The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-26
A VERY IN0UIsITIVE CHILD.
She Makes Things Interesting in n
Trip Down Town With Her Papa.
From the Chicago Chronicle.

Her short, plaid legs stuck out straight
in front of her as she sat beside her father
on the sunny side of the car. Her Napo-
leon hat was tipped jauntlly over her
brown curls and she rolled her eyes con-
templadvely over the passengers.
Her father opened his paper. She
was silent for at least a moment; then
she said: Papa"
"Yes-what is it?" in the patient-impa-
tient tone of the family man.
What makes all the people wear hats?"
ITO keep their heads warm, l suppose.
Don't ask silly questions, Alberta"
How can 1 tel what questions are silly
fore l as you?"
"Weu, you might not ask any for lit
tie while" the father said, looking at his
paper.
But, papa, how am 1 ever going to know
about things if 1 don't ask questions? Say,
papa Willie Morton says that their cat
would have taken a first prize at the cat
show if they would-a taken him. Do you
s'pose it would. papa?"
How do 1 know, Alberta? I never saw
the cat"
But, papa, what do you think? It's a
gray cat and it's got the biggest tail you
ever saw. Do you suppose the tail would
make any difference, papa?"
be still for about half a minute while I
read the paper?"
What makes you want to read? Say.
can you read all the words in the paper,
| papa?"
The father paid no attention to this, so
she raised her voice and repeated the ques-
ton.
Eyes. every word he said without lift
ing his head. Look out of the window
for vrni
Alberta whirled around in the seat and
sat on her heels, her little nose glued to
the window, but her change of view had
no effect on her flow of interrogation.
Say, papa, wonder what's in those wag-
ons over there?"
Potatoes" her father answered. auto
matically, and so closed this topic
She wriggled around to her old place
and laid her cheek against his arm. Say,
papa, do you suppose Aunt Mary'll be glad
to see us?'
Eyes. of course, she will"
"What do you suppose she'll have for
dinner? I wish she'd have baked sweet
potatoes. don't you, papa?" The father
was buried in an editorial on street car
! franchises. Papa, do you really think
Wen have baked sweet potatoes?"
yes, sure
"Can I eat all I want 10? You don't
care how many 1 eat, do your
mo, 1 don't, but I wish you would stop
talking for one block. I'll give you
nickel if you won't speak till we come to
the tunnel"
Five cents is the same as a nickel, isn't
it, papa?"
Eyes, just the same"
81 believe I'll buy some marshmalows
with my nickel or some yellow chalk.
Which would you buy, papa?"
81 would buy just what I wanted most.
Now, keep quiet while 1 read my paper"
Where do they make yellow chalk?'
! ANY place"
81 wonder if could use white chalk for
powder when I get growed up. Say, papa,
| Addie Whitley, that lives across the street
from US, just powders an awful lot Do
| you s'pose she ever washes her face too?"
l. Eyes. But if you don't watch wen be
| at the tunnel before you stop asking ques-
! lions"
Il amt going to ask another question.
papa, but I wonder how they ever made
tunnel? I should think the water would
| have come in when they was making it,
! Would the men get drownded if the water
COME in when they was digging the tun-
mel, papa?"
Alberta. aren't you ever going 10
stop" the exasperated parent exclaimed.
laying down his paper. You are enough
to drive man crazy"
10 Iolks ever get crazy on street cars,
papa?"
No answer from the father. She snug
| gled closer and looked up into his face
doubtfully. You don't really mean that
you are going to go crazy, do you, papa? ?"
This last in a tone of real fear
mo, Alberta, l don't"
But, papa, If you did go crazy and went
to an asylum, l 'spose me and Aunt Mary
would come to see you, wouldn't we?''
i fa
me see company"
"Why, don't they let crazy folks see
| their own little girls?"
No answer. so the query was repeated
until he answered Yes in desperation.
'I wouldn't like to live at asylum all
| the time, would you, papa? Say last sum-
mer when we was up at Lake Geneva
there was little girl there, and she said
| TWO OF her cousins went crazy from eat-
ing checkerberries that wasn't ripe DO
| you suppose that was SOP
mo, that little girl didn't know what
she was talking about"
"And she had a pet squirrel that could
eat NUS like everything. Wouldn't you
think squirrels would get tired cracking
nuts with their teeth?"
alberta, we will be at the tunnel In
about half a minute, and you won't get
any money if you don't STOP that chat
ter"
Silence for almost half block. Then in
a new note OF anxiety Alberta begins
again: Say. papa, aren't you going 10
/ give me that nickelY"
Not II you don't keep quiet til we get
10 the tunnel
but I'm keeping quiet now ain't I.
papa?"
The cars now swung around the last
curve that leads down 20 the tunnel. you
see we've almost reached the tunnel. and
| | haven't read three consecutive words
| In my paper" the father said
what does consecutive mean?" Al
! berta asked.
~ means that little girls shouldn't ask
| so many questions
but. papa, you're going 10 bet me have
that nickel. amt your You are, aren't
you?" she pleaded o. The car glided down
he incline into the whitewashed tunnel
"Arent you, papaY'
ayes, 81 course anything 10 keep you
aulet. Alberta. You ask more questions
man any other child on the North Side