The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-02-13
DO B B US
NE ~ BOOK
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Bobby, do lend me your pretty
bookr'
Baby put on her very most pleading
air, but Bobby was adamant. He knew
of old Baby's capability for letting ac-
cidents happen to everything she got
hold of, and he was determined that
his lovely bird book, with the beautiful
colored plates, that he had just re-
ceived as Christmas present should
be kept out of her way
mo, Babs; you can have any of the
others, if you like, but not that"
But few days after Baby caught
very bad cold, and, to her great dis
gust, could not go with the others on
shopping expedition that had been
promised them for months 1t was i'm
possible to put it off. Permission had
been granted to them to go for the one
day only, so. if they did not go then, it
meant disappointing everybody.
SO mother decided that Baby must
bear the disappointment, and grand
dad, who was staying with them, prom
Used that she should come down to the
dining room and keep him company in
stead of staying in the nursery.
Baby looked very sad, and the tears
were evidently near the surface, and
Bobby, in a fit of generosity, rushed
upstairs at the last moment and came
down with his beloved bird book as
sort of consolation.
you'll be ever so careful of it and
keep it quite clean, won't you. Babs|
he said as Baby took and Rugged il
close, delight written all over her face.
YES"
She was willing enough to promise
anything.
"I'll look after her," granddad said
as the party started off
But, alas, granddad was rather old
and accustomed to an after dinner nap,
and before the others had been gone
an hour granddad was fast asleep ill
his chair and Baby left to her own de
vices.
She was very good at first; in fact
she never meant to be naughty. 1t WAS
only when she "forgetted," rs she
called it, that mischief resulted
But by and by turning over pages
got rather monotonous, and she looked
round for other amusement and found
it in a box of Bobby's crayons that
were on the mantel shelf Just the
thing. 1t occurred to her that the birds
would look ever so much nicer if she
outlined them in different colors, and
she proceeded to carry out her plan.
For ten minutes she worked busily
Then suddenly remembrance of Bob
by's last injunction came to her, ana
she hurriedly put down the crayon she
was using and with shocked "Oh-hr'
gazed helplessly at the book. She had
made it dirty, and she had specially
promised to keep it quite clean.
She knew Bobby would be angry
when he saw the result of this last
forget and she felt, if the truth were
told, rather frightened.
But Babs was nothing if not resource
full, and brilliant idea occurred to
her.
Carefully rolling up the book in her
apron she tiptoed softly to the door sc
as not to wake granddad, unfastened i!
and sped upstairs as fast as her fa'
little legs would carry her to the bath
room.
She closed the door. She wanted the
room TO herself for the successful car
rying out of her plans.
Then she turned on both spigots, tho
hot and the cold, and held the book un
der each alternately. rubbing the tell
tale crayon marks vigorously mean
while.
SO far as they were concerned the
plan was perfectly satisfactory, and
tie marks disappeared; but the binding
and general appearance of the book
were Of course hopelessly ruined
Not in Baby's eyes. though In her
eyes the book was clean. which was
the erd she had been trying to attain
Nurse found her there at last, wet
through, but triumphant, and held up
her hands il horror at the sight, fol
the room and everything in it was del
uged 1t had been a truly delightful
time for Baby.
But she really did feel bit sad when
she saw how distressed Bobby was.
And granddad was even more veXed,
for he felt that the mischief would
never have happened if he had not
fallen asleep
But all's well that ends well. The
next day was Baby's birthday, and, GU
riously enough. Uncle George, who had
given Bobby his bird book, knowing
what fancy Baby had taken to it, de-
termined to send her copy of the very
same one as Il birthday present. And
when the parcel was opened and moth
er saw what it contained a solution of
the difficulty occurred to her.
She suggested that Baby should keep
the much washed book and Bobby
should have the new one, Il suggestion
that met with Baby's hearty approval
So the change was made, and looking
at the bird book is still her favorite
amusement partly perhaps because i
reminds her of one of the incest after
moons she ever spent.