Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-05-04


: liked 90 be there. She was an I'M
demonstrativc but most tender-heartcd
old lady; and hnvc been told since
that Was her pet among the twenty
children who called her ssGrandmn. !"
But there were no young people for me
To play with. Our only small neigh
bors were wild, noisy, ill-bred children;
and was forbidden even to talk over
the fence to them The elderly servant
who took charge of me was constantly
.'naRRing" me on this subject. Don't
you speak to those kissams. Louie, ("
sne would say. sharply; or, ~ see you
near the Kissam's fence. and mean to
tell your grandma" All this made me
very miserable, and 1 think dear old
granny found 1t out; for one day, lin
tho twilight hour. when IL was her
sweet custom to let me sit with her in
the "Black-walnut parlor." rs the
quaint room fronting the road was
called. she took me ON her lap and said.
in a CHEEKY tone:
II think my little girl In tired of old
people; isn't she? Wen, 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"
flung my arms around grandma's
neck and Rugged her for very joyl And
all that evening. and after was i'm bed
even, i 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 rcbuke from
Maria. Early the next day we saw the
family arrive. Two carriage loads, and
n great van full of furniture, trunks,
etc, and the windows of the large
beautiful house were flung open and
shcrc was n general air of cheerful
activity. The same afternoon Mrs.
Roberts. the children's mother, ran
across to- see grandma. She was n
beautiful young woman, dressed in the
height of that days fashion-large
crinoline, a fiounced blue and white
muslin and flowing sleeves. and her
bright brown hair was loopcd i'm what
they called madonna" braids. could
have gazed at her forever. And
when she said: '0h, 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 bore with unhcard
of patience her rasping way of curling
my hair. used TO dread that ordeal
Maria's hands were like nutmeg graters,
and she twisted and turned my head
about as she curlcd the hair over n
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-
Torrance 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 NEEDLE
with thing you see. They've brought
beautiful things from Europe, and
you'll never be let over there again for
u minute" (here the stick was dragged
ont of curl; but | bore il SILENTLY IF
you so much as hurt one single bit of
anything. You NEEDLE, NEEDLE, med
die the hull time; and IL I'd been your
grandma I'd never hev let you go there
at all. She'd ought to know you'll do
some mischief"
Tears Maria did not see sprang into
my eyes. No one had ever made me
feel myself such a disagreeable child,
wondered IL Mrs. Roberts would dis
like me so much. But very soon grand
ma came into the room and told Maria
1t was time she took me across the road,
adding, in her lSindest way: II know
my little girl will be good, and am
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 me
to walk straighter"or keep highlands
STILL, or mot ty TO act so silly"
At last / was within the door Of the
fine house--in wide hall full of stat
uary, pictures, etc; some not as yet
placed, others having been there since
Mrs. Roberts childhood, but all my at
tention was conferred on the staircase
down which three rosy little girls in
white dresses, with long curls flying
and an air OF delightful freedom, came
rushing TO welcome me. And we were
friends at once-that is, directly the
door had closed on Maria; and by the
time they had taken me upstairs TO a
big, sunshiny nursery, where French
bonnie In white cap and large apron sat
sewing, we knew each others names
and had decided first 20 ''play dolls"
Children of to-day cannot appreciate
what q genuine French doll with n
trousseau was To the American child Of
chat period. When I saw the three
dolls belonging 20 Dora, Addy and Nell
their wonderful clothes like real
person's"-the hats. shoes, dresses, nm
derwear-their trunks with lids-all
the outfit Of a lady of fashion, nearly
screamed with delight! nd what r
morning we hadi We sat on the floor
and played house; we made several
days Of II in order 20 put the dolls into
their dainty beds. 90 take them up and
wash and dress them. We walked
them up and down the balcony
In order 10 put their out-of-door
garments on. They called on each
other; they gave parties; they
sat down 20 dinner az the most
delightful little table with real food in
the dishes, which the good-natured