The Washington herald., 1913-11-30

time when some child lies sick of a dis
ease that threatens its life. Moreover,
much less serious sickness Is unpleasant
enough at the time. Looking back. how
ever. there are elements OF comedy in
certain of the less serious cases. well
remember one such instance which oc-
curIe6 when We were living in Wash
inRton, in a small house, with barely
enough room for everybody when all the
ch!nks we're filled. Measles descended
On the household. In the effort to keep
:he Children that were we'll and those
that were sick apart. their mother and
mad TO camp out in improv1sed fashion
VIXEN the eldest small boy was getting
well, and had recovered his spirits. 1
slept on a sofa beside his bed-the sofa
being so short that my feet projected
over anyhow. One afternoon toy or
gan was given to the small boy by a
sympathetic friend. Next morning early
/ was walked to find the small boy very
vivacious and requesting a story. Hav-
ing drowsily told the story. said. Now.
fathers told you a story, SO you amuse
yourself and let father go TO sleep" to
which the small boy responded mos: vir-
tuously. Yes. father will go to sleep
and I'll play the organ" which he did,
at distance OF two feet from my head
Later his sister who had just come down
-
room. The small boy was convaIssc.ng.
and was engaged in playing on the floor
with some tin ships, together with two
or three pasteboard monitors and rams
OF my own manufacture. He was giving
a vivid rendering OF Farragut at Mobile
Bay from memories of how l had told
the story. Ny pasteboard rams and mon
itors were fascinating-if a naval arch
itect may be allowed to praise his own
NJ nnallV
divided between the little girl and the
small boy. The little girl looked on with
alert suspicion from the bed, for she was
not yet convalescent enough to be al
lowed down on the floor. The small boy
was busily reciting the phases OF the
fight, which now approached Its climax,
and the little girl evidently suspected
that her monitor was destined to play
the part Of victim.
Little boy-And then they steamed bang
into the monitor.
Little girl-Brother, don't you sink my
monitor!
Little boy without needing. and hurry
ing toward the cliInax)-And the torpedo
went at the monitor.
Little girl-My monitor is not to sinki
Little boy. dramatically-And bang the
monitor sank!
Little girl-It didn't do any such thing.
Ny monitor always goes to bed at seven.
and it's now quarter past. My monitor
was in bed and couldn't sink!
When was Assistant Secretary OF tho
Navy, Leonard Wood and used often to
combine forces and take both families of
children out to walk, and occasionally
some Of their playmates. Leonard Wood 5
son. found, attributed the paternity Of
all OF those not of his own family to
me. Once We were taking the children
across Rock Creek on a fallen tree.
was standing on the middle OF the log
trying to prevent any Of the children
from falling of, and while making
clutch at one peculiarly active and heed
less child fell OF myself. As / emerged
from the water I heard the little Wood
boy calling frantically to the general:
''Oh! oh! The father of all the children
fell into the creek!'-which made me feel
like an uncommonly moist patriarch.
OF course, the children took much in
terest in the trophies ] occasionally
brought back from my hunts. When 1
started for my regiment in 'sS the stress
of leaving home, which was naturally
not pleasant, was somewhat lightened oy
the next to the youngest boy, whose
ideas Of what was about to happen were
hazy; he clasped me round the legs with
a beaming smile and said, And Is my
father going to the war? And VIII ne
bring me back bear?" When, some
five months later. returned, Of course
in my uniform, this little boy was much
puzzled as to my identity, although he
greeted me affably with Good afternoon,
colonel" Half an hour later somebody
asked him, where's father?' to which
he responded. II don't know; but the
colonel is taking bath
OF course the children anthropomor-
phized-if that is the proper term-their
friends OF the animal world. Among these
friends at one period was the baker 5
horse, and on a very rainy day ! heard
the little girl, who was looking out Of the
window. say, with q melancholy shake
Of her head. "OhI there's poor krafts
horse, all soppin' wet!"
While was in the White House the
youngest boy became an habitue OF q
small and rather noisome animal shop.