"Now, Uncle Harry, we"ll have the whistles, I guess."
I acted upon the suggestion, and led the way to the woods. I had not had occasion to seek a hickory sapling before for years; not since the war, in fact, when I learned how hot a fire small hickory sticks would make. I had not sought wood for whistles since--gracious, nearly a quarter of a century ago! The dissimilar a.s.sociations called up by these recollections threatened to put me in a frame of mind which might have resulted in a bad poem, had not my nephews kept up a lively succession of questions such as no one but children can ask. The whistles completed, I was marched, with music, to the place where the "Jacks" grew. It was just such a place as boys instinctively delight in--low, damp, and boggy, with a brook hiding treacherously away under overhanging ferns and gra.s.ses. The children knew by sight the plant which bore the "Jacks," and every discovery was announced by a piercing shriek of delight. At first I looked hurriedly toward the brook as each yell clove the air; but, as I became accustomed to it, my attention was diverted by some exquisite ferns. Suddenly, however, a succession of shrieks announced that something was wrong, and across a large fern I saw a small face in a great deal of agony. Budge was hurrying to the relief of his brother, and was soon as deeply imbedded as Toddie was in the rich black mud, at the bottom of the brook. I dashed to the rescue, stood astride the brook, and offered a hand to each boy, when a treacherous tuft of gra.s.s gave way, and, with a glorious splash, I went in myself. This accident turned Toddie"s sorrow to laughter, but I can"t say I made light of my misfortune on that account. To fall into CLEAN water is not pleasant, even when one is trout-fishing; but to be clad in white pants, and suddenly drop nearly knee-deep in the lap of mother Earth is quite a different thing. I hastily picked up the children, and threw them upon the bank, and then wrathfully strode out myself, and tried to shake myself as I have seen a Newfoundland dog do.
The shake was not a success--it caused my trouser-leg to flap dismally about my ankles, and sent the streams of loathsome ooze trickling down into my shoes. My hat, of drab felt, had fallen off by the brookside, and been plentifully spattered as I got out. I looked at my youngest nephew with speechless indignation.
"Uncle Harry," said Budge, ""twas real good of the Lord to let you be with us, else Toddie might have been drownded."
"Yes," said I, "and I shouldn"t have much--"
"Ocken Hawwy," cried Toddie, running impetuously toward me, pulling me down, and patting my cheek with his muddy black hand, "I LOVES you for takin" me out de water."
"I accept your apology," said I, "but let"s hurry home." There was but one residence to pa.s.s, and that, thank fortune, was so densely screened by shrubbery that the inmates could not see the road. To be sure, we were on a favorite driving road, but we could reach home in five minutes, and we might dodge into the woods if we heard a carriage coming. Ha! There came a carriage already, and we--was there ever a sorrier-looking group? There were ladies in the carriage, too--could it be--of course it was--did the evil spirit, which guided those children always, send an attendant for Miss Mayton before he began operations?
There she was, anyway--cool, neat, dainty, trying to look collected, but severely flushed by the attempt. It was of no use to drop my eyes, for she had already recognized me; so I turned to her a face which I think must have been just the one--unless more defiant--that I carried into two or three cavalry charges.
"You seem to have been having a real good time together," said she, with a conventional smile, as the carriage pa.s.sed. "Remember, you"re all going to call on me tomorrow afternoon."
Bless the girl! Her heart was as quick as her eyes--almost any other young lady would have devoted her entire energy to laughing on such an occasion, but SHE took her earliest opportunity to make me feel at ease. Such a royal hearted woman deserves to--I caught myself just here, with my cheeks growing quite hot under the mud Toddie had put on them, and I led our retreat with a more stylish carriage than my appearance could possibly have warranted, and then I consigned my nephews to the maid with very much the air of an officer turning over a large number of prisoners he had captured. I hastily changed my soiled clothing for my best--not that I expected to see any one, but because of a sudden increase in the degree of respect I felt toward myself.
When the children were put to bed, and I had no one but my thoughts for companions, I spent a delightful hour or two in imagining as possible some changes of which I had never dared to think before.
On Monday morning I was in the garden at sunrise. Toddie was to carry his expiatory bouquet to Miss Mayton that day, and I proposed that no pains should be spared to make his atonement as handsome as possible. I canva.s.sed carefully every border, bed, and detached flowering plant until I had as accurate an idea of their possibilities as if I had inventoried the flowers in pen and ink. This done, I consulted the servant as to the unsoiled clothing of my nephews. She laid out their entire wardrobe for my inspection, and after a rigid examination of everything I selected the suits which the boys were to wear in the afternoon. Then I told the girl that the boys were going with me after dinner to call on some ladies, and that I desired that she should wash and dress them carefully.
"Tell me just what time you"ll start, sir, and I"ll begin an hour beforehand," said she. "That"s the only way to be sure that they don"t disgrace you."
For breakfast we had, among other things, some stewed oysters served in soup-plates.
"O Todd," shrieked Budge, "there"s the turtle-plates again--oh, AIN"T I glad!"
"Oo--ee--turtle pyates," squealed Toddie.
"What on earth do you mean, boys?" I demanded.
"I"ll show you," said Budge, jumping down from his chair and bringing his plate of oysters cautiously toward me. "Now you just put your head down underneath my plate, and look up, and you"ll see a turtle."
For a moment I forgot that I was not at a restaurant, and I took the plate, held it up, and examined its bottom.
"There!" said Budge, pointing to the trademark, in colors, of the makers of the crockery, "don"t you see the turtle?"
I abruptly ordered Budge to his seat, unmoved even by Toddie"s remark, that--
"Dey ish turtles, but dey can"t knawl awound like udder turtles."
After breakfast I devoted a great deal of fussy attention to myself.
Never did my own wardrobe seem so meager and ill-a.s.sorted; never did I cut myself so many times while shaving; never did I use such unsatisfactory shoe-polish. I finally gave up in despair my effort to appear genteel, and devoted myself to the bouquet. I cut almost flowers enough to dress a church, and then remorselessly excluded every one which was in the least particular imperfect. In making the bouquet I enjoyed the benefit of my nephews" a.s.sistance and counsel and took enforced part in conversation which flowers suggested.
"Ocken Hawwy," said Toddie, "ish heaven all like this, wif pretty f"owers? Cos I don"t see what ze angels ever turns out for if "tis."
"Uncle Harry," said Budge, "when the leaves all go up and down and wriggle around so, are they talking to the wind?"
"I--I guess so, old fellow."
"Who are you making that bouquet for, Uncle Harry?" asked Budge.
"For a lady--for Miss Mayton--that lady that saw us all muddy yesterday afternoon," said I.
"Oh, I like her," said Budge. "She looks so nice and pretty--just like a cake--just as if she was good to eat--Oh, I just love her, don"t YOU?"
"Well, I respect her very highly, Budge."
""Spect? What does "spect mean?"
"Why, it means that I think she"s a lady--a real pleasant lady-just the nicest sort of lady in the world--the sort of person I"d like to see every day, and like to see her better than any one else."
"Oh, why, "spect an" love means just the same thing, don"t they, Uncle Har--"
"Budge," I exclaimed, somewhat hastily "run ask Maggie for a piece of string--quick!"
"All right," said Budge, moving off, "but they DO, don"t they?"
At two o"clock I instructed Maggie to dress my nephews, and at three we started to make our call. To carry Toddie"s bouquet, and hold a hand of each boy so as to keep them from darting into the hedges for gra.s.shoppers, and the gutters for b.u.t.terflies, was no easy work, but I managed to do it. As we approached Mrs. Clarkson"s boarding-house I felt my hat was over one ear, and my cravat awry, but there was no opportunity to rearrange them, for I saw Alice Mayton on the piazza, and felt that she saw me. Handing the bouquet to Toddie, and promising him three sticks of candy if he would be careful and not drop it, we entered the garden. The moment we were inside the hedge and Toddie saw a man going over the lawn with a lawn-mower, he shrieked: "Oh, deresh a cutter-gra.s.s!" and dropped the bouquet with the carelessness born of perfect ecstasy. I s.n.a.t.c.hed it before it reached the ground, dragged the offending youth up the walk, saluted Miss Mayton, and told Toddie to give the bouquet to the lady. This he succeeded in doing, but as Miss Mayton thanked him and stooped to kiss him he wriggled off the piazza like a little eel, shouted, "Tum on!" to his brother, and a moment later my nephews were following the "cutter-gra.s.s" at a respectful distance in the rear.
"Those are my sister"s best children in the world, Miss Mayton," said I.
"Bless the little darlings!" replied the lady; "I DO love to see children enjoying themselves."
"So do I," said I, "when I"m not responsible for their well-being; but if the effort I"ve expended on those boys had been directed toward the interests of my employers, those worthy gentlemen would consider me invaluable."
Miss Mayton made some witty reply, and we settled to a pleasant chat about mutual acquaintances, about books, pictures, music, and the gossip of our set. I would cheerfully have discussed Herbert Spencer"s system, the a.s.syrian Tablets, or any other dry subject with Miss Mayton, and felt that I was richly repaid by the pleasure of seeing her. Handsome, intelligent, composed, tastefully dressed, without a suspicion of the flirt or the languid woman of fashion about her, she awakened to the uttermost every admiring sentiment and every manly feeling. But, alas, my enjoyment was probably more than I deserved, so it was cut short. There were other ladies boarding at Mrs. Clarkson"s, and as Miss Mayton truthfully observed at our first meeting, men were very scarce at Hillcrest. So the ladies, by the merest accident, of course, happened upon the piazza, and each one was presented to me, and common civility made it impossible for me to speak to Miss Mayton more than once in ten minutes. At any other time and place I should have found the meeting of so many ladies a delightful experience, but now--
Suddenly a compound shriek arose from the lawn, and all the ladies sprang to their feet. I followed their example, setting my teeth firmly and viciously, hoping that whichever nephew had been hurt was BADLY hurt. We saw Toddie running towards us with one hand in his mouth, while Budge ran beside him, exclaiming:--
"POOR little Toddie! Don"t cry! DOES it hurt you awful? Never mind--Uncle Harry"ll comfort you. Don"t cry, Toddie DE-ar!"
Both boys reached the piazza steps, and clambered up, Budge exclaiming:--
"O, Uncle Harry, Toddie put his fingers in the little wheels of the cutter-gra.s.s, an" it turned just the least little biddie, an" it hurted him."
But Toddie ran up to me, clasped my legs, and sobbed.
"Sing "Toddie one boy day.""
My blood seemed to freeze. I could have choked that dreadful child, suffering though he was. I stooped over him, caressed him, promised him candy, took out my watch and gave it to him to play with, but he returned to his original demand. A lady--the homeliest in the party--suggested that she should bind up his hand, and I inwardly blessed her, but he reiterated his request for "Toddie one boy day,"
and sobbed pitifully.
"What DOES he mean?" asked Miss Mayton.
"He wants Uncle Harry to sing, "Charley boy one day,"" explained Budge; "he always wants that song when he"s hurt any way."
"Oh, do sing it to him, Mr. Burton," pleaded Miss Mayton; and all the other ladies exclaimed, "Oh, do!"
I wrathfully picked him up in my arms, and hummed the air of the detested song.