Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-01-25
A VISIT TO GRANDPA'S.
BY ANNA oLDFIELD wIGGs.

ASTy1e me to disregard my faith,
"e-<sf er's injunction tn at
should do no literary work during my
sojourn of few weeks at his home.
These trees, with their tender leaves
and lithesome boughs swaying to and
fro; this emerald -hued plat of grass,
stretching broadly before me: the gar
den, green and airy, the cherry buds,
responsible for the transgression. They
peep at me so coquettishly that J am
quite convinced they are laughing be
cause this invigorating breeze, which
enhances their complexion, makes such
pitiful havoc of mine.
1 noticed how caressingly the dew
lay on the bosom of every leaf and ev-
cry blade of grass, and nestled within
the folds of the fair young flowers.
There was love in everything; beauty
everywhere Even tile COW bells, con-
demncd for their discordant jingle, had
music in them this morning. Tinkle,
tinlllc, tinkle, tiulllc, so far away that
the rustic of my garm nts drowned
their voices. The larks, alarmed and
indignant at my trespassing, put their
little heads together and scolded me
pitilessly; and Old Sol, patiently bid
ing his time to rise, lay hidden be,
meath covcrlct of red and yellow
clouds.
The situation was peculiarly novel
to me. The wind and the motion OF
the hammock Intoxicated mo. and !
fell into half wnkcful revcry, con-
sisting mainly of q review of my sunny
childhood, not day Of which | would
fain forget. in this rctrosr | saw
myself from a little girl OF five sum
mers, with tousled curls about a brown
Face, through all the stages of my life,
permitting my mind to follow the chain
of years, link by link, to this time, and
l was still five years old, [ realized,
however, that others, who had played
part in the mclodrama of my life
had grown older and changed with
times progress, while [ remained the
same the expanse of years were bat
days III my fancy. And thus, enyel-
oped in misty dream, I felt the touch
of a soft hand on my face, and a real
child voice lisped:
Five kitheth, mamma! l am five
yeaftn Olu to-day.
That familiar voice with its childish
infection, was all that was needed to
break the spell, and when opened my
eyes [ looked into a pair as blue as
hyacinths, and remembered that | am
q woman now, and my successor is the
least of the three little maids, dressed
as Enthusiastically for their make b1ieve"
calls, which are received with becoming
meekness by every member Of the
household
With my awakening comes the rather
unpleasant reality that am but
guest in my fathers house, and, being
a grown up one, am presumably to put
away childish things, and also, the in
dulgent reign which | had, by juniori-
ty, believed to be my own, had been
transferred to the little maid W no sup
planted nue. therein five years ago.
But since have outgrown the char
acteristics OF childhood, | am still
young enough at heart to enter into
them and teach the three little maids
how to enjoy them at their fullest. If
we could improvi3e q playhouse, it
would be variation in the routine of
dolls and long dresses; 50 ! straight
way set my precocious fancy to work
and with the help of willing hands and
plenty of Good-humor, not to mention
architectural skill We were soon re
warded by loud expressions of appre-
citation from the Juvenile trio. You
know at grandpa's there are inexhaus-
tible resources Of pleasure; and it is
gratifying to see with what relish the
three little maids enter into the spirit
of every new device. What care they
for the sun and wind? The fact that
when q few weeks later they shall re
turn home, bearing on hands and face
unmistakable signs of exposure, has
not a feathers weight with them now
There is a charm in these bits of
crockery and remnants of grandma's
china, which she has been slowing
away for months in anticipa ion of the
rustic palace which adorns her spacious
lawn in the form OF muslin tent.
This fragmontary dinner service, en-
bIacing every conceivable shape and
design, is arranged in painful precision
on the crude pine shelves which serve
for both china closet and buffers pan
Try. ~ PAIR oi blichS supporting
block of WOOD rersopates range. 1t
is seldom that these little culinary art
lists seek rest from their manifold du-
ties, but when they do so they fling
themselves in the most uncomfortable
attitudes upon a divan, which is posing
as a late pattern OF mahogany and
brocatellc; but which is, cl}h'c nous,
only u pine box covered With CARPET.
and of home manufacture as we'll.
Yet the shapcless dishes, rude stove
and impiomptu furnitue, homely rs
they are do not become monotonous.
as do the 10y services. miniature
range and tapestried furniture, which
they frequently abandon at home.
Their vehicles are the swings, of which
there are three, due to grandma's con
sideration, and the hammocks that
hang well screened from the range OF
friendly sun; and at the edge of the
prettiest lake lies a boat waiting for
nimble fingers to loose it from its moor
ings.
Now swiftly through
The morning dew
Their di1lpled feet come, two by two;
And from each throat
There comes by rote.
~ choose to be first i'll the boat"