The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-26
How Majory
Went Sailing

Mary A. Diokerson in ,hc Cleveland rain.Dcalcr
- " was a very hot day. The sun
beat down on the sidewalks and
made them so hot 1t hurt ones
feet right through ones shoes to
walk on them. Even the grass
felt hot and dry ard the trees were so
quiet with never bit of breez, to
make the leaves rustic. that 1t did no
good at all to Try and get cool be-
meath them. Mariory had tried every
thing she could think Of to keep COOL
and at last went into the library and
threw herself fiat on the hardwood
floor. The shades were all down; so
the big room looked COOL at any rate.
and she thought, she was more COM
Portable there than out of doors.
she pulled a linen covered pillow
from the couch tucked 1t under her
head and stretched out her bare pink
feet with a sigh of comfort. 1t was go
lovely to be barefoot and mamma only
allowed it once in u while. AS she lay
loolang at her toes suddenly she be-
came interested in a picture that hung
low down OH the wall right in front Of
her. 1t was, Il picture she had never
noticed much before, though II was a
very pretty one. 1t was rather long
ard narrow. in white frame, with a
broad white mat, and ii showed moth
ing but a stretch Of blue. blue water
Il blue sky above it and in the middle
Il sailboat, with big brown sails cut
in most peculiar way. and two little
brown faced men in bright red caps
looking at her over the side. Some
how they looked very cool and COM
Portable and Mallory envied them.
She stopped wiggling her toes and
sazed right into their merry faces unit
it almost seemed to her that one of
them smiled.
Nonsense" said Marjory right out
loud. "They couldn't" But the next
moment she jumped so that the cushion
under her head slid away across the
floor. for somebody said. why not?"
and there We're the two little men, nod
ding and Laughing at her With all their
might.
why not" repeated the one who
had spoken first well" began Mar
iory. Really, you know ii isn't just
%ha. I'd expect. There aren't very
many pictures that can talk, now are
there?'
The two little men laughed. why
certainly" they said. "All pictures
that have people in them can. That is,
the people talk-not the pictures. OF
course you can't expect painted tree
of a rope to talk any more than a real
one. but why shouldn't we? We're
painted from really truly people you
know. and they could talk
"Oh. yes. of course" said Marjory.
Somehow she felt that things We're not
quite explained even yet. but the little
men themselves seemed so sure they
We're right that she could not think of
anything more to say on the subject.
So she tried another. She felt, in n
way, that the little brown faced men
We're her guests and she must enter
tain them as she sometimes did the
grown people who came to see mamma,
and mamma was not dressed to come
down. It's very warns today. isn't it?'
she said in hen sweetest voice.
The two little men smiled. first at
each other and then at her.
rs it," said the one that seemed to
be doing all the talking. Really. we
hadn't noticed it. You see, wher
you're on a boat you're generally get
ting breeze-especially when the
breeze is painted in. Now you see there
was breeze painted into this picture,
so We're always cool"
"Oh. dear me. how lucky you are.
sighed Marjory. II wish some one
would paint q breeze in around me-"
The two little men laughed again.
Maybe they will some day said one.
You're pretty enough to be painted,
but as long as you haven't any now,
don't you want to come and go shares
on ours?"
Why of course l do--if ] cam" cried
Marjory, and the next moment she was
stepping right over the side of the
quaint little boat, and her new friends
were making her comfortable under the
shadow Of the big grown sails.
1t was cool there. The breeze that
kept the sails from dropping swept
| pleasantly across the deck; the water
was so blue. the sky so clear. and even
the boards of the deck did not feel hot
and prickly as the floor of the porch
had felt when she walked across it not
so very long ago. 1T is nice here.isn't
it?" she said as she leaned back agains,
| the mast with little sigh of pleasure
| Where do you so to when you sail?"
The little men looked at each other
! a minute. We don't generally sail at
| ALL" said one, Except nights. when
| you've all gone to bed and wouldn't
miss us out of the picture. But-what
f, dc you think, Antonio? There's nobody
around now. Could we take her fol
! just II little sail, do you think:" Oh,
do, please" cried Marjory. EVERY
hody's out but mamma and NOrah and
me- and Mammals sound asleep and
| Norah's sewing on her new pink dress,
They'll never miss YOU Il bit. Even
| If any one should come, Norah Wouldn't
| show them into the library.
Just as you say" smiled Antonio
| and in another moment the big sail
swung over with creak. and the boa
started straight for the narrow bit of
| white frame Marjory could see ahead
But somehow as they came near it It
| vanished, and there beyond VAS great
| sweep of blue sea, with white clouds
| pllei above II. ON the other side a
| long line of green shore that looked
| very familiar.
|