A Child-World | Page 9

were going back that day?To his house with him!
And by time that each?Had one of Noey's hands--ceasing their speech?And coyly anxious, in their new attire,?To wake the comment of their mute desire,--?Noey seemed rendered voiceless. Quite a while?They watched him furtively.--He seemed to smile?As though he would conceal it; and they saw?Him look away, and his lips purse and draw?In curious, twitching spasms, as though he might?Be whispering,--while in his eye the white?Predominated strangely.--Then the spell?Gave way, and his pent speech burst audible:?"They wuz two stylish little boys,?and they wuz mighty bold ones,?Had two new pairs o' britches made?out o' their daddy's old ones!"?And at the inspirational outbreak,?Both joker and his victims seemed to take?An equal share of laughter,--and all through?Their morning visit kept recurring to?The funny words and jingle of the rhyme?That just kept getting funnier all the time.
AT NOEY'S HOUSE
At Noey's house--when they arrived with him--?How snug seemed everything, and neat and trim:?The little picket-fence, and little gate--?It's little pulley, and its little weight,--?All glib as clock-work, as it clicked behind?Them, on the little red brick pathway, lined?With little paint-keg-vases and teapots?Of wee moss-blossoms and forgetmenots:?And in the windows, either side the door,?Were ranged as many little boxes more?Of like old-fashioned larkspurs, pinks and moss?And fern and phlox; while up and down across?Them rioted the morning-glory-vines?On taut-set cotton-strings, whose snowy lines?Whipt in and out and under the bright green?Like basting-threads; and, here and there between,?A showy, shiny hollyhock would flare?Its pink among the white and purple there.--?And still behind the vines, the children saw?A strange, bleached, wistful face that seemed to draw?A vague, indefinite sympathy. A face?It was of some newcomer to the place.--?In explanation, Noey, briefly, said?That it was "Jason," as he turned and led?The little fellows 'round the house to show?Them his menagerie of pets. And so?For quite a time the face of the strange guest?Was partially forgotten, as they pressed?About the squirrel-cage and rousted both?The lazy inmates out, though wholly loath?To whirl the wheel for them.--And then with awe?They walked 'round Noey's big pet owl, and saw?Him film his great, clear, liquid eyes and stare?And turn and turn and turn his head 'round there?The same way they kept circling--as though he?Could turn it one way thus eternally.
Behind the kitchen, then, with special pride?Noey stirred up a terrapin inside?The rain-barrel where he lived, with three or four?Little mud-turtles of a size not more?In neat circumference than the tiny toy?Dumb-watches worn by every little boy.
Then, back of the old shop, beneath the tree?Of "rusty-coats," as Noey called them, he?Next took the boys, to show his favorite new?Pet 'coon--pulled rather coyly into view?Up through a square hole in the bottom of?An old inverted tub he bent above,?Yanking a little chain, with "Hey! you, sir!?Here's comp'ny come to see you, Bolivur!"?Explanatory, he went on to say,?"I named him 'Bolivur' jes thisaway,--?He looks so round_ and _ovalish_ and _fat,?'Peared like no other name 'ud fit but that."
Here Noey's father called and sent him on?Some errand. "Wait," he said--"I won't be gone?A half a' hour.--Take Bud, and go on in?Where Jason is, tel I git back agin."
Whoever Jason was, they found him there?Still at the front-room window.--By his chair?Leaned a new pair of crutches; and from one?Knee down, a leg was bandaged.--"Jason done?That-air with one o' these-'ere tools we call?A 'shin-hoe_'--but a _foot-adz mostly all?Hardware-store-keepers calls 'em."--(Noey made?This explanation later.)
Jason paid?But little notice to the boys as they?Came in the room:--An idle volume lay?Upon his lap--the only book in sight--?And Johnty read the title,--"Light, More Light,?There's Danger in the Dark,"--though first and best--?In fact, the whole of Jason's interest?Seemed centered on a little dog--one pet?Of Noey's all uncelebrated yet--?Though Jason, certainly, avowed his worth,?And niched him over all the pets on earth--?As the observant Johnty would relate?The Jason-episode, and imitate?The all-enthusiastic speech and air?Of Noey's kinsman and his tribute there:--
"THAT LITTLE DOG"
"That little dog 'ud scratch at that door?And go on a-whinin' two hours before?He'd ever let up! There!--Jane: Let him in.--?(Hah, there, you little rat!) Look at him grin!
Come down off o' that!--?W'y, look at him! (_Drat?You! you-rascal-you!_)--bring me that hat!?Look out!_--He'll snap _you!_--_He wouldn't let?You take it away from him, now you kin bet!?That little rascal's jist natchurly mean.--?I tell you, I never (Git out!! ) never seen?A spunkier little rip! (Scratch to git in,?And now_ yer a-scratchin' to git _out agin!?Jane: Let him out!) Now, watch him from here?Out through the winder!--You notice one ear?Kindo' in_ side-_out, like he holds it?--Well,?He's_ got a _tick_ in it--_I kin tell!
Yes, and he's cunnin'--?Jist watch him a-runnin',?Sidelin'_--see!--like he ain't '_plum'd true'?And legs don't 'track' as they'd ort to do:--?Plowin' his nose through the weeds--I jing!?Ain't he jist cuter'n anything!
"W'y, that little dog's got grown-people's sense!--?See how he gits out under the fence?--?And watch him a-whettin' his hind-legs 'fore?His dead square run