The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-10-19
CHILDRBN'S CORNER.
THE LITTLE HOUSE. II THE
GARDEN.
II. BOYS.


hou~e were three riotons lads-for
Fred's family had moved away
aud the newcomers took possession
Que tine spring day With great re-
Joicing over this ready-made play
thing. They were imaginative little
fellows. OF eleven. twelve. and four
teen: for, having read the boys
Froiasart' and other war-hkr works,
they were quite carried away by these
stirring tales, aud each boy MAS some
special hero. iiarrv, the eldest, Was
Henry of Navarro. and wore IA white
plume on every occasion. Ned Was
the Black Prince, and clanked in
tin-armor. while little Billy was Will
liam Tell and William Wallace by
turns.
Toms deserted mansion under
went astonishing changes about this
time. Bows and arrows hung OH its
walls; battle-aXes, iances, and guus
stood in the corners; helmets, shields
and all manner of strange weapons
adorned the rafters; cannon peeped
from its portfolios; drawbridge
swung over the moat that soon sur
rounded it; the flags of all nations
house was by turns an armory, a fort,
a castle, robbers cave, a warriors
tomb, wi gwan, and the Bastile.
The neighbors were both amused
and scandalized by the pranks of
these dramatic young persons; for
they enacted with much spirit and
skill all the historical events which
pleased their fancy, and speedily en-
listed other boys to join in the new
plays. At one time, painted and be-
feathered Indians whooped about the
garden, tomahawking the unhappy
settlers i'll the most dreadful man
ner. At another, Achilles, radiant
in a tin helmet and boiler-cover
shield, dragged Hector at the tail of
his chariot (the wheel-barrow),
drawn by two antic and antique
steeds, who upset both victor and
vanquished before the fun was over.
Tell shot bushels of apples off the
head of the stuffed suit of clothes
that acted the son, Ceur de Leon
and Saladin hacked blocks and cut
cushions la Walter Scott, and tour
naments of great splendor were held
on the grass, in which knights from
all ages, climes, and races tilted gal
lantly, while fair danes of tender
years sat upon the wood-pile to play
Queen of Beauty and award the prize
of valor.
Nor were modern heroes forgotten.
Napoleon crossed the Alps Ga hay
rick, high fence, and a prickly
hedge with intrepid courage, Well
ington won many Waterloo in the
melon patch, and Washington glori-
fled every corner of the garden by his
heroic exploits. Grant smoked sweet
fern cigars at the fall of Richmond;
Sherman marched VIGOROUSLY to
Georgia through the corn and round
the tomato-bed, and Phil Sheridan
electrified the neighborhood by tear.
ing down the road on much-endur-
ing donkey, stung to unusual agility
by something tied to his tail.
1t grew to be an almost daily ques-
ton among the young people, "What
are the Morton boys at now?" for
these interesting youths were much
admired by their mates, who eagerly
manned the fences to behold the rev.
els, when scouts brought word of
new play going ON. Mrs. Morton be-
lleved In making boys happy at home.
and so allowed them entire liberty
In the great garden, as it was safer
than rivers, streets, or background,
where very mixed crowd was to be
found. Here they were under her
own eye, and the safe, sweet tie be-
tween them held fast; for she was
never too busy to bind up their
wounds after fray, wave her hand
kerchief when cheers told of victory,
rummage her stores fer costumes, or
join in their eager study of favorite
heroes when rain nut an end to their
out-of-door fun,
So the summer was a lively one.
anu tnongh the vegetables suffered
some damage, good crop of healthy,
happy hours was harvested, and all
were satisfied. The little house
looked much the worse for the raids |
made upon it, but still stood firm
with the stars and stripes waving
over it, and peace seemed to reign one |
October afternoon as the boys lay
under the trees eating apples and
planning out what to play next.
"Bobby wants to be a knight of |
the Round Table. We might take
him IN and have fun with the rites. |
and make him keep vigil and all |