Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
In the midst of the wrangle somebody finds out that Johnny Pym has
a piece of red glass, and then they begin fighting for turns looking
through it at the snow and the court-house. But not for long. They
fall to bragging about what they are going to get for Christmas. Eddie
Cameron was pretty sure he 'd get a spy-glass. He asked his pa, and his
pa said “Mebby. He'd see about it.” Then, just in time, they looked up
and saw old man Nicholson coming along with his shawl pinned around him.
They ran to the other side of the street because he stops little boys,
and pats them on the head, and asks them if they have found the Savior.
It makes some boys cry when he asks them that.
The Rowan twins--Alfaretta and Luanna May--are working a pair of
slippers for their pa, one apiece, because it is such slow work. Along
about suppertime they make Elmer Lonnie stay outside and watch for his
coming, and he has to say: “Hello, pa!” very loud, and romp with him
outside the gate so as to give the twins time to gather up the colored
zephyrs and things, and hide them in the lower bureau drawer in the
spare bedroom. At such a time their mother finds an errand that takes
her into the parlor so that she can see that they do not, by any chance,
look into the middle drawer in the farther left-hand corner, under the
pillow-slips.
One night, just at supper-time, Elmer Lonnie said: “Hello, pa!” and
then they heard pa whispering and Elmer Lonnie came in looking very
solemn--or trying to--and said: “Ma, Miss Waldo wants to know if you
won't please step over there a minute.”
“Did she say what for? Because I'm right in the midst of getting
supper. I look for your pa any minute now, and I don't want to keep him
waiting.”
“No 'm, she didn't say what for. She jist said: 'Ast yer ma won't she
please an' step over here a minute.' I wouldn't put anythin' on. 'T
ain't cold. You needn't stay long, only till... I guess she's in some of
a hurry.”
“Well, if Harriet Waldo thinks 'at I haven't anythin' better to do 'n
trot around after her at her beck an'.... All right, I'll come.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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