Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-04
MR.. eiLLUPs READS ALOUD.
A Domestic Feat Attended by Some
Difficulty.


Billups.
"Why, certainly, dear" she replied. "Go
on, please; go on"
EXCUSE me for thinking so," said Mr..
Billups, "but l did think that you were
going to sleep with your eyes OPEN"
"Oh, do please go onn' Mrs. Billups ex.
claimed. "You are so aggravating, Johnp'
"All right" continued Mr.. Billups.
"Where was l at? All, seel The dark.
ness that can be felt, impaled and stabbed
through its whole thickness by one mighty
moonbeam, clear and clean and'"-
Mr.. Billups' impressive elocution was
rudely marred at this point by hoarse
wall of "Ma-a-a! Ma-a-a Ma-map which
issued from the next room, and, arresting
the progress of that mighty moonbeam,"
corroborated Mrs. Billups' impression that
she had heard the baby. The baby was in
deed awake. He apparently wanted ina
ma" very much, and size arose from her
chair and started to go to him
"Confound it!' Mr. Billups calculated,
'Pve notion to read the story to myself
if you can't listen"
"Oh, please DON'T" said Mrs. Billups.
'I'll bring him out and hold him in my
arms, and he'll be good, know he will"
She hastened away and brought back
the twb-year-old, who blinked at the lamp
light, and was so glad to be released fror,
his crib that he became instantly quiet and
happy. Mrs. Billups tucked the young
mans nightdress snugly about his toes,
resumed her seat and told her husband TO
go on again.
He obeyed.
"'One mighty moonbeam,'" he read,
"'clear and clean and cold from the top to
the bottom'"-
'Hello, papar' chirped the baby, having
rapidly reached the wide awake state in
which, particularly by lamplight, he was
very observant child.
Hello, you rascal! Keep still!'' said
papa, and then resumed, "'All around, in
the circle of the outer black, lie the great
dead'"-
"Ma-map cried the disturber again;
"ma-ma! Down! Dit down!"
"He wants to get down and run around, I"
mama explained to Mr.. Billups, who was
not an adept in baby talk, and she allowed
the boy to slide from her lap and shift for
himself.
"'Lie the great dead in their tombs, u"
Mr.. Billups continued with sigh Of resig
nation, whispering to each other Of
deeds -
wait just a minute, john" said Mrs
Billups, calmly breaking in upon the
voices from the tombs. He's got your
pipe off the table"
"Well, let him have it," said Mr.. Bill
lups, ''if it'll only keep him quiet 1t isn't
lit"
NO. won't" said Mrs. Billups. It'll
make him sick anyhow, and besides he
might break it."
"Then take it away from him quickv'
And, this order having been executed and
the baby riciied against the loss of the
pipe, Mr.. Billups pitched in once more.
whispering to each other of deeds that
shook the world whispering in Ian
guage' -
LANG didge," piped a little voice.
He's only initiating you," was the COM
ment made by Mrs Billups.
"Well, I wish he wouldn't" Mr.. Billups
groaned; whispering in u language all
their own as yet-the language -
"Lang-didge, langdidgep
"Shut up, you nuisancel The languag.
of the life to come-the language -
"Lang- g-didge, lang-didgeN'
'Now, look here, young fellow" said
! Mr. hBillups "who's doing this reading
| you or II"
''Take him up in your lap" Mrs Bill
lups suggested. perhaps he'll be better
that way"
Mr. Billups, in desperation, did as he
was told, and with his arms around the
baby's shoulders and holding the book at
arms length continued, '''The language
of stiffness so dread and deep that the
very silence clashes against it, and' ~
"Pem-mie, pem-miey' cried the child
seizing the lapel of his fathers coat.
Pencil, he MEANS" Mrs Billups re
marked. "Give him your pencil from
your vest pocket, and then he'll be quiet. y
The boy got the pencil and straightway
conveyed the sharpened end to his mouth
while Mr.. Billups read on, "'And makes
dull, muff1ed beatings in ears that strair
to catch the dead mems talk; the shadow
of immortality -
down, down! Dit down!' came agair
from the restless young Billups. and his
father let him down so suddenly that the
child stumped his bare toes against rune
of the chair, and began to cry.
II Iknow what I'll do" said Mrs. Billups
ever hopeful. "I'll give him that box Of
liver pills to play with. He's so fond Of
hearing them rattle. Come here, darling
! to the baby-'and get your box"
"B-b-bots?" sobbed the little fellow.
! EYES," his mamma replied.
| John found his place in the book again
while John, Jr., toddled away with that
fascinating box of pills.
| "'The shadow of Immortality" Mr.
Billups continued in humdrum tone, his
Evolutionary talent squelched "'the
shadow of immortality falling through the
| shadow of death and bursting back upor
| its heavenward course -
"Torse torse!" shouted that parrot voice
from distant corner of the ROOM
"'Torse,'" Mrs. Billups replied.
"No, it wasn't, either. 1t was COURSE
| "Well, I meant course You know
did. was just thinking of the baby. HI
said 'torse,' and p
"Never mind what he says, Mary.
was reading, Bursting back upon It;
heavenward course-course,' mind you
from the depth of the abyss; climbing
again upon it's silver self -
| "Ma-a-a! Ma-a-a! Ma-map
This meant trouble, sure.
Baby had got the piilboX open and tastet
the contents.
He didn't like the flavor.
"Ma.a-a! ma-a-a! ma-a-an' he yelled, ant
mamma leaped to his side and uttered
suppressed shrek.
"Shall 1 go for the doctor9" queried Mr.
Billups in hard voice, throwing aside hi
book
mo, it's not as bad as that, thank good
nessl" responded Mrs. Billups. II thought
he had swallowed the pills, but he hasn't.
81 guess notl" said Mr.. Billups unfeel
ingly. "Catch him swallowing anything