Toots and His Friends Read online

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  Grandpa caught her and carried her back, but Mrs. White hurt the littleones and refused to scratch for them. She covered them with her wingsfor a few moments while grandpa was there, and then ran away again.

  Grandpa tried shutting her up, but still she hurt her little chicksand at last killed one. Then grandpa told her she was a cruel, wickedmother, and he carried the chicks into the kitchen and covered them overin a nice warm basket. There they nestled for several days until theybegan to hop out and get under grandma's feet. After that they had alittle house in the shed and soon grew very fast. Toots called them theorphans, and never again liked Mrs. White, although she was so handsome.Soon after this grandpa put some eggs under a queer old hen which allthe family called Mrs. Gummidge, she was so cross and queer. When herchicks came she was a very kind mother and scratched for them all daylong. She was very proud of them, too, and seemed to say, "Did you eversee such little darlings?" Mrs. Gummidge went about with her childrenuntil they were large enough to take care of themselves, and then shesat quietly on some more eggs and raised another family, but none ofthem ever seemed quite so precious to Toots as the little neglectedchicks of Mrs. White.

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  BUD AND BUNNIE.

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  WO dear little girlies, born at the same time, with eyes, hair, andlittle faces so exactly alike that even their mother could not tell themapart; and when their pictures were taken and sent to Toots' papa, everyone wondered which was Bud and which was Bunnie. The twins' papa wasan old classmate of Toots' papa, and as soon as the baby girls came hewrote a very funny letter telling all about them. He said they were bothlike little rosebuds, and he was puzzled to know what to call them, sohe simply nicknamed them Bud and Bunnie until the mamma could decideupon a name.

  "They are dear little bits of womanhood," he said, when the childrenwere three years old, "and I am ashamed to say that we still go oncalling them by the old pet names. It would please you to see them atplay, they are so very happy. Bunnie, who is a little more gentle thanher sister, often gives up to her in their sports; and yet Bud is nevercross. She takes the lead because she is fitted for it, while Bunnienestles down and is content to do as she is told. They are into mischiefevery hour in the day--good-natured mischief of course. Sometimes wefind them dressed in their mother's clothes, sometimes in my coats.

  "Not long ago my wife and I determined to send a hamper of good thingsto her old nurse, who has been very unfortunate. We collected all ourgifts and were about to pack them, when we chanced to think of a newprayer-book in large type, so away we went, to buy it, for she would notgo without me and I would not know how to select without her. When wereturned to the store-room where we were packing, what did we see butour twins, Bud and Bunnie, both seated in the hamper. They made such acharming picture that I sketched them on the spot."

  Of course Toots' papa sent back a letter at once, and said they were thedearest little girlies in the world, and he wished he had some himself;but he was quite sure that his boys were just as good boys as ever grew,and he would send their pictures to prove it.

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  DAISY DEAN.

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  AISY DEAN is a little lass,

  `With rosy cheeks and eyes like glass;

  `When she sulks she is very queer,

  `When she smiles she is very dear;

  ``Pretty and fair as a flower is she,

  ``Busy and quick as a little bee.=

  ``Good or bad, do what she may,

  ``We wash and dress her every day;

  ``Comb her hair, and give her milk,

  ``And dress her well with sash of silk.

  ``With all her faults, we never have seen

  ``A dearer girl than our Daisy Dean.

  Daisy was much pleased with her little verses, "all her own," as shesaid, and I heard her whispering to her friend May that she would neversulk again if she could help it. Daisy has one serious fault: she neverputs things in their places. One morning she could not find her hatanywhere, and her mamma made her go to school without it. Daisy criedand wanted to wear her best one, but her mamma said, "No; that would notteach her to remember." The girls were much amused when Daisy enteredthe dressing-room at school without any hat on.

  "What have you done with it?" asked May.

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  "I don't know; it is lost somewhere."

  "What a careless little girl! Why, I always hang mine up in one placewhen I go home from school or play," said May.

  "So do I," said several of the girls, but some of the boys did notspeak, and a little bird whispers to me that some of my kindest "littlefriends throw their caps down on the floor, table, lounge, chairs,or the first place they can find." Oh, oh, boys! this is too bad, for"order is heaven's first law."

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  THE COMMISSARY.

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  COMMISSARY is one who furnishes supplies of food to an army or body ofmen, but I dare say you never heard of a dog commissary. He lived atthe boarding-school where Toots' mamma went when a little girl, and hisowner was the lady who kept the school. Her son brought him home one dayand taught him many tricks. Every day he went to market for the family,and it was great fun for the younger girls to see "Captain Com" go outwith his basket in his mouth. His errands were always faithfully done.No boy ever dared to meddle with Com, and although he went five blocksto market no one ever tried to get his note out of the basket. Everymorning he waited until madam consulted with cook and wrote down theorder, and then when it was put into his care he would trot away in avery happy frame of mind. "Com" was very good to the younger pupils. Hewould let them drive him in a little cart, or play tag with them by thehour. Once in the vacation, when nearly all the pupils had gone home,madam said: "We will not send an order to the butcher to-day; it is sowarm, we will have a light lunch."

  "Com" did not like this; he was very restless for a long time, and atlast one of the children said, "I think Com has gone to market. He triedto get his basket from the nail and he could not; then he ran away."

  "We will go out for a walk and see," said madam, "for 'Com' can doeverything but talk, and he is greatly distressed because I did notorder dinner."

  When they reached the butcher's, there was "Com" with his paws on thecutting block, patiently waiting to be served.

  "He deserves a nice dinner," said the butcher, and he gave him somemeat; still "Com" was not satisfied; he wanted it put up in paper andlaid in a basket before he would go away. "Com" never would touch a bitof meat until he went home to cook, with his marketing.

  Where Com lived they did not have letter carriers or postmen, and hismistress made a little mail-bag for him which he carried to the officemorning and night. He always entered by the back door, and the clerkwould kindly wait upon him. Sometimes his bag would be full of lettersand papers for the pupils, and then "Com" was very proud. Every nightthis wise dog guarded the house, and madam always felt quite happy aboutthe younger children if "Com" was with them.

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  HOW MAY WAS CURED.

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  O wise person ever expects children to be perfect--grown people arenot--still all can try to overcome their faults and grow wiser day byday.

  Although little May was a very sweet child, as she grew older she beganto fret about little things, and one day when she was urged to learn herlesson in arithmetic she said, "I wish I never had to see another oldarithmetic; I hate them all!"

  May's mother was very patient, and she had her own thoughts aboutpunishing children. When her little daughter showed such ill-temper shesaid, quietly: "May dear, I am going out to do some errands; would youlike to go?"

  May was delighted; she would do any thing to get away from her hatefulbook. Their first visit was to a shop where fruit was sold, and then toa florist's where the lady bought some flowers.

  "Now where shall we go, mamma?"

  "You will see presently, my dear. We will take a car and make a call ona frie
nd of mine."

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  At last they got out and went up some steps, where a lad answered theirring at the door.

  When they entered they saw a little girl seated on a chair with herhands folded. She was blind. She heard their footsteps and said, "Pleasebe seated, ladies."

  "How long have you been blind, dear?" asked May's mother.

  "Four years, madam. I was very ill and have never seen the light since."

  "You must remember many things which you saw before your illness?"

  "Oh, yes; and it makes me very happy. I know just how the grass looks,and how blue the sky is, and when I am tired I think of it over andover."

  After some more conversation the matron came in and gladly welcomedMay and her mother. "I would like to show my little girl through theschool," said the latter, and the matron kindly took them into variousrooms. Not one of the children could see, yet all seemed happy and busy.Some were getting lessons, some were knitting, the boys in the work-roomwere putting new seats into chairs, and yet all were blind.

  It was a sad sight to little May, and after she had left the flowers andfruit she went away looking quite thoughtful: Since that day she nevercomplains when asked to get a lesson, and even her music is not tiresomewhen she thinks of blind Maggie.

  HARRY'S GUEST.

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  HE'S only an orphan," mother dear,

  `"Her father and mother are dead;

  ``She hasn't a home to shelter her,

  ```Or a hat to cover her head.=

  ``"I found her crying alone in the street,

  ```And nobody seemed to care;

  ``I know she is hungry and tired now--

  ```Please give her all of my share.=

  ``"I am glad we have tea in the garden to-night

  ```For she wouldn't go into our home;

  ``I could hardly coax her up here, papa,

  ```She hasn't a friend, not one."=

  ``"Come in, little girl, sit down here and eat,

  ```We have plenty of food and to spare;

  ``You are tired, poor child. Go Harry, my love,

  ```And get your young friend a chair.=

  ``"There, now you have eaten, pray tell us why

  ```You wander alone in the street;

  ``And why there is none to look after your clothes,

  ```And keep you more tidy and neat?"=

  ``"My mother just died, and they took her away,

  ```And our landlady said I must go;

  ``And all of our things belonged to her,

  ```To pay up the rent we owe.=

  ``"I went to the river to sit down and think,

  ```For no one cared for me now;

  ``I wanted to die like my own dear ma,

  ```But I could not--I did not know how.=

  ``"This boy he spoke kindly, and led me away,

  ```He said he would bring me to you;

  ``I knows I am dirty, not fit to be seen,

  ```But, lady, my story is true."=

  ``So they took her in, as Harry had said,

  ```And they cared for her kindly and well--

  ``The good they have done and the good they will do,

  ```Only angels in heaven can tell.=

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  A TIRED VISITOR.

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  NE day in the summer Toots sat on the doorstep talking with his littlefriend, Fred Haldon, when a man came up to the gate with a hand-organand asked if he might come in.

  "Oh, mamma! mamma!" called Toots, "come as soon as you can, for he has amonkey with him."

  His mother looked out of the window and nodded to the man. "Yes, hecould play if he wished." Then she went out on the doorstep with thechildren. The monkey came to her at once. It looked so tired and sad,she said, "Poor little fellow!" He seemed to understand her, for hesprang into her lap and rubbed his head against her hand.

  "How tired he is!" she said kindly, "do let him rest while we feed him."

  The monkey would not eat much, he seemed too weary, but he bowed histhanks and then put his head on her hand again. When the man stoppedplaying the lady told him he would lose his monkey if he did not let itrest.

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  The man laughed and sat down under a tree. This seemed to please themonkey, for he went to him and kissed him and then returned to his newfriend, nestling down in her lap like a tired child.

  "He has danced too much when it was warm," said the man in brokenEnglish.

  "Then you must be very good and let him sleep." After a good rest theorgan-grinder went away with him, and soon after Toots went with all thefamily to the sea-side, where the monkeys in the park made them think oftheir tired little visitor. Long, long after, when winter came and allthe family were in town and all the aunts and cousins were invited tomeet grandpa Bergland--little May's grandpa from over the sea, the dooropened just in the very midst of the Christmas festival, and in walkedLeno, all dressed in his best suit.

  "Where is his master?" asked Toots, "bring him in and let him show usthe old tricks."

  So the master came in. He said, "the kind ladies and gentlemen mustexcuse him, but he could not make Leno pass the gate where the lady wasso kind to him when he was sick."

  "He was quite sick then, poor thing!" said Toots' mamma.

  "He was very sick, dear lady. I took him away in the cool country, buthe was like to die, and for many days I thought I must leave him there,for he could neither eat nor sleep, only look in my face and make a sadnoise. I could not Leno die, for he is my only friend."

  "There, mamma," said grandpa Bergland, "you was kind to the dumb bruteand it did thank you."

  MR. SMITH'S FAMILY.

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  MAN who took charge of the park was very kind to Toots and allowed himto feed the parrots, birds, and rabbits. The rabbit-house was a favoriteplace with the children. They never tired of watching them, and thefamily was so large that the good keeper who cared for them called theold rabbit "Mr. Smith."

  "You see he has so many children, his name must be Smith," said he.

  The children fed them grass and clover, and many of the little creatureshad pet names, but it was impossible to name them all, for the familyincreased so fast. One morning when the gardener went into the park tolook at some plants he had set out the day before, he found them all outof the ground and the earth thrown about in every direction. "Ah!" saidhe, "those puppies must be shut up; they did all this mischief lastnight; I heard them barking."

  Then the gardener took the three puppies and shut them in a cellar,while he hurried his garden-making, in order to get more plants in placebefore the superintendent came that way. He was so anxious to get theplants cared for before the sun was hot that he quite neglected theother pets.

  While he was hard at work Toots ran to him crying, "Oh, Mr. Snyder, theyare all out, the whole of Mr. Smith's family, and there is a big holedug down under their house."

  Sure enough, the house was empty and the family nowhere to be seen.Toots and the boys found them at last hiding under some steps. Aftersome trouble and much chasing about over the grounds they were put intotheir cage and the big hole was securely fastened.

  Toots released the puppies and fed them well, while Mr. Smith's familyseemed tired out with their travels and were glad to lie down and rest.

  That evening while the family sat on the piazza watching the moonlighton the water, something ran up the steps and hid in one corner.

  "It must be one of those ugly rats," said Aunt Bell.

  "No, indeed, it is some poor hunted thing seeking refuge," said mamma."Bring me a lamp, Bridget, and let us see."

  The lamp was brought and there in one corner of the piazza was a poor,lonely little rabbit. He had strayed from the rest, and now when it wasdark he sought shelter where he heard familiar voices.

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  WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH BABY?

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  HAT shall we do with baby,

  `The bright-eyed mischievous on
e?

  `He wakens us all in the morning,

  ```Two hours before the sun.=

  ``From the time that his peepers open,

  ```He pinches and pulls at our nose;

  ``Or, perhaps, by way of diversion,

  ```He gives us a taste of his toes.=

  ``We find him rattles and clothes-pins,

  ```We give him books by the score,

  ``And make him a house in the corner

  ```When lo! he is at the door.=

  ``We pile up a basket of playthings,

  ```And seat the rogue in a chair;

  ``We leave to order the dinner,

  ```Behold! no baby is there.=

  ``He has found his way to the closet,

  ```He is rattling our chinaware;

  ``We run--he is clasping a goblet,

  ```And trying to climb a chair.=

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  ``He is full of the funniest capers,

  ```And scolds in the funniest way;

  ``But never will own he is weary,

  ```Or rest from his busy play.=

  ``He struggles and battles with slumber,