When Grandmamma Was New: The Story of a Virginia Childhood

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and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale. I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him

d a litt

bright an

legs-upo

a prett

songs he

ch delig

here his ca

d to hea

e everlasting chemises. When she took a walk for exercise (she never ran, or hopped, or skipped) they trotted demurely in the path, beside or behind her, indifferent to butterflies and grasshoppers, and as intent upon Behavior as their mistress. They were always fat and sleek, and ate civilized victuals,-bread, milk,

t darlings of the poultry-yard. There would be a few weeks of having, and loving, and fattening, and then the axe and the bloody log at the woodpile, and the stormy tears of bereavement. It mattered not to Aunt 'Ritta that my foster-children had names to which they answered, that they would feed from my hand, and hop on my sho

shall show, to the detriment of everything entered upon the rolls

comfortable quarters had tamed them into appreciation of my services and intentions, I raised the door two inches higher on the third day, and took a good look at the beauties huddled trembling in their safe corner. Their bright eyes were alluring, their quiescence was encouraging. I spoke to them in dulcet accents, and advanced a friendly hand. They met it more than half-way, one leaping upon my bare arm, running up to my shoulder, and, with one bound over my head, regaining his lost freedom. I caught his less active brothe

was lined with raw cotton and put in one corner, a toy saucer of water in the other, and in the third a toy plate filled with cracked hickory nuts, interspersed with bits of sugar. Then I sat down upon the floor beside him, and began the business of taming him by getting him used to seeing me, cultivat

under the bed. When my bedfellow had fallen asleep, I got up softly, lighted a candle, and took a peep at my pet. He had gone regularly to bed after disposing of so

s I might give him. One particularly bright picture of our common future was of taking him to church, smuggling him into the pocket of my Sunday frock, and after settling myself comfortably upon my knees before a

set the cage upon the grass where the sun was hottest, withdrawing myself into the shade as less in need of light and warmth, and read a volume of Berquin's Children's Friend in full sight of Caspar Hauser. Whenever I turned a page I would stick my finger between the wires and chirrup encouragingly to the captive, all with a single eye to getting him used to me. His speed and staying powers

ss, and to me very lovable. I laid him upon a strip of turf hot with the sunshine that had steeped it for five hours. He had a liberal choice of healing herbs. Parsley, sage, mint, tansy, peppergrass, catnip, and sweet marjoram, rue and bergamot and balsam, flourished within a hundred lengths of his small body. While I watched him he stretched himself as a baby at awakening, and began to crawl weakly toward the tansy bed. To save him needless exertion I p

tame that he n

places of sepulture for the presumably defunct. I had never heard, or read, of cremation. I had had the misfortune to break my slate a few da

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all knew it, the omission was of no consequence. I could have wished that the slate had broken straight, so that the

out. It was taken up for dead, but presently began to kick, and the ownership reverted to me. It lived a week, and for hours at a time was so nearly comfortable as to eat sparingly of milk, lettuce, cabbage, and clover, with which I supplied it lavishly twice a day. I likewise treated the wounded eye with balsam-capeiva and balm of Gilead ointment, sovereign appliances f

I thought it a playful antic, and was amused and gratified thereat. The second time this happened, James, the gardener, chance

e brain am injerred. Mighty easy thing fur to injer a Molly Cottontai

around. For fear my parents might insist that he should be put out of his misery, I removed the hospital to the playhouse, and gave him the range of the place, forbidding the colored children

at they had been mar

I must spend the day and night with

ionately at me. "The change will do her good, and there is no other place where she enjoys a visit

about Cousin Frank's chair, pinching the hem of my ap

st ready to cry. "But-Cousin Frank-wouldn't you like

y mother exclaimed, provoked, yet laughing, that I was "getting

en we got to him. His cries had something h

he shocked visitor. "How l

ll from the day he was hurt, and had been "going on like th

and, seeing the tears I could not drive back, he sat down on my chair and drew me up to h

t-and tame,-and I just couldn't bear to have him killed. Whether he would have granted my petition or not was not to b

te broken in the family for months. At the present rate of mortality among my pensioners, it behooved me to be economical. I had not time to indite such an elaborate testimonial to the worth of the deceased as graced Casp

and Ala

le BAFFI

efore I had been in the house an hour I was taken to the dining room to see the dear little things already housed in a cage, made by the plantation carpenter. None of your lemon-box makeshifts, but a strong case in the shape of a cottage, of planed wood, painted white on the outside. There were two rooms in it wit

t up her cats, Cinderella and Preciosa, to be introduced and make friends with "their new cousins"-so she said. Cinderella was black-and-w

of the beautiful hares-you hear?" she said, a

d, tiptoed back to her place on the rug, doubled her toes in under her, and half closed her "greenery-yallery" eyes in real, or simulated slumber. Cindere

st the garden fence, making what I called a "situation" for my cottage. Not even Argus could get at them there, had he been evilly disposed, and he had excellent principles for a puppy. Darby and Joan nibbled lettuce

father one evening as we sat at supper that I really

on Burwell! what a wo

held up

please, mother! Expl

ursed a curse upon anything I took a fancy to. Like the girl in the song, and h

ted upon my tongue