A Child-World Part 4

... And then the chorus--the men's voices all _Warred_ in it--like a German Carnival.-- Even _Mrs_. Hammond smiled, as in her youth, Hearing her husband--And in veriest truth "The Noted Traveler's" ever-present hat Seemed just relaxed a little, after that, As at conclusion of the Bacchic song He stirred his "float" vehemently and long.

Then Cousin Rufus with his flute, and art Blown blithely through it from both soul and heart-- Inspired to heights of mastery by the glad, Enthusiastic audience he had In the young ladies of a town that knew No other flutist,--nay, nor _wanted_ to, Since they had heard _his_ "Polly Hopkin's Waltz,"

Or "Rickett's Hornpipe," with its faultless faults, As rendered solely, he explained, "by ear,"

Having but heard it once, Commencement Year, At "Old Ann Arbor."

Little Maymie now Seemed "friends" with _Mr. Hammond_--anyhow, Was lifted to his lap--where settled, she-- Enthroned thus, in her dainty majesty, Gained _universal_ audience--although Addressing him alone:--"I'm come to show You my new Red-blue pencil; and _she_ says"-- (Pointing to _Mrs._ Hammond)--"that she guess'

You'll make a _picture_ fer me."

"And what _kind_ Of picture?" Mr. Hammond asked, inclined To serve the child as bidden, folding square The piece of paper she had brought him there.-- "I don't know," Maymie said--"only ist make A _little dirl_, like me!"

He paused to take A sharp view of the child, and then he drew-- Awhile with red, and then awhile with blue-- The outline of a little girl that stood In converse with a wolf in a great wood; And she had on a hood and cloak of red-- As Maymie watched--"_Red Riding Hood!_" she said.

"And who's '_Red Riding Hood'?_"

"W'y, don't _you_ know?"

Asked little Maymie--

But the man looked so All uninformed, that little Maymie could But tell him _all about_ Red Riding Hood.

MAYMIE'S STORY OF RED RIDING HOOD

W'y, one time wuz a little-weenty dirl, An' she wuz named Red Riding Hood, 'cause her-- Her _Ma_ she maked a little red cloak fer her 'At turnt up over her head--An' it 'uz all Ist one piece o' red cardinal 'at 's like The drate-long stockin's the store-keepers has.-- O! it 'uz purtiest cloak in all the world An' _all_ this town er anywheres they is!

An' so, one day, her Ma she put it on Red Riding Hood, she did--one day, she did-- An' it 'uz _Sund'y_--'cause the little cloak It 'uz too nice to wear ist _ever'_ day An' _all_ the time!--An' so her Ma, she put It on Red Riding Hood--an' telled her not To dit no dirt on it ner dit it mussed Ner nothin'! An'--an'--nen her Ma she dot Her little basket out, 'at Old Kriss bringed Her wunst--one time, he did. And nen she fill'

It full o' whole lots an' 'bundance o' good things t' eat (Allus my Dran'ma _she_ says ''bundance,' too.) An' so her Ma fill' little Red Riding Hood's Nice basket all ist full o' dood things t' eat, An' tell her take 'em to her old Dran'ma-- An' not to _spill_ 'em, neever--'cause ef she 'Ud stump her toe an' spill 'em, her Dran'ma She'll haf to _punish_ her!

An' nen--An' so Little Red Riding Hood she p'omised she 'Ud be all careful nen an' cross' her heart 'At she wont run an' spill 'em all fer six-- Five--ten--two-hundred-bushel-dollars-gold!

An' nen she kiss her Ma doo'-bye an' went A-skippin' off--away fur off frough the Big woods, where her Dran'ma she live at.--No!-- She didn't do _a-skippin'_, like I said:-- She ist went _walkin'_--careful-like an' slow-- Ist like a little lady--walkin' 'long As all polite an' nice--an' slow--an' straight-- An' turn her toes--ist like she's marchin' in The Sund'y-School k-session!

An'--an'--so She 'uz a-doin' along--an' doin' along-- On frough the drate big woods--'cause her Dran'ma She live 'way, 'way fur off frough the big woods From _her_ Ma's house. So when Red Riding Hood She dit to do there, allus have most fun-- When she do frough the drate big woods, you know.-- 'Cause she ain't feared a bit o' anything!

An' so she sees the little hoppty-birds 'At's in the trees, an' flyin' all around, An' singin' dlad as ef their parunts said They'll take 'em to the magic-lantern show!

An' she 'ud pull the purty flowers an' things A-growin' round the stumps--An' she 'ud ketch The purty b.u.t.terflies, an' dra.s.shoppers, An' stick pins frough 'em--No!--I ist _said_ that!-- 'Cause she's too dood an' kind an' 'bedient To _hurt_ things thataway.--She'd _ketch_ 'em, though, An' ist _play_ wiv 'em ist a little while, An' nen she'd let 'em fly away, she would, An' ist skip on adin to her Dran'ma's.

An' so, while she uz doin' 'long an' 'long, First thing you know they 'uz a drate big old Mean wicked Wolf jumped out 'at wanted t' eat Her up, but _da.s.sent_ to--'cause wite clos't there They wuz a Man a-choppin' wood, an' you Could _hear_ him.--So the old Wolf he 'uz _'feared_ Only to ist be _kind_ to her.--So he Ist 'tended like he wuz dood friends to her An' says "Dood-morning, little Red Riding Hood!"-- All ist as kind!

An' nen Riding Hood She say "Dood-morning," too--all kind an' nice-- Ist like her Ma she learn'--No!--mustn't say "Learn," cause "_Learn_" it's unproper.--So she say It like her _Ma_ she "_teached_" her.--An'--so she Ist says "Dood-morning" to the Wolf--'cause she Don't know ut-tall 'at he's a _wicked_ Wolf An' want to eat her up!

Nen old Wolf smile An' say, so kind: "Where air you doin' at?"

Nen little Red Riding Hood she says: "I'm doin'

To my Dran'ma's, 'cause my Ma say I might."

Nen, when she tell him that, the old Wolf he Ist turn an' light out frough the big thick woods, Where she can't see him any more. An so She think he's went to _his_ house--but he haint,-- He's went to her Dran'ma's, to be there first-- An' _ketch_ her, ef she don't watch mighty sharp What she's about!

An' nen when the old Wolf Dit to her Dran'ma's house, he's purty smart,-- An' so he 'tend-like _he's_ Red Riding Hood, An' knock at th' door. An' Riding Hood's Dran'ma She's sick in bed an' can't come to the door An' open it. So th' old Wolf knock _two_ times.

An' nen Red Riding Hood's Dran'ma she says "Who's there?" she says. An' old Wolf 'tends-like he's Little Red Riding Hood, you know, an' make'

His voice soun' ist like hers, an' says: "It's me, Dran'ma--an' I'm Red Riding Hood an' I'm Ist come to see you."

Nen her old Dran'ma She think it _is_ little Red Riding Hood, An' so she say: "Well, come in nen an' make You'se'f at home," she says, "'cause I'm down sick In bed, and got the 'ralgia, so's I can't Dit up an' let ye in."

An' so th' old Wolf Ist march' in nen an' shet the door adin, An' _drowl_, he did, an' _splunge_ up on the bed An' et up old Miz Riding Hood 'fore she Could put her specs on an' see who it wuz.-- An' so she never knowed _who_ et her up!

An' nen the wicked Wolf he ist put on Her nightcap, an' all covered up in bed-- Like he wuz _her_, you know.

Nen, purty soon Here come along little Red Riding Hood, An' _she_ knock' at the door. An' old Wolf 'tend Like _he's_ her Dran'ma; an' he say, "Who's there?"

Ist like her Dran'ma say, you know. An' so Little Red Riding Hood she say "It's _me_, Dran'ma--an' I'm Red Riding Hood and I'm Ist come to _see_ you."

An' nen old Wolf nen He cough an' say: "Well, come in nen an' make You'se'f at home," he says, "'cause I'm down sick In bed, an' got the 'ralgia, so's I can't Dit up an' let ye in."

An' so she think It's her Dran'ma a-talkin'.--So she ist Open' the door an' come in, an' set down Her basket, an' taked off her things, an' bringed A chair an' clumbed up on the bed, wite by The old big Wolf she thinks is her Dran'ma.-- Only she thinks the old Wolf's dot whole lots More bigger ears, an' lots more whiskers, too, Than her Dran'ma; an' so Red Riding Hood She's kindo' skeered a little. So she says "Oh, Dran'ma, what _big eyes_ you dot!" An' nen The old Wolf says: "They're ist big thataway 'Cause I'm so dlad to see you!"

Nen she says,-- "Oh, Dran'ma, what a drate big nose you dot!"

Nen th' old Wolf says: "It's ist big thataway Ist 'cause I smell the dood things 'at you bringed Me in the basket!"

An' nen Riding Hood She say "Oh-me-oh-_my_! Dran'ma! what big White long sharp teeth you dot!"

Nen old Wolf says: "Yes--an' they're thataway," he says--an' drowled-- "They're thataway," he says, "to _eat_ you wiv!"

An' nen he ist _jump_' at her.--

But she _scream_'-- An' _scream_', she did--So's 'at the Man 'At wuz a-choppin' wood, you know,--_he_ hear, An' come a-runnin' in there wiv his ax; An', 'fore the old Wolf know' what he's about, He split his old brains out an' killed him s'quick It make' his head swim!--An' Red Riding Hood She wuzn't hurt at all!

An' the big Man He tooked her all safe home, he did, an' tell Her Ma she's all right an' ain't hurt at all An' old Wolf's dead an' killed--an' ever'thing!-- So her Ma wuz so tickled an' so proud, She divved _him_ all the dood things t' eat they wuz 'At's in the basket, an' she tell him 'at She's much oblige', an' say to "call adin."

An' story's honest _truth_--an' all _so_, too!

LIMITATIONS OF GENIUS

The audience entire seemed pleased--indeed _Extremely_ pleased. And little Maymie, freed From her task of instructing, ran to show Her wondrous colored picture to and fro Among the company.

"And how comes it," said Some one to Mr. Hammond, "that, instead Of the inventor's life you did not choose The _artist's?_--since the world can better lose A cutting-box or reaper than it can A n.o.ble picture painted by a man Endowed with gifts this drawing would suggest"-- Holding the picture up to show the rest.

"_There now!_" chimed in the wife, her pale face lit Like winter snow with sunrise over it,-- "That's what _I'm_ always asking him.--But _he_-- _Well_, as he's answering _you_, he answers _me_,-- With that same silent, suffocating smile He's wearing now!"

For quite a little while No further speech from anyone, although All looked at Mr. Hammond and that slow, Immutable, mild smile of his. And then The encouraged querist asked him yet again _Why was it_, and etcetera--with all The rest, expectant, waiting 'round the wall,-- Until the gentle Mr. Hammond said He'd answer with a "_parable_," instead-- About "a dreamer" that he used to know-- "An artist"--"master"--_all_--in _embryo_.

MR. HAMMOND'S PARABLE

THE DREAMER

I

He was a Dreamer of the Days: Indolent as a lazy breeze Of midsummer, in idlest ways Lolling about in the shade of trees.

The farmer turned--as he pa.s.sed him by Under the hillside where he kneeled Plucking a flower--with scornful eye And rode ahead in the harvest field Muttering--"Lawz! ef that-air s.h.i.+rk Of a boy was mine fer a week er so, He'd quit _dreamin'_ and git to work And _airn_ his livin'--er--Well! _I_ know!"

And even kindlier rumor said, Tapping with finger a shaking head,-- "Got such a curious kind o' way-- Wouldn't surprise me much, I say!"

Lying limp, with upturned gaze Idly dreaming away his days.