Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-06-03
lOUIEpS TRIALS.
a Loaf from the Memories of Early
.4. Childhood.


years old at the time, and was spend
ing a fortnight with my grandmother.
liked to be there. She was an un-
demonstratiye but most tender-hearted
old lady; and have been told since
that was her pet among the twenty
children who called her "Grandma."
But there were no young people for me
to play with. Our only small neigh
bors were wild, noisy, ill-bred children;
andslswas forbidden even to talk over
the fence to them. The elderly servant
who took charge of me was constantly
"naggingn me on this subject. Don't
you spealSNto those Kissams, Louie"
she would say, sharply; or, II see you
near the Kissam's fence, and mean to
Tell Your grandmss" All this made me
ecrya .misera bles and think dear old
granny found it out; for one day, lin
the twilight hour, when it was her
sweet custom to let me sit with her in
The "Black-walnut parlor," as the
quaint room fronting the road was
called, she took me on her lap and said,
in CHEEKY tone:
II think my little girl is tired of old
people; isn't she? Well, now, do you
see that white house across the street?
1t has been closed all summer, you
know, because the family are away; but
Tomorrow they are coming home, and
there are three nice little children for
you to play with"
4 flung my arms around grandma's
neck and hugged her for very Joy! And
all that evening, and after was in bed
even, 4 kept picturing the delight of
having those children to play with, per-
haps to visit, to show my dolls to, with
out any fear of warnings or rebuke from
Maria. Early the next day we saw the
family arrive. Two carriage loads, and
great van full of furniture, trunks,
etc., and the windows of the large
beautiful house were flung open and
there was a general air of cheerful
activity. The same afternoon Mrs.
Roberts, the children's mother, ran
across to see grandma. She was a
"
height of that days fashion-large
erin oline, q 1ounced blue and white
muslin and flowing sleeves, and her
bright brown hair was looped in what
they called Madonna" braids. could
have gazed at her forever. And
when she said: "Oh, is this Nell's little
grip" and took me on her lap regard
less of her crisp muslins and kissed me,
and said must come the very next day
to see-the children, the conquest was
complete.
Well, my anxiety for the next day"
to come kept me awake long beyond
the hour Maria was always telling me
no good little girl ever asked to sit up" "
and in the morning Ibore with unheard
of patience her rasping way of curling
my hair. used to dread that ordeal.
Maria's hands were like nutmeg ggraters,
and she twisted and turned my head
about as she curled the hair over a
stick as though | was trying to be re-
bellious; and every little while the
stick wouldn't come through the curl
she made it so tight! While this per-
formance was going on she gave me
various warnings for the days behavior,
"I'll tell you just one thing" she
wound up with; don't you dare meddle
with a thing you see, They've brought
beautiful things from Europe, and
you'll never be let over there again for
a minute" (here the stick was dragged
out of curl; but bore it silently iii
you so much as hurt one single bit OF
anything, You meddle, meddle, med
die the hull time; and if I'd been your
grandma I'd never hev let you go there
at all, She'd ought to know you'll dc
some mischief"
~. Tears Maria did rot see sprang into
my eyes. No one had ever made me
feel myself such disagreeable child
| wondered if Mrs. Roberts would dis
like me so much. But very soon grand
ma came into the room and told Maria
it was time she took me across the road
adding, in her kindest way: 81 know
my little girl will be good, and an
sure she will be very happy"
Maria shifted when we were alone
again, and, as we crossed the road ex
pressed her disapprobation by jerking
me from time to time, and telling mt
to ''walk straighter" or keep my'hand
STILL" or mot try tO act so silly"
At last was within the door of The
fine house-in wide hall full of stat
uary, pictures, etc; sCme not as ye
placed, others having been there sine,
Mrs. Roberts childhood, but all my at
tention was centered on the staircase
down which three rosy little girls il
white dresses, with long curls flying
and an air of delightful freedom, cam,
rushing to welcome me. And we wer
friends at once-that is, directly tn
door had closed on Maria; and by tn,
time they had taken me upstairs to
big, sunshiny nursery, where a Frencl
6onne in white cap and large apron sa
sewing, we knew each others name
and had decided first to play dolls"
Children of to-day cannot appreciat
what a genuine French doll with
trousseau was to the American child o
that period. When saw the thre
dolls belonging to Dora, Addy and Mel
their wonderful clothes like 'rca
person's"-their hats, shoes, dresses, ur
derwear-their TRUNKS with lids-al
the outfit of lady OF fashion, nearl
screamed with delight And what ;
morning we hadl We sat on the foo
and played house; we made severa
days of tin order to put the dolls int
their dainty beds, to take them up an
wash and dress them. We wake
them up and down the balloon
in order to put their out-of-doo
garments on. They called on eac
other; they gave parties; the
sat down to dinner at the mos
delightful little table with real food i
4ln rrN,I 4,,rn