Their red-brown skins, sewed
together, made a larger and nicer lap-robe than the hide of any buffalo;
and years after, with Jacob's children, I took many a sleigh-ride under
this warm covering.
All in favor of numbering Jacob among the "Wide Awakes," say _aye_!
SURPRISED.
I.
"Mitz" began to cry piteously. "Mieu--mieu--mi-e-e," he cried, and all
little Hannah's trotting only made him worse. At that moment "Mitz" was
wrapped in a pillow-case, while his head was buried in Hannah's little
shawl. His ears were pulled down, and his promising tail was all in a
heap, and his resplendent moustache was crushed. Therefore was it a
wonder that Mitz howled most dolefully? It is not necessary to say that
Mitz was a kitten.
Mitz's mother was sitting in a corner of the fire-place, with tail
neatly curled about her paws. Three of Mitz's brothers and sisters were
lost somewhere in the shadow about her, and two others the children had
put to bed.
It was a queer old room in an old German house; a room large and dim,
with two great windows full of diamond-shaped panes, and on the
opposite side a huge chimney with a tall, narrow mantel-shelf and a
tiled hearth, on which stood two brass griffins, shiny and ferocious. In
the depths in the fire-place, behind the griffins, there Mitz was
sobbing. I say sobbing because the children were playing "house," and
Mitz was supposed to be the baby. What a fine play-house this big
fire-place was in summer! It had in turn figured as Aladdin's cave and a
school-house; a brigand ambush, and a dwelling with modern improvements.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89