by Anonymous
boys." And he sighed deeply, and put hishands into his knickerbocker pockets.
"You'll not forget, and tease us again?" I asked firmly; "and you know Imust ask Mother too."
"I'll promise, really," said Tommy, giving me a very grubby little hand;"only please do look at me as you look at Charley, and don't leave meall to myself again. I do get so tired of myself, you can't think."
I could, for once I had been left alone just in the same way; but Ididn't tell Tommy this, and only went to Mother, and soon he was playingquite happily with us, and remained such a good boy. Nurse used to lookout for spots on his chest every day when she bathed him, for she wasquite sure that he must be going to be ill, but he wasn't; and heremained so good we were quite sorry to part with him, for he was reallyfunny, and full of life. But as his mother kept very weak, Tommy wassent to school; and so, when we went back from the seaside, after theholidays were over, we did not meet again for nearly a year.
When we did meet, we hardly knew him again, he was such a jolly littlefellow. And when he grew confidential, which he did the third day of theholidays, he said to me very solemnly, "I say, Hilda, if any little boysand girls are as rude and naughty as I used to be once, I know how tocure them. I shall first talk to them nicely, as your mother talked tome, and then I shall let them alone. It cured me, I know. You don't evercall me Tommy Torment now, do you, Hilda?"
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THE TRICYCLE.
My grandfather does give me nice things! Last birthday he gave me alovely box of tools, and he gave me the rocking-horse when I was quitelittle, and the swing trapeze that hangs from the nursery ceiling, andbooks and toys,--I can't remember them all now. But his last present wasbest of all: it was a tricycle!
I was nine last birthday, and I couldn't help wondering--though itsounds rather greedy--what grandfather would give me, because I thoughtit wouldn't be a toy, and he had given me a book at Christmas, for hesaid I was growing "quite a man."
When the birthday morning came, and I ran down to breakfast, there wasnothing at all from grandfather! I'm afraid I looked very disappointedjust at first; but presently we heard a little noise outside, and therewas grandfather himself, and a man with him, who was wheeling thedearest little tricycle you ever saw.
It was rather hard work at first, and I soon got tired; but now I can goten miles with father, and not feel at all tired.
I'll tell you one thing that makes me so glad about my tricycle. I wasjust going out on it one morning, when mother came running out of thehouse, looking so pale and frightened that I was quite frightened too.
"Bertie," she said, "tell John to go at once to Dr. Bell's and ask himto come here at once--_at once_, remember. Your father has cut his handvery badly, and we can't stop the bleeding."
"I'll go, mother; let me go on the tricycle," I said.
And she answered, "Do, dear; only make haste!"
I don't think I ever went so fast before; but it was a good road, andthat helped me, and I was saying to myself all the time, "Oh, don't letme be too late for the doctor! _Please_ let me find him and bring him tofather."
And I _did_ find the doctor at home. I was out of breath, but I managedto tell him what was the matter, and he was soon ready.
Of course I couldn't keep up with his pony-cart, as father could havedone, but I got home not long after, and heard that the doctor wasthere, and the bleeding had stopped.
Father was very weak for some time, and his hand was not well forseveral weeks, but the doctor and mother said he would have died if Ihadn't been able to fetch the doctor so quickly on my tricycle.
That's why I like my tricycle so much, and think it such a useful thing.If it had been a pony, it would have had to be saddled and bridled; butI always keep it cleaned and oiled, so it was quite ready for use whenit was wanted. Mother used to be rather afraid of my riding it at onetime, but she doesn't mind it now, because she knows how useful it wasthe day father cut his hand.
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ON THE THRESHOLD.
I.
Bring me my grandson, Agnes, Bring me your first-born boy;I may not be with you much longer, And he is my old heart's joy.
II.
Do you think he is old enough yet, girl, To remember me after I go?If not I must stay awhile longer, For he must not forget me, you know.
III.
You who are yet but a child, dear, Will see him as tall as the squireBut I must make ready to leave you, For have I not won my desire?
IV.
Old winter waits for the snowdrop Before he turns to depart,And I have stayed for the coming Of this last joy of my heart.
V.
We meet in the same wide doorway, And inward to life he tripsBut I to my death creep outwards And, passing, we both touch lips.
F. W. H.
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TROT, TODDLES, AND THE TEA-PARTY.
Trot walked slowly up-stairs, repeating the words she had heard,--
"If you want the entertainment to be a success, you must draw up aprogramme, and carry it out."
She looked very solemn, for she felt the importance of the occasion. Onthe day following she and Toddles were to give their very first party;and four little girls and four little boys, not to mention the fourdolls of the four little girls, were coming to take tea with Trot andToddles and mother.
Trot had thought about it a great deal, and so had Toddles, wonderingwhat would happen, and what they should do to make the guests enjoythemselves.
"TODDLES STOOD IN FRONT OF HER."]
The two children had spent many half-hours talking the matter over, andeach time the conversation had ended by Toddles saying,--"Well, nevermind; there'll be tea." He had found out from cook that there would betwo kinds of jam provided for the tea-party, and he felt quite sure thateven if there were fourteen little boys and fourteen little girlsexpected, they would enjoy themselves thoroughly if they had plenty ofjam. But Trot did not agree with him, and declared that the questioncould not be settled that way.
"'HIGHER!' SHOUTED TODDLES."]
The speech which Trot had overheard suggested all kinds of plans, andshe made her way into the nursery to talk over the party once more withToddles.
Toddles was in the middle of a grand sea-fight. His tin soldiers weresailing about on books on the sea of the nursery floor, and Toddles wasfiring first at one ship, and then at another, with a large glassmarble. Toddles did not wish to be disturbed.
"Toddles," said Trot, "the tea-party is settled at last. If you want theentertainment to be a success, you must draw up a programme, and carryit out."
"Six down at one shot!" cried Toddles; "and the captain among them,too."
"Toddles," said Trot solemnly, "you do want the entertainment to be asuccess, don't you?"
"TODDLES FELL DOWN."]
Bang! bang! "There'll be tea," cried Toddles.
Trot touched him on the shoulder.
"Do come and talk about the party, Toddles," she said. "I have thoughtof a new game to play at."
Toddles looked up at last; he was beginning to feel interested. Trot'snew games always meant fun, though they sometimes ended in a scoldingfrom nurse.
"What is it?" he asked.
"A circus," answered Trot, with a smile.
"No," said Toddles, jumping up from the floor. "Do you really mean it?"
Trot sat down in a chair, and Toddles stood in front of her, and restedhis two chubby elbows in her lap.
"TROT PUT THE JAR UPON HER HEAD."]
"We must draw up a programme, and carry it out," said Trot, waving onearm, as she had seen her father do, when he had made the same remarkdown-stairs.
Toddles stared; he felt very much impressed, though he did not know inthe least what Trot meant.
"And the circus will be the programme," continued Trot,
drawing a dirty,crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. "I will write it down onthis. They will come at four o'clock."
"Oh, they'll come before that," objected Toddles. "You put 'Tea at 4' onthe letters, and they are sure to come in plenty of time for tea. Ishould, because of the two kinds of jam, you know."
"Never mind," said Trot; "we can't do anything before tea, so the firstthing to put down is 4 TEA;" and she wrote the word in big printingletters.
Toddles watched her silently.
"After tea will come the circus," said Trot. "I wonder how you spellcircus?"
"But will mother let us have the circus?" said Toddles. "There won't beroom in here for all the horses and clowns, and ladies we saw the