Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-13

nice one"
"Yes, my darling, certainly" Graham
replied, feeling as if he would have at
tempted to stand on his head, if she had
called for that form of entertainment
"What shall tell you about?'
"Bears. The very, very long one about
| the three bears"
| II am afraid / can't remember that,
Lance returned meekly. "You see, my
education has been neglected. If it had
been tigers now"
"Well," said the imperious Nelly, with
a sigh of resignation, and perhaps a little
in depreciation OF such deplorable ignor-
ance, 81 dess the bears will have to wait.
Only it must be about real tiger"
Graham, obedient to this request, pro-
ceeded to relate personal adventure in
the simplest language at his command.
That he should be doing so did not appear
to De the least ludicrous. As if he had
been family man and the child his own
he told the thrilling story.
81 like tales" said Nelly when at length
the thrilling narrative concluded. "Did
| you ever see real lion ?"
"Often. And now isn't it time little
girls were in bed ?"
"But don't want to go to bed. And l
never 60 till Pse said my prayers"
"Well, say them now. then"
"When Use a bit gooder. Use got a
naughty tink inside me. When the
naughty thinks gone, then Pll say my
prayers"
"But want to go to bed myself"
"You can't go till Pse gone" Nelly re-
turned conclusively. Tell me all about
lions"
Don't know anything about lions"
l. "Then take me home TO mamma"
"My dear child" said Graham with a
gravity he was far from feeling, "can't you
understand that you must wait till morn
ing. They have made you nice bed, and
it's very late for little girls to be up
|, "Let me see it. Carry me-"
The imperious tones were growing very
| drowsy. When at length Graham's rubi-
cund, good-natured landlady called him
into the room, he stopped in the doorway
in silent admiration of perhaps the pref
test picture he had ever seen. With her
face fresh and rosy, her fair golden hair
twisted round her head she stood upon
the bed and held out a pair of arms in.
willingly.
''What, not asleep YETI" he asked, "and
nearly morning, too"
The old look OF rerroach crept into the
child's sleepy eyes. 'sNot till have said
my prayers. Take me on your lap while
say them"
Graham placed the little one on his
knee, listening reverently to the broken
medley of words uttered with the deepest
solemnity. Yet every word was distinctly
uttered, even to the plea for the absent
father, till the listener found himself Won
dering what kind of man this recalcitrant
parent might be. Presently Nelly con-
Guided. "And God bless you" she ex-
planned lovingly, accompanying her words
with kiss. "And now | will 90 to Sleep"
When Graham woke next morning he
did so with a violent pain al his chest,
| and a general feeling that his beard was
being forcibly torn from his chin. 1t was
early yet, but his tiny visitor was abroad
She had established herself upon the bed,
where she was engaged in some Juvenile
amusement, in which the victims long
beard apparently played an important
part in the programme. As he opened
his eyes the child laughed merrily.
Don't move" she exclaimed peremptori-
ly; "Pse playing horses. You'se the
horse, and these is the reins," and giving
utterance to these words, she gave sharp
pull at the cherished hirsute appendage,
and recommended her recreation vigor-
ously.
\ man may be passionately fond of
children, but when it comes to healthy
child lying upon his chest, and pair Of
lusty little arms Juggling at sensitive
portion of his anatomy, the time has come
when little admonition becomes almost
necessary.
"Nelly, you are hurting me-" Graham
cried sharply
She looked in his face a moment. ap-
! parently seeking to know if he spoke with
a dual meaning, as children oftines do.
Then, deciding that he spoke the truth,
there came an afiectionate reaction in his
favor.
"Poor, poor p she said, soothingly, rub
bling her cheek against his. "Nelly is a
naughty girl, and Use so sorry"
"You are a good little girl to say you
are sorry"
"Give me some sweeties, then" Nelly
answered promptly. whenever l tell
mamma Pse sorry she says good little
girl and gives me sweeties."
Presently, perhaps. And nowrun away
while dress"
Obedient to this request the child kissed
him again, and after one regretful glance
at the beard and Sigh for the vanished
equestrian exercise, jumped from the bed
and disappeared. Graham was not, how
ever, destinued to be left long in peace
over his toilet, which was not more than
half completed when Nelly returned again,
and seating herself in chair, watched
sgravely every movement of this deeply in
teresting ceremony"
isn't you going to shave" she asked
reproachfully, as Graham with a smile in
dictated that his labor was complete.
81 never shave" he answered. "What
would you have to play horses with if I
did?n
This practical logic seemed to confound
Miss Nelly for moment, but with the
pertinacity worthy of better cause she
replied:
"All gentlemans shave. There is one in
our house, and | go to him every morning.
l like TO see him Scrape the white stuff off
-Pse dreffly hungry"
But by this time Graham had grown
quite accustomed to these startling changes
in the flow of Miss Nelly's eloquence.
| though he could not fail to admit the
practical drift of the concluding observa-
tion.
"Nelly," he asked, seriously, when the
healthy appetite had been fully appeased
LET us go to business. Now, what is
mammals name"
"Nelly, too" the child replied. "Pass
the bread and butter, please"
"And you do not know where you liye?p
'No But it isn't far from the station,
where the trains are. | can hear them all
day when mamma is out"
''Not particularly good clue in place
like London" reflected the questioner.
"What is mamma like?" he asked. "What
does she do ~