Year: 1870

years old now butfrom the day he was
six, when he putfon his famous blue boots
with red tops for tho first time, he lai.
been called by no other name than Bobby
Boots, and Bobby Boots he will probably
be called for years to come. ..,,i, .-f -,


And this is the way he got his famous
blue boots that gave him his name His
mother, the wife ola sea captain. who was
at home but three or four times year,
lived in d cosy little cottage half hid
among the trees that lined the road lead
ing to the pretty village uof S.. Bobby
was her only child. One day when he
was about year old his father came
home from voyage The day was wet
and the road was muddy, and the Captain
had on pair Of big boots that came above
the knees. These caught Bobby's eye at
once, and he hardly looked into his fathers
face. That day Bobby spoke his first
word, and that word was hoods, and his
father laughingly declared that he should
have famous pair as soon as he was old
enough to use them. yEFgR M &rn7


Bobby did not forget his first word /
slippers and shoes had no charms for him
and passed by unnoticed; but as soon as
pair of boots came into the room,
"boods, hoods, boods," sounded from the
cradle at intervals till they were out of
sight. AS he grew older he began to ask
when he would be big enough to wear
boots like papaf iaurt b'r- -nH


, The day he was six he received, rs a
birthday gift from papa and mamma, the
famous blue boots and red tops. And
what a day that was MAMMA pulled the
boots on and Bobby was wild with de
light; he really had pair of boots Of his
'own-had them on, tool First he stamped
his right foot, then the left, then both at
once; he tried walking in them slowly,
then fast, and then broke into run, and
kept it up till he caught one of the pretty
blue toes in the rug, and he fell on his
little stub nose, but he wasn't hurt bit,
because it was so short Then he must
run up stairs half a step at q time, just to
see how much noise his heels could make
in running down. Mamma told him to
stop or he would fall and get hurt; but
Bobby. thought he knew more than mann
ma, and by-and,by one of those pretty
light heels so full of shining nails, caught
on almost the top step and Bobby came
rolling down to the bottom, head and
heels and nose and toes all together in. a
lump on the floor, This time his poor
nose suffered more than before, and the
red drops fell fast on the blue boots and
on the floor to the great dismay of Bobby,
who began to cry: srve spoiled my
boots I've spoiled my boots r' His
mother feared he'd spoiled his nose, but
there wasn't enough of it to hurt, and
neither that nor the boots had suffered
any real harm-a little water making
both as bright as ever. After breakfast,
which was made musical by the constant
fhtrt,a nf lzlI III n,
chair and table, he was allowed to go into
the garden and make as much noise as he
pleased. N,- st


Here was plenty of room, and the bootE
were everywhere, almost everywhere al
once in the paths and on the grass
through the melon patch and the stra "
berry bed, and under the apple trees and
the plum trees, and finally up the big
grape vine. This last adventure quieted
him for little time for one of the blue
boots caught among the branches, and
Bobby in his struggles to get clear, found
himself hung by the foot. His loud cries
brought the cook to the rescue, and Bobby
celebrated his escape by short rest.


Then he walked straight to wash tub oi
water to see if his boots had sprung 9
leak. From this the cook jerked him out
very quickly and scolded him sharply, all
of which made the same impression on
Bobby that it did on his boots. Not so Q
half remark made about having "to grease
them" That was a, new idea to Bobby
he was very sure he could take proper
care of his own boots, and he started
straight for the cupboard The butter
dish was high on the shelf but the firkir
stood on The floor After much strug
Cling Bobby got the cover off; there wa:
nothing with which to cut out the solit
layers, hut Bobby didn't care for that, hi
was equal to anything; climbing up by
the window. he stepped both feet into tht
firkin and stamped around till the boot
were web creased. jumping to the tioo
he rushed into the parlor to tell mother o
his smartness, markinghis path by splat
ters ofrbuttenu 3 Bobby lost his boots for |
whole hour for this maneuver, ano did no
get them again until after dinner.


Allowed 10 go into the garden on hi
promise to keep away from wash tubs
grape vines and butter firkins, Bobb,
amused himself by making heal marks IL
every corner of the walks and ffowe
beds till tired of running around, he set
tied himself in a low crotch of a plum
tree and looked at the clouds mOvin


across the sky. .,.. ....i,54.. .-...
"I wonder" said he, off the blue be
tween the white is made of the same kin


of stuff as my boots9 Perhaps it is, an


then the whole sky may be big pair {
boots just like mine; know l saw tn
shining red tops the other night at sunse
Then there are the white clouds; the


must be the long legged White stocking


suchas mamma makes me wear sometimes
and tits the rain that always keeps ther
clean, for know they get awful blac
| just before il rains sometimes, and the


the wind comes out and blows to max


them dry and warm just as they loo


now; l wonder if" Nv pr,F
Here Bobby's right boot gave a twitc
that caused him to stop in surprise the


the toe of the left boot began nodding !


a very strange manner, just as though


was saying something very earnestly


why" said Bobby, 81 do believe m


boots are trying to talk, and he bent h


head forward W listen. He could hardl


believe his eyes as he saw the right no


its toe in solemn manner, the left noe


ding back, and then both of them noddin


and bowling and twisting and wrigglin


all together.


But his wonder knew no bounds whe
suddenly stopping their strange motion


the right exclaimed "Let's gop Yes


said the left, "let's gol and let's give hil


a good walk for stamping us around 6


cruelty all the morning" uIr


Before Bobby saw what they were "a


they had him on his feet and were walkin


off with him at a rapid jog, Stop


cried Bobbyi where are you going


But neither Right nor Left paid any a


tention TO his cries, only walked the taste


through the garden, out of the gate, acro


the road and straight over the fence inl


the field beyond, with bump that bounce


the bread and milk that Bobby ate Il
dinner, almost out OF his mouth.


/ Crying was Of no use. Right or lie
II did not mind tho noise or struggles


made, for Bobby began TO do both as


found himself going away from home


fast that his legs and feet ached with u


rapidity Of the motion, and he cou


scarce stand on his feet, On, on, we
Right and Left across the fields, throug


the brook, covering Bobby with wat


and sand to the armpits, Bobby had g
past crying now he had neither time NJ
4 breath, he was going SO fast; but he sa


the woods before hiRi andetOok eourag
Il - a