The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-22

CoulQ possibly De.
We'll, you know how it is-rny
mother wanted me to go, and she
didn't. She thought maybe my god
mother had fortune, or at the very
least. a fine present for me, and then
she was afraid l wouldn't come back.
As for me, l wanted to go. After
boy becomes twelve years of age, he
is ready to take almost any chance
that presents itself. and therefore
begged and pleaded with my mother
to let me go. While she hesitated
the gypsies-a tall, wild-eyed looking
fellow-stood and gazed. on US with
peculiar smile on his face. Finally
he grew impatient, and so he says, in
careless sort of way: What shall
1 tell my mistress?' Why says my
mother, and there she stopped. See
ing her hesitate 1 ran and caught the
man by the hand and pulled him along
Come said l, she's willing, and away
We went through the woods, the man
walking fast to make up for lost time,
and 1 running hard at his heels.
I'VE presently came to the camp,
which was pitched in the midst of a
great wood, and there l saw my god
mother waiting for me with some
show Of impotence.
oh, and you've come, have you?
the day out, If were you. A pretty
way to treat your godmother, and the
only one you've got
" Why, as to that says 1. having
never seen you before, l have never
felt the need of you; but 1 would have
been here befor now but for the fears
of my mother
oh! she cried; nanny was
afraid her pretty darling would come
~ no Sha Sno6To6
" She had her doubts about It, l
replied, but as for me, 1 had none.
Ask your messenger
You are a quick spoken lad she
declared, but that was to be expected
with such a godmother as you have.
She certainly seemed to know her
own merits and made no attempt to
hide her knowledge.
"She was not what | should call a
handsome woman" Wally Wander
DON went on, but she had her good
points. For one thing she had long
black hair that fell away from her
head in great waves, and her eyes
were as bright as those of mink
and as black. / rather liked her looks
myself. There was nothing of the old
crone about her. When she smiled
she showed as pretty set of teeth
as this rubber doll of yours"
Huh! eff you think I'm a rubber
doll you er. mighty much mistaken"
said Drusilla with a show of indigna-
ton. I'm bigger'n you is an wider,
too"
"Oh, you'll do pretty WELL" remark
ed Wally Wanderoon complacently;
you'll do very we'll indeed. ] wish
you had been with me at the time l
am speaking Of That was-let me see,
let me see-yes, that was three, no,
four hundred years ago the way you
count time. The way I count 1t, 1t
was only four years ago."
-Four hundred years ago!" exclaim-
ed Buster John. "Why this country
| wasn't discovered then"
"I may be mistaken" replied Wally
Wanderoon, but 1 don't think said
anything about this country. In fact,
the story I'm telling has nothing what
ever to do with this country
"Oh!" Buster John cried, apologetic-
ally.
LET me see-I was talking about
my godmother. AS 1 was saying. she
was a tolerably good looking woman.
| was surprised at this, for l had an
| idea that godmothers must, in the ma
ture of things, be old and somewhat
! shaky. 1 said as much to the woman,
and she seemed pleased, for she smiled
| and showed her pretty white teeth.
az have several gifts for YOU she
said, and it remains to be seen wheth-
! err you will appreciate them. She
came to me where / stood, and placed
her hand on my head and began some
thing like this:
cts the natural right of every man
To get rich If he must, or poor If he
cam
IL leave you to judge whether, at my
age, l could understand the meaning
of this. / don't know that 1 under
stand it any better now; but l remem-
Der every word she said, and this was
the way she began when she placed
her hand on my head. Then she went
on:
Your eyes shall see the night,
Your feet shall be swift in fight;
Your arms and your legs shall be
strong,
And the years that you live shall
be long,
"As you may well believe, these pres
ents, or promises, made me feel very
comfortable. / Strengthened myself up
and tried to look taller than l really
was. Then my godmother began to
speak again. She held in her hand
what l took to be a piece of red fan
mel, but when she unfolded 1t, 1 saw
that it was red flannel nightcap such
wear.
'" Take this she said, and guard 1t
carefully. When you wear it at night
you will have pleasant dreams, and in
those dreams you will be able to fore
see danger, and you will be able to
foretell coming events. This foresight
and knowledge will enable you to tell
fortunes and to predict things"
II WISH" said Drusilla suddenly, dat
7 I 70. Git IN
ner."
"Will you hush!' cried Buster John.
why, you'd spoil any story in the
world"
She doesn't bother me-" said Wal
ly Wanderoon; mo, not a bit more
than that child there" he pointed to
Billy Biscuit, who was fast asleep.
After rubbing his nose Wally Wan
deroon resumed his story.
MY godmother, after telling me
about the night cap, as l have told
my head in the daytime / would know
who my friends were and who my
enemies, and that it would be of great
benefit to me in many ways which l
would find out for myself. In short,
it was the most wonderful piece of
flannel cloth that had ever been cut
from a loom-or would have been IL
it had been woven, for when l came
to examine it, found that it had been
knit; but its texture was just as fine
and as close as a piece of cloth made
on a loom. The only way / could tell
il was knit was because it was all in
one piece. If II had been cloth, you
know, it would have had a seam in II
somewhere.
eWell, my godmother gave me the
night cap and great deal of good