Year: 1870

been called by no other name than Bobby
Boots and Bobby Boots he vii! probably
be called for years to come.


And this is the way he got his famous
blue boots that gave him his name His
mother, the wife OF sea captsin who was
at home but three or four times a year,
lived in cosy little cottage half hid
among the trees that lined the road lead
ing to the pretty village of s.. Bobby
was her only child. One day when he
was about year old his father came
home from a 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 al
once, and he hardly looked into his father
face. That day Bobby spoke his first
word, and that word was "b0OdS," and his
father laughingly declared that he should
have famous pair as soon as he was Old
enough to use them.


Bobby did not forget his first word
slippers and shoes had no charms for him
and passed by unnotlced but as soon as
a pair of boots came into the loom.
"b0Ods, boo1s bO0ds," sounded from the
cradle at intervals till they were out o.
sight. As he grew older he began to ask
when he would 10 big enough to wear
boots ike papa:


The day he was SIX he received, as a
birthday gift from papa and mamma, the
famous blue boots and red tops. And
what 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, too 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 IA run, and
kept it up till he caught one Of the pretty
blue toes in the rug, and he tell 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 time, just to
see how much noise his heels could make
in running down. Mamma told him to
stop or lie would fall and get hurt; but
Bobby thought he knew more then mann
ma, and by-and-by one of those pretty
light heels, SD 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
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: "rve spoiled my
bootsi I've spoiled NV boots - His
mother feared he'd spoiled his nose, bat
there wasn't enough of il 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
humping of Bobby's boots against high
chair and table, he was allowed To 70 into
the garden and make as much noise rs he
pleased


Here was plenty of room, and the boots
were everywhere almost everywhere at
once in the paths and on the grass,
through the melon patch and thc straw
berry bed, and under the apple trees and
the plum trees, and finally up the b'g
grape vine This last adventure quietcd
him for a 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 rc scue, and Bobby
celebrated his escape by short rest.


Then he walked strai ght to wash tub OF
water To see if his boots had sprung a
leak From this the cook ierkod him out
very quickly aud scoldcd him sharply, all
of which made the same impression on
Bobby that it did on his boots. Not 50 "a
half remark made about having "to grease
them" That was a new idea to Bobby /;
nc 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 1irkin
stood on the floor After much strug-
Cling Bobby got the cover of; there was
nothing with which 10 cut out the sold
layers, but Bobby didn't care for that, he
was equal to anything; climbing up by
the window he stepped both feet INTO the
frkin and stamped around till the boots
were well creased. Jumping to the floor
he rushed into the parlor 10 tell mother OF
his smartncsS, marking his path by spiat-
tiers of butter. Bobby lost his boots Tor
whole hour for this maneuver, and did not
get them again until after dinner.


Allowed to go into the garden on his
promise to keep away from wash tubs,
grape vines and butter firkins, Bobby
amused himself by making heal marks IN
every corner of the walks and flower
beds, till tired of running around, hc set
tied himself in low crotch of plum
tree and looked at the clouds moving
across the sky.


al wonder" said he, I" i; the blue be
tween the white Is made of the same kind
of stuff as my boots? Perhaps il is, ard
then the whole sky may he a big pair 0i
boots Just like mine; know | saw thc
shining red tops the other night at sunset
Then there are the white clouds; they
must be the long legged white stockings
such as mamma makes me wear sometimes;
and It's the rain that always keeps them


I trrl sfsa-
lust before it rains sometimes, and then
the wind comes out and blows II make
them dry and warm just as they look
now; | wonder if"


Here Bobby's right boot gave twitch
that caused him to stop in surprise; then
the toe of the left boot began nOddIng IN
very strange manner, just as though 1t
was SAYING something very earnestly.
"Why," said Bobby, " | do believe my
boots are trying to talk" and he bent his
head forward to listen. lie could hardly
believe his eyes rs he saw the right nod
its toe i'm solemn manner, the lett nod
ding back, and then both of them holding
and bowling and twisting and Wrlgglmg
all together.


But his wonder knew no bounds when
suddenly stopping their strange motions,
the rlghb ckcidlfncU lICl = Ep- *,
said the left, "let's gol and let's give him
a good walk for stamping us around so
cruelty all the morning"


Before Bobby saw what they were at,
they had him on his feet and were walking
off with him ut rapid jog. Stop"
cried Bobby; "where are you going 3
But neither Right nor Left paid any at
tention to his cries, only walked the faster;
through the garden, out of the gate, across
the road and straight over the fence into
the field beyond, with bump that bounced
the bread and milk that Bobby ate for
dinner, almost out of his mouth.


Crying was of no use. Right or Left
did not mind the noise or struggles he
made, for Bobby began TO do both as he
found himself going away from home SO
fast that his legs and feet ached with the
rapidity of the motion, and he could
scarce stand on his feet. On, on, went
Right and Left across the fields, through
the brook, covering Bobby with water