Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-29
PRINCE CHARMING,
THE WAY TOTTLEBY TELLS 1T
BY LYDIA FELICIA PERKINS.


a really really one.
I love to hear Cousin Ernor read about
Prince Charming. 1 just love Prince
Charming, anyway: but mustn't go ahead
and tell all the story before begin. I'm
really telling this story. Cousin Ernor she
just only writes it. Anybody can write!
But must begin somewhere If tell a
story. Cousin Ernor says. 1 know that!
So 1t was one morning when Cousin
Elnor had been reading all about Prince
Charming-you know Prince Charming;
we'll, just went right out the minute af-
terWard. and l lay down in the garden
grass and just prayed for Prince Charm
ing to come. because just loved him, and
wanted him that minute. l was just pray
ing over and over again, and when raised
up to look there stood Prince Charming.
Cousin ErEor says-but never mind I'm
going to tell you all. Prince Charming was
laughing all round his eyes, but his mouth
stood still, and 1 must have prayed out
loud, real loud, Cousin Ernor says, but the
fairies can hear you think, and he heard
me think, for he said:
well, Tottleby, here is Prince Charming.
What can do for you, little lady?" Every
body else calls me little girl, but he called
me little lady. like grown up, and am.
Il want you,' said, for wasn't teeny
bit afraid Of him.
Prince Charming sat right down there OIL
the grass and pulled me into his lap.
What do you want me fo1?" he said, in
kind of creepy voice; you know it kind of
makes you creepy over, and feel snugly.
So did snuggle up to him, and 1 said
what Uncle Nat did to Aunt Isabel be-
cause 1T sounded so nice:
because i need YOU. darling" Wasn't
that nice? He thought so, because his
eyes laughed again. THEN he put his mouth
right to my ear, and whispered awful
creepy:
Il need a sweetheart, too" His eyes
weren't laughing then, but they looked
oh. beautiful!
do you? I'll be your sweetheart" I
said, because he didn't look happy a little
bit, and l said again, IN be your sweet
heart, Prince Charming, # the fairies won't
love you any more"
"Will your he asked. Then all at once
he got red as red, and said so fast:
well, then, kiss me. Tottleby' 1 did a
thousand times most, l guess. What do
you think? found he wasn't looking at
me at all outright over my head. Well, l
looked too, and there was Cousin Ernor.
Just think!
Efnor laughed, and sat down by me and
Prince Charming, and pulled me into her
lap-Cousin Elnor did, and kissed me right
where Prince Charming did, and he pulled
me away and kissed me again right on the
mouth just where Ernor did, and l stayed
with Prince Charming. He and Cousin
Ell talked awful fast to one another,
and he said she was cruel, and without a
heart, and of course, she is. That was
all that day. Cousin Ernor said 1 went
to sleep, but I didn't, for 1 stopped right
there like really really fairy story, and
it is.
Every day Prince Charming came, and
when I knew it was time for him, 1 went
and waited III the garden, and he always
came at the same time. Every day L used
to hear Cousin Ei'nor say to Uncle Jem
Il must go and look up that child" mean
ing me! L was a little lady, too. Prince
Charming said so. He knows.
Every day he told Cousin Elnor, just like
she was the bad princess, that she had no
heart. and was cruel. and 1 thought she
would be ashamed of herself; but she
wasn't, for she'd laugh. and say:
'oh, Charlie, know best" She didn't
know best, for she's only a girl, and he's
Prince Charming. Just think!
Price Charming used to say:
If you were only like this sweet little
lady, she loves me-"
He meant me. / should say / did love
him Wonder why he wanted Ernor to
love him. She's only a girl, and not a
teeny bit Of a fairy princess. I'm not a
fairy princess, either. you know, but
love him without any trouble.
Something funny happened. One day
Cousin EInor came out of the house cry
il g. and 1 heard Uncle Jem talking about
that Charlie: l was sitting on Prince
Charnling's lap, and he was telling me
why the buttercups are yellow. The fair
les use them for their butter bowls. Did
you ever! But when he heard Uncle Jem
say that about Charlie. he stopped talking.
and turned all Whitley, and his eyes were
not bit pretty-just scarey. He tried to
ut me off his lap. but 1 wouldn't 60
Would you? Cousin Ei'nor said to Prince
Charming:
oh Charlie. I'm afraid this has to stop
Papa is dreadful today"
Prince Charming got right up from where
he was. and tumbled out of his lap. I
cried. too, then-well, because Cousin Elnor
vas crying. and Prince Charming was
worse than crying, and he forgot all about
me- He said:
My darling, my darling. how can 1 leave
you? Epnor is nothing but girl, and she
just cried on, but l stopped right short
and / said: "Oh, Prince Charming, don't
60" l knew he was going to fairyland
and never would come back. When 1 tried
to hold him, e-pushed-me-aside, and
just-caught old El'nor in his arms, and
he kissed-her, and she cried more, course
and she tried to Pull away from him. but
ne list kissed her again; then she put her
hateful old arms around my Prince
Charming. and kissed him just once only!
Just think. and he said like he had an aw-
full sore throat-"Wen, I'll leave, then, If
you think it's best. But it's going to break
my heart" Wasn't that awful? II his
heart was broken he couldn't live, could
he?
Well. when told him not to go, he never
even once looked at me, and my heart
Learly broke-not quite.
There's a girl that comes sometimes to
the foot of our garden. She's not very
nice, think. Cousin Ernor always SAID to
me:
Now. Marjorie Chats my real name)
don't talk to that Rubers grl-she's not O.
suitable companion for you. She does not
talk about nice things"
Now. after Prince Charming left me, I
couldn't be so very good any more 1t
wasn't so easy because he was not there
to ask me questions about how 1 had been,
and if had been his sweet little lady,
When he had been gone long time-Cous-
in El'nor said 1t was only day or so, but
know better, so l say when he had been
gone a long time-I heard Lily Rubers
whistling for me, and / went ! kind of
slipped away from the house, you know,
because if Cousin Ernor had seen me going
she'd called me. You see, Prince Charm
ing was gone and 1 was mis- rable and
didn't care what I did. 1 guess l was
desprate, like Uncle Nat was before he
married.
'See here, Marg," said that Lily Rubers
I've something to tell you just awful
Come right under this hedge here, and
nobody will see us at the house" I was
desprate, 1 know, because 1 slipped right
under the hedge real quick, and when
we were out of sight she said, in a spooky
tone: I'm going to hang myself"
Whats that?' I asked, with lump.
ITS what a little boy 1 heard about did
1,ny, 1,-l; L