals as luxury o~vertopped lux
ury, and Pete put his small teeth into a
cookie with a snap that told Of keenest ap-
petite.
Toppy watched them eat with her arms
on her hips and satisfaction in her eyes.
"Taste good, Marthy?"
lawful" replied Marthy, with a mouth
full of apple. Miss Mehltable is terrible
good in givin' away her yittles,'
Toppy's lips became a thin line. Her
eyelids lowered slowly. She pretended
she saw a refractory chicken in the hops,
and made a sudden dash among the poles.
But Tom had his suspicious. He rose from
his pumpkin and followed Toppy. She
stood quietly among the vines, looking
flushed and uneasy. ''Tep,' said Tom,
.sdid you hook all them things for us?"
eyes" said Toppy, compelled by his
tone to a reply, 'bu, | hain't eat as much