MY HUNT AFTER THE BABY.

77

17. “You unfeeling creature!" I cried; "will you never have done your dreadful hair, and come and help me find this child?"

18. "Have you looked in the ash-hole, and the bandboxes, and the big churn?" answered this trying sister of mine; but I saw her eyes opening very wide, and in two minutes more she was flouncing about the kitchen, with her unfastened braids hanging about her shoulders in a very original style.

19. Her movements were peculiar and characteristic. She shook the door-mat, jerked the pump-handle, examined the bread-tray and the flour-barrel. Then her eyes fell upon the sink-drain.

20. "She could n't have got in there, now, could she?" questioned Bell, with terror in every feature. The horrid sewer, you know!" And she looked a whole volume of Victor Hugo at me in one wretched instant.

21. “Of course not! through a four-inch spout! and put the strainer in after her! What a preposterous notion!" And Bell does not know to this day that, not five minutes before she came down, I was working the broomhandle down that very spout with all my might and main.

22. Out of doors we went, examined the clumps of elder, looked over the fence, up street, down street, and finally returned disconsolate to the kitchen.

23. "Midget! Midget! you dear, precious little angel, where are you?" moaned Bell, dropping upon the settee. I did not say, “Humph! pestiferous little angel!" for Bell's distress was too genuine to be mocked.

24. So, as we sat with our arms around each other, crying, we heard a very slight rattling in the direction of the cook-room of the kitchen, which contained no furniture except a stove and table. We had glanced around this room once or twice; but as there seemed to be no hidingplaces, the thought of searching it had never occurred to us.

25. The stove was a large-sized Peerless, with an oven occupying the whole lower part. Well, to cut the story

short, the baby was in the oven! We knew it, Bell and I, as soon as the rattling was repeated, and we simultaneously rushed for the cook-room.

26. There she sat, the mischief, bolt upright in the oven, with her head in the high part and her feet in the low, treating herself to the contents of a blackberry-pie, which had been left in from the morning's baking. She had taken off the upper crust whole, spreading it on her bosom like a napkin, and was now employed in picking out the blackberries, and conveying them to her mouth one by one. She looked up at us, and O such a face! What with cunning, fright, and blackberry-juice, I have never seen such a face before or since.

27. Bell caught her out, kissed her comparatively clean, scolding her all the time. Then she carried her to the sink, and pumped water upon her without the least fear of washing her down the spout. As soon as the little lady recovered her breath, she screamed furiously, and pointed to the oven with decided demonstrations of a plan to return to her repast.

28. Bell begged the privilege of putting her back to finish the pie; but I steadily set my face against such an indulgence, and, when she and Midget both insisted, set the matter at rest by kindling a huge fire in the stove, and making vigorous preparations for an early tea.

Helen L. Bostwick.

EXERCISE.

1. The moment I stepped into the sitting-room I saw the baby was missing.

2. She screeched like a hyena if any one approached to interfere

with her operations.

3. Her usual time to be crawling around was in the early part of

the day.

4. She might generally be found sequestered in a corner.

5. When she was hoaxing me she always winked desperately.

6. I desired to fling back a snappish answer to this aggravating remark.

7. I shut the door and commenced the search anew.

ING (aside). No, no, this can be no public road,

K that's certain! I am lost, quite lost indeed. Of

what advantage is it now to be a king? Night shows me no respect. I cannot see better, nor walk so well as another man. What is a king? Is he not wiser than another man? Not without his councillors, I plainly find. Is he not more powerful? I oft have been told so, indeed, but what now can my power command? Is he not greater and more magnificent? When seated on his throne, and surrounded with nobles and flatterers, perhaps he may think so; but when lost in a wood, alas! what is he but a common man? His wisdom knows not which is north and which is south; his power a beggar's dog would bark at; and his greatness the beggar would not bow to. And yet how oft are we puffed up with these false attributes! Well, in losing the monarch, I have found the man. (The report of a gun is heard.) Hark! some villain sure is near! What were it best to do? Will my majesty protect me? No. Throw majesty aside then, and let manhood do it.

Miller (enters). I believe I hear the rogue. Who's there? King. No rogue, I assure you.

Miller.

gun?

Little better, friend, I believe. Who fired that

King. Not I, indeed.

Miller. You lie, I believe.

King (aside). Lie! lie! How strange it seems to me to be talked to in this style!- Upon my word I don't.

Miller. Come, come, sir, confess; you have shot one of the king's deer, have you not?

King. No, indeed; I owe the king more respect, heard a gun go off, indeed, and was afraid some robbers might be near.