Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-27
A Talk IN the Library.


ret, fattening her nose against the library
window, land 1 suppose Jack and Ethel
won't come. Never mind, Topsy, You and
will have good time right here with
all these nice new books
Margaret settled herself tailor fashion
in the big arm chair, and Topsy blinked
her sleepy eyes. and curied herself up on
Margaret's shoulder. her soft little body
snug between Margaret's rosy cheek and
brown curls.
''As you seem to be somewhat sleepy, kit
ten. 1 think perhaps the best thing to
begin with is a nightmare Topsy only
purred at the joke, and Margaret pulled a
big book from the pile of four in her lap.
and went on. Did you ever see night
mare, Topsy? Oh, yes. 1 know you have
had 'em-when you've eaten too much
Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I have.
There's regular circus of them just inside
the book-they are-why, Topsy, they are
cribs with heads and the little girls and
boys dressed in their jollyboys' are riding
them through circus hoops and around the
skies! How funny! Listen:
g It's time to go bed. turn up your weary soles
And button up your eyes in their satin buttonholes
You'd better unbutton your velvet but
tonholes and let your eyes see this book.
Tepsy, you'll be sorry. There are miles
of verses. which 1 could read you very
| fast. except that the print Is little diff
ferent from my regular books. and pieces
of the night are scattered over the pages.
There's a boy with an elephant standing
on his head. Think of 1t! And blocks Of
babies and black cats, but not as pretty
as you, Topsy dear: and then. Topsy,
you should see the nightmare children
l wonder II they call them colts-and here
-ToPsy, you're snoring. But l suppose
| that's proper when in Nightmare land. I'd
like to draw pictures of you. Tops-the
artist who drew these has regular Dumb
Crambo name. 1t is Caroline Love Good
win.
Goodness how you brighten me. Topsy
Don't jump that way again. please. The
Nightmares are all shut up tight in the
book Here's something for you that will
wake you up. 1t is called Jolly Cat
Tale, and 1t has pictures of cats and Kit
tens and children Ho wnice! 1t Is writ
ten by Amy Brooks-can't you remember
that name? 1t Is SO much easier to read
and remember than great long ones
Now. listen, and III read aloud TO you
little" ..-.-
Margaret began Il am going to tel you
a long story. about beautiful cat and her
three kittens. She was the finest cat you
ever saw. and her name was Madam Fe-
lima. This beautiful cat lived in a fine
house and had good. kind mistress, who
dearly loved to have pussy sit beside her
on large. soft cushion. Now, Madam
Felina had three little kittens. which her
mistress called Snowfall. Niger and Buff
fy-just suppose called you Niger, Topsy,
would you scratch?
But Topsy was fast asleep-who wouldn't
be in sueh a delightful place? And Marga-
ret read on to herself. There was silence In
the library for long time. Then Topsy
awoke, stretched herself and jumped down
plump upon the book, knocking 1t out of
Margaret's hand and losing the place.
Such impudence!' exclaimed the little
girl. Il wonder how you would look dress
ed up in dolls clothes. These cats had
clothes and felt very fine indeed. and the
story tells how Madam Feiina got the
q She quite vain TOnSV. / must
finish this book just as soon as can. Don't
you care for cat books. Topsy? Let's see
what this is.
at is music, with beautiful colored pic
lures, Topsy. Don't you wish you could
play the piano like 1 can. kittycat? 1t
says 1t is specially for little plano players.
and that's me-" Margaret was forgetting
her grammar in her eagerness. hts all
old-fashioned, Topsy-the pictures and all.
with little girls in pantalettes and low
neck dresses, and little boys In funny
long trousers. and then papas in knicker-
bockers. I'm going to sing The Monkeys
Wedding" Margaret began to hum.
| while Topsy watched the motion OF her
lips.
SIonkey married the i baboo m , sister
Kissed her SO hard he raised blister;
She set up yell.
What do You think the bride was dressed int
Red kid shoes, quite interestin',
She was quite belle.
isn't that a great picure of the we'd
ding? Then there's Jack and JILL Lucy
Locket,' Three Dukes a-RIding' and lots
of others. Pop Goes the Weasel too,
Topsy-dont you remember that grand
mother taught that long ago? l must
get my music teacher to help me with
them. l must remember the names to tell
Miss Lewis B. Ostertag. What funny
name.
This last book is called Ten Boys
don't wonder you jump kitten 1 would run
and hide If they came in in bunch
though I'm not afraid of them, of course
Oh. l see it says Ten Boys From Dickens.
Isn't that nice. dear? There are stories
about those boys and you don't have to
read all through big book to find the part
that is specially interesting to little folks
like you and me. And I do believe 1t was
Miss Sweetser who thought Of 1t and got
1t up-you remember her stories. don't you.
kitten? I almost wish she had made 1t
Ten Girls Tiny Tim Is the first. re-
member Of hearing Of Tiny Tim,' he was
dear little lame boy. Then there's Kit
Nubbles., Oh. what funny name! And
David Copperfield and Nicholas MCKEE
by and Tommy Traddles' I'm glad my
name isn't Traddles. for Margaret Traddles
would sound very funny. / shall ask father
to let me keep this to give Jack for Christ
mas. The only trouble with giving Christ
mas presents is. Topsy,' that unless you are
quite unselfsh, you want them yourself
l."
Hello, Peggy" cried two voices at the
door, What are you poking indoors for?
It's stopped raining, and the SUMS out
Come on"
So without stopping to pile the books up
very carefully. and tucking the kitten
under one arm, Margaret ran out for a
romp with Jack and Ethel. and old Cen