Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-12-21
LITTLE TWO LEGS.


most difficult things to get in a great city.
AS for DIRT, you wouldn't believe how lit
tie there is of it-real dirt, crumbly and
clean; dirt you can run through your fin
gers and stir up into pies and cakes. And
this is why Little Two Legs found such
quick sale for her paper horns.
Little Two Legs would not tell where
she got her sand, so the children were
forced to buy of her. She had what
grown-up people call Corner in sand.
But happen to know where she got it.
Aunt Catty had said,
GO get me some onions for the soup as
fast as your two legs can carry you"
That was what Aunt Catty always said,
and that was why they called her Little
Two Legs.
Away she sped for the onions, but as she
passed the fouu dation of house that had
been burned, size heard the NEW of kit
ten.
"It's black cat; it's Too-Too's cousin"
and she scrambled down the wall like
kitten herself, TO rescue a little starveling
on pile of stones,
Some masons had been at work and left
pile of sand Little Two Legs filled her
| apron. She dk! not feel that she was tax
ing anything That did not belong to her,
but from force Of habit she always looked
out to see that no "cops" were rear. Cops
were what she called policemen.
As fast as Little Two Legs sold out her
sand, she went back scrambled down the
wall, and got another apronful. To do
this she had to pass Mr.. Maginnis's gro
Gerry. Little Two Legs knew Mr.. Magin-
mis- well, for she often went on errands for
Aunt Catty at his grocery.
"How much are you askin' for desc APP
| Mae for IL I nurn
Legs would ask.
"Since it's you, me jewel, it's siven
| cents"
"Now youse hidden me. 1 give youse
five."
So it happened that Little Two Legs
and Mr.. Maginnis were old business friends.
As Christmas was coming, Mr.. Magin-
mis- had cleared out his show window, and
filled it with beautiful Christmas things.
And with their noses pressed against the
pane, there was roll of dolls. Little Two
Legs had never seen such beautiful dolls
in her life before. There was one in a
pink tarletan dress and green waistband,
with real shoes and kid mitts.
Little Two Legs stood on her tiptoes,
and looked at it until her eyes swan with
tears, and a great longing grew in her
heart. Then she recollected that custom
=
but somehow everything seemed different.
Back and forth she passed the window,
and the doll in tarletan grew into her
heart. Somehow its name seemed to be
Maud French. In her thoughts Maud
French grew up to be great big girl by
her side; then the thought that somebody
might come in and pay Mr.. Maginnis mon
ey and carry Maud French away made Lit
tie Two Legs shiver and feel queer down
her back. At last Little Two Legs could
stand it no longer; so she went into Mr..
Maginnis's grocery and put it to him plain
ly.
"How much are ye askin' fur the doll in
the pink dress, Mr.. Maginnis?"
''Since it's You, me jewel, I'm askin' a
quarter of dollar
"rlrgin youse twinty cints, Mr.. Magin-
MIS-"
Little Two Legs would have given Mr.
Maginnis twenty dollars for Maud French
il she had had the money, but business is
business, as Aunt Catty had taught her.
but what have you in your apron, Lit
tie Two Legs?n
She opened her apron and showed Mr..
Maginnis the sand.
"Bucheful! bucheful!' said Mr.. Ma
ginnis. "Where might you be a-gettin'
it!' running his fingers through it.
THAT I'm not tellin'. Mr.. Maginnis."
'Now I'll be reasonable, Little Two
Legs. It's sand Mrs. Maginnis is wantin'
fur her pOsy pot, an botherin' the life out
of me the day. If yen satisfy her require
ments, Little Two Legs, yen have the doll
an welcome, an me cOmplimints beside
Only yen leave the doll to the last to orna-
mint my windy.
Little Two Legs felt her heart give a
great jump; then it seemed as if it would
never beat again.
1t seemed that Mrs. Maginnis, who was
a large woman, must stand on her posy
pots, so much sand did they require. But
at the last the Time came when Little Two
, Legs knew that her task was almost over,
and that early tomorrow morning, which
was Christmas day, Maud French would
no longer be required to ornament Mr.. Ma
ginnis's show window. And then they
would live together and be happy all the
rest of their lives.
Little Two Legs, with her apron full of
sand, hurTying back with her last load, was
dirty red-facod little girl, with her gown
torn, her stockings down, and her shoes
| united. But happiness is little bird that
sings in the heart in all iwealhers, aud we
carry our skies about with us. To Little
Two Legs her feet were shod with air and
she walked in rosy cloud.
Clangl clangl the sound of rushing
feet, the shout of mems voices, a CLEAN of
a fiery eye. Little Two Legs knew what it
all meant, as does every child of the streets.
Once she would have followed the crowd
pell-mell up the street keeping pace with
the fleetest, but now her soul was filled
with sort of restful peace too deep TO be
disturbed. 1t was only when she saw the
smoke pouring out of Mr.. Maginnis's gro
Gerry window-the window which Maud
French was onamenting-that she realized
what it all meant.
She gave one sob and ran. The win
dow was despoiled, the glass broken, the
water lying in pools. The firemen had
turned their horses, the crowd, deprived of
a sensation, was hurrying OFF.
GAN out; false alarm; few Christmas
toys damaged, that's all"
That's all Poor Little Two Legs push
ed through the crowd, Mrs. Maginnis's
sand pouring from her apron.
"Why, it's you, Little Two Legs" said
Mr. Maginnis, looking down with black
and grimy face at a little figure clutching
his leg.
"What are We done with her?-Maud
| French, my doll babY?n