Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21

on my roof and my! such a noise 1t
makes. ! can hardly sleep. But the
worst of all is when your papa takes that
great brass pole in his hand and says he
is going to chunk the fire We have to
fly to the ash-cellar them. for the roof
often tumbles in. and sometimes the
rooms are turned upside down."
II know" said Bobbie, excitediy, Just
like the house we saw at the Paris expo
stion. 1t was standing on It's chimneys
and everything in 1t was upside down,
and you walked on the ceiling like fly"
Eyes" said Sal Amanda. that's just
the way we have to do. and 1t isn't at all
comfy. I am always so glad when your
papa goes away, for then no one seems to
chunk the fire -
He loves to do it, laughed Bobbie.
He always has a fire in his den SO he
can chunk away at it and be happy"
But come" said Sal Amanda, jumping
UP. 1--WE are wasting time. and haven't
shown you my picture gallery yet" and
she opened the little door to the left
Bobbie wasn't In very much Of hurry
to see the pictures. He remembered the
days in Paris when he had to go with his
mama to the picture galleries and he
thought them very tiresome. But. Q.
dear! how different this one was. There
were no dfngy ''Old Masters which his
mama always made him look at In those
other galleries. No terrible ST. Bastians
full of cruel arrows; no faded pictures of
monks and nuns and little impertinent
cold looking Cupids, but long delightful
ever cllanging row of old friends, all in
gold frames, and as natural as life.
There was Little Red Riding Hood nod
ding and smiling at him In the most
friendly way, as she tripped through the
forest with her basket on her arm. There
was Alice In Wonderland. dancing with
the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle, and
all three were singing at the top Of their
voices Cant you hear them in the fire
sometimes. yourself?) will you, won't
You, will you. won't you, won't you join
the dance?" and winking all the while al
Bobbie and his friend.
There was the Old Woman who lived
in the Shoe, giving jam to the children
and hiding the bundles OF switches behind
her back: and Jack climbing the Bean
stalk: and Hop o. my Thumb leading his
sisters and brothers through the forest,
and half dozen others.
do you see" whispered Sal Amanda.
''how they are changing all the time?
Every day there is a lovely new picture
in each of my frames-not stupid thing
that sits still and does nothing, like the
pictures in other galleries, but pictures
that can laugh and talk, and act Just as
they do in the stories you read"-Shc
stopped as a terrible ''clang, clang" rang
through the house.
20, dear me!' she said. growing very
white. there is your papa preparing TO
chunk the fire. Come on Bobbic. we must
run for it. It'll help you over the bars
before he begins. and then I must fly to
the ash cellar at once. or I'll have tho
roof tumbling In on me- She took
Bobbie's hand again and they fairly few
to the edge of the crate, where he look
ed up and saw his papa like great giant
standing in front OF him with huge polk
er In HIS hand.
Goodbye. goodbye" cried Sal Aman-
da. as he scrambled down. '.6ome day
I'll let you come again and then I'll show
you-- Her voice grew fainter and
fainter as she ran to the cellar. and
Bobbie rubbed his eyes and looked up-to
see his papa stoopine over him.
fello old chap. what ara you doing
aslseD on the hearth rug whilA santa