THE GRANDPA STORY.
"Which shall it be to-night, Harry?" I said a little while ago?—"The Goblet Story, The Grandpa Story, or About the Runaway Boy?"
"Oh! The Grandpa Story," said Harry at once; "for grandpa has been here to-day, and brought me ten notched sugar-plums,—five red ones, and five white." So I began:—
One bright Monday morning, I looked out of the front-window, and said, "Why, Harry, Uncle David has come to town! He is tying his horse under the elm-tree." A minute after, Uncle David opened the door into the sitting-room, and said, "Is there any one here who would like to go out to grandpa's to-day?" And mamma spoke right up, and said, "We would all like to go. It will do my little lads good to have a nice ride."
"Get ready quick, then," said Uncle David. So mamma put a little blue cloak and a white sun-bonnet on Freddy the baby, and a linen coat, and straw hat with blue ribbons on Harry; and they all went out, and got into the carriage.
Then away they rode through the pretty streets, and over a covered bridge, where the horse went trot, trot, trot. Then they crossed a railroad-track, and drove past a station, and stopped at a store; and Uncle David went in and bought a great box of sugar for Aunt Mattie, and a little bag of candy to carry home to his little boy Philly.
Then they rode up a steep hill, and came out upon Westfield Plains. And then what beautiful things they saw!—a man with a gun, a squirrel cracking a nut, a little girl with red hair, a man picking apples from a tree, and, best of all, a boy flying a kite.
By and by they drove up a hill to grandpa's house. Cousin Philly, who was out on the piazza, ran into the house to tell his mamma that Aunt Susan had come, and brought all her little boys with her.
Tiger, the great black dog, said, "Bow, wow!" to Harry, as he went up the steps. Cousin Anne sat in a great rocking-chair by the open window, and sang to her dolly, "Rock-a-by baby."
Aunt Mattie was glad enough to see them, and gave Harry a round cooky with a hole in the middle, that he thought very funny. Mamma always makes square cookies, with no holes to put your fingers through.
By and by, when grandpa came in from the orchard, they had a nice supper. They had peaches and cream, and biscuits and honey; and, oh! how good every thing tasted!
Philly lent Harry his cup with the picture of a queen on one side, and "Remember me" on the other; and Harry drank two cups of milk, the cup was so pretty.
After supper Harry's eyes began to droop; and so mamma said, "Kiss grandpa, my little boy, and the dear little cousins, and then let's run to bed with sleepy head."
In six seconds after Harry's head touched the pillow, he was fast asleep.
The next morning he awoke fresh and bright; and, after breakfast, Philly and Harry went out into the road to play. They made little sand-hills and houses of pebble-stones, and dug wells in the sand, and had a real good time.
In the afternoon, mamma put the cloaks and hats on Harry and Freddy; Uncle David drove up to the house; and they all got into the carriage, and had a nice ride home.
S. B. T.
