“That means, let’s be eating something,” said Aunt Phebe. “Come, girls, put everything on the table! Billy, how tall and spruce you do look! Poor Grandmother, she’s losing her little Billy!”
“But what’s her loss is his gain!” said Uncle Jacob. “I speak to sit next the frosted cake. Where’s Tommy?”
Tommy came in, tugging Billy’s carpet-bag, which he found in the kitchen, hoping, no doubt, there were goodies inside for him.
We had a delightful “supper-time,” Grandmother, of course, piling Billy’s plate with everything good.
“I see,” said Mr. Carver, “that whatever boys eat at home grandmothers expect will agree with them!”
The happy “young rascal” meanwhile bore the separation from his studies with amazing fortitude! Told no end of funny stories about the boys, and about parties, and about the Two Betseys. And twice, during supper, he exclaimed, “I do hope nothing has happened to those cars. They were such good cars!”
My visits to the farm were always delightful, but during that supper-time, and during that evening, I grudged every moment as it flew away.
Uncle Jacob was in high glee, and insisted on being taught “the graces,” and on having his wife taught “the graces.” Then Lucy Maria “set her foot down” that every one should stand in the row, and Billy should be Mr. Tornero. And, being a girl of resolution, she coaxed every one into line, except Grandmother, who said her rheumatism should do her some service then, if never before.
“The graces” were then taught, and learned, amid shouts of laughter, Cousin Joe playing for us, and I’ll venture to say that had Mr. Tornero been present, he would have been astonished at our steps, and also at the music!
Afterwards we had the dwarf shown off, Cousin Joe being the showman. He declared after looking over the “Narrative,” that Empskutia was a place well known to him, and that he had often sailed up the “river Phlezzra,” to trade with the natives. Lucy Maria dressed him in a large-figured red and green bedspread, pinned on to look like a loose robe, with flowing sleeves, and girded about the waist with cords and tassels taken from Aunt Phebe’s parlor curtains. He wore an immense lace collar, and a turban made of a white muslin handkerchief (one that was Grandmother’s mother’s) and besprinkled with artificial flowers. His face was tattooed with a lead-pencil, and dark circles drawn around his eyes. He held in his hand a slender rod, or wand.