“You have no idea, Grandmother,” said she. “You haven’t the faintest idea how well you look!”
“’T is too dressy for me,” said Grandmother. “It don’t feel natural on my head.”
“Now I should think,” said Uncle Jacob, “that a cap would feel more natural on anybody’s head than anywhere!”
“It looks natural,” said Lucy Maria, “I’m sure it does. Looks as if it grew there!”
“And only think how ’t will please Billy!” said Aunt. Phebe.
The “Map of the United States” had been brought out of the front room, and placed over the mantel-piece. And Lucy Maria, for fun, she said, and to pay a delicate compliment to the artist, had fastened a few sprays of upland cranberry around it. And, also, for fun, she pinned up near it a little picture, which I had quite a laugh over, and which, she said, was the renowned Megotharium, in the act of feeding drawn by the famous artist, William Henry, assisted by his brother artist, Dorry. The picture, she added, was not an original, but merely a copy done by a female. A photograph of these two artists, sitting side by side, was exhibited, underneath the picture.
Cousin Joe said that creature beat all his going to sea. This young tailor, by the way, must have made a jolly shipmate. He was full of his jokes and his tricks. Tried to twirl Tommy round, by rubbing him between his two hands, as one does a top, telling him that was the way the Hottentots did to take the mischief out of boys!
Aunt Phebe said she thought if the Hottentots knew any way of taking the mischief out of boys, and were out of work, they might find employment in this country.
Tommy begged to play “one tune,” and was allowed to. Cousin Joe declared that “that accordion was played every wave of the way across the Atlantic,” either by himself or by one of the sailors, and that sometimes the mermaids sang to its music! Asked Tommy if he would like to bear the tune the mermaids sang? Tommy said he should rather wait till after supper. This was the way in which, company being present, the young chap let it be known that he was hungry.