Birthday Party: A Story for Little Folks Read online

  On the Lawn.]

  III.

  The great day at length arrived, and every thing was readyfor the party. On the lawn, by the side of the house, alarge tent had been put up, in which the children were tohave the feast.

  Under a large maple tree, near the tent, a stage for themusicians had been erected. Two swings had been put up; andthere was no good reason why the children should not enjoythemselves to their hearts' content.

  I think the teachers in the Riverdale school found it hard workto secure the attention of their scholars on the forenoon ofthat day, for all the boys and girls in the neighborhood werethinking about the party.

  As early as one o'clock in the afternoon the children beganto collect at the house of Mr. Lee, and at the end of anhour all who had received invitations were present. Theband had arrived, and at a signal from Mr. Lee the musiccommenced.

  "Now, father, we are all here. What shall we do?" askedFlora, who was so excited she did not know which way toturn, or how to proceed to entertain the party.

  "Wait a few minutes, and let the children listen to themusic. They seem to enjoy it very well."

  "But we want to play something, father."

  "Very soon, my child, we will play something."

  "What shall we play, father?"

  "There are plenty of plays. Wouldn't you like to march alittle while to the music?"

  "March?"

  "Yes, march to the tune of 'Hail, Columbia.' I will show youhow to do it."

  "I don't know what you mean, father."

  "Well, I will show you in a few minutes."

  When the band had played a little while longer, Mr. Leeassembled the children in the middle of the lawn, and askedthem if they would like to march.

  They were pleased with the idea, though some of them thought itwould be rather tame amusement for such an exciting occasion.

  "You want two leaders, and I think you had better choosethem yourselves. It would be the most proper to select twoboys."

  Mr. Lee thought the choice of the leaders would amuse them;so he proposed that they should vote for them.

  "How shall we vote, father?" asked Frank.

  "Three of the children must retire, and pick out fourpersons; and the two of these four who get the most votesshall be the leaders."

  Mr. Lee appointed two girls and one boy to be on thiscommittee; but while he was doing so, Tommy Woggs said hedid not think this was a good play.

  "I don't think they will choose the best leaders," saidTommy.

  "Don't you, Mr. Woggs?" asked Mr. Lee, laughing.

  "No, sir, I do not. What do any of these boys know aboutsuch things!" said Tommy, with a sneer. "I have been to NewYork, and have seen a great many parades."

  "Have you, indeed?"

  "Yes, sir, I have."

  "And you think you would make a better leader than any ofthe others?"

  "I think so, sir."

  All the children laughed heartily at Master Woggs, who wasso very modest!

  "None of these boys and girls have ever been to New York,"added Tommy, his vanity increasing every moment.

  "That is very true; and perhaps the children will select youas their leader."

  "They can do as they like. If they want me, I should be verywilling to be their leader," replied Tommy.

  It was very clear that Master Woggs had a very good opinionof himself. He seemed to think that the fact of his havingbeen to New York made a hero of him, and that all the boysought to take off their caps to him.

  But it is quite as certain that the Riverdale children didnot think Master Woggs was a very great man. He thought somuch of himself, that there was no room for others to thinkmuch of him.

  The committee of three returned in a few minutes, andreported the names of four boys to be voted for as theleaders. They were Henry Vernon, Charley Green, David White,and Tommy Woggs.

  The important little gentleman who had been to New York, wasdelighted with the action of the committee. He thought allthe children could see what a very fine leader he wouldmake, and that all of them would vote for him.

  "What shall we do for votes, father?" asked Frank.

  "We can easily manage that, Frank," replied Mr. Lee.

  "We have no paper here."

  "Listen to me a moment, children," continued Mr. Lee. "Thereare four boys to be voted for; and we will choose one leaderfirst, and then the other.

  "Those who want Henry Vernon for a leader will put a bladeof grass in the hat which will be the ballot box; those whowant Charley Green will put in a clover blossom; those whowant David White will put in a maple leaf; and those whowant to vote for Tommy Woggs will put in a--let me see--putin a dandelion flower."

  The children laughed, for they thought the dandelion wasjust the thing for Master Woggs, who had been to New York.

  One of the boys carried round Mr. Lee's hat, and it wasfound that Henry Vernon had the most votes; so he wasdeclared to be the first leader.

  "Humph!" said Tommy Woggs. "What does Henry Vernon know? Hehas never been to New York."

  "But he lives in Boston," added Charley Green.

  "Boston is nothing side of New York."

  "I think Boston is a great place," replied Charley.

  "That's because you have never been to New York," saidMaster Woggs. "They will, of course, all vote for me nexttime. If they do, I will show them how things are done inNew York."

  "Pooh!" exclaimed Charley, as he left the vain little man.

  While all the children were wondering who would be the otherleader, Flora was electioneering among them for her favoritecandidate; that is, she was asking her friends to vote forthe one she wanted. Who do you suppose it was? Master Woggs?No. It was David White.

  The hat was passed round again, and when the votes werecounted, there was only one single dandelion blossom foundin the hat.

  Tommy Woggs was mad, for he felt that his companions hadslighted him; but it was only because he was so vain andsilly. People do not often think much of those who think agreat deal of themselves.

  There was a great demand for maple leaves, and David Whitewas chosen the second leader, and had nearly all the votes.The boys then gave three cheers for the leaders, and thelines were formed. Mr. Lee told Henry and David just howthey were to march, and the band at once began to play "HailColumbia."

  The children first marched, two by two, round the lawn, andthen down the centre. When they reached the end, one leaderturned off to the right, and the other to the left, eachfollowed by a single line of the children.

  Passing round the lawn, they came together again on theother side. Then they formed a great circle, a circle withina circle, and concluded the march with the "grand basket."

  This was certainly a very simple play, but the childrenenjoyed it ever so much--I mean all but vain Master Woggs,who was so greatly displeased because he was not chosen oneof the leaders, that he said there was no fun at all in thewhole thing.

  About half an hour was spent in marching, and then Mr. Leeproposed a second game. The children wanted to march a littlelonger; but there were a great number of things to be donebefore night, and so it was thought best, on the whole, totry a new game.

  The Old Fiddler.]

  IV.

  When the children had done marching, Mrs. Lee took charge ofthe games. Several new plays, which none of them had heardof before, were introduced. The boys and girls all likedthem very well, and the time passed away most rapidly.

  Just before they were going to supper, an old man, with afiddle in his hand, tottered into the garden, and down thelawn. He was a very queer-looking old man. He had long whitehair, and a long white beard.

  He was dressed in old, worn-out, soldier clothes, in part,and had a sailor's hat upon his head, so that they could nottell whether he was a soldier or a sailor.

  As he approached the children, they began to laugh with alltheir might; and he certainly was a very funny old man. Hislong beard and hair, his tattered finery, and his hobblingwalk, would have made a
lmost any one laugh--much more acompany of children as full of fun as those who wereattending the birthday party.

  "Children," said the old man, as he took off his hat andmade a low bow, "I heard there was a party here, and I cameto play the fiddle for you. All the boys and girls like afiddle, because it is so merry."

  "O mother! what did send that old man here?" cried Flora.

  "He came of himself, I suppose," replied Mrs. Lee,laughing.

  "I think it is too bad to laugh at an old man like him,"added Flora.

  "It would be, if he were in distress; but don't you see heis as merry as any of the children?"

  "Play us some tunes," said the children.

  "I will, my little dears;" and the old man raised thefiddle. "Let's see--I will play 'Napoleon's Grand March.'"

  The fiddler played, but he behaved so queerly that thechildren laughed so loud they could hardly hear the music.

  "Why, that's 'Yankee Doodle,'" said Henry Vernon; and theyall shouted at the idea of calling that tune "Napoleon'sGrand March."

  "Now I will play you the solo to the opera of 'LaSonnambula,'" said the old man.

  "Whew!" said Henry.

  The old man fiddled again, with the same funny movements asbefore.

  "Why, that's 'Yankee Doodle' too!" exclaimed Henry.

  "I guess he don't know any other tune."

  "You like that tune so well, I will play you 'Washington'sMarch;'" and the funny old fiddler, with a great flourish,began to play again; but still it was "Yankee Doodle."

  And so he went on saying he would play many different tunes,but he played nothing but "Yankee Doodle."

  "Can't you tell us a story now?" asked Charley Green.

  "O, yes, my little man, I can tell you a story. What shallit be?"

  "Are you a soldier or a sailor?"

  "Neither, my boy."

  "The story! the story!" shouted the boys, very muchexcited.

  "Some years ago I was in New York," the old man commenced.

  "Did you see me there?" demanded Tommy Woggs.

  "Well, my little man, I don't remember that I saw you."

  "O, I was there;" and Tommy thrust his hands down to thebottom of his pockets, and strutted up the space betweenthe children and the comical old fiddler.

  "I did see a very nice-looking little gentleman----"

  "That was me," pompously added Tommy.

  "He was stalking up Broadway. He thought every body waslooking at and admiring him; but such was not the case. Helooked just like--just like----"

  "Like me?" asked Tommy.

  "Like a sick monkey," replied the fiddler.

  "Go on with your story."

  "I will, children. Several years ago I was in New York. Itis a great city; if you don't believe it, ask Master TommyWoggs."

  "You tell the truth, Mr. Fiddler. It is a great city, and Ihave been all over it, and can speak from observation,"replied Master Woggs.

  "The story!" shouted the children.

  "I was walking up Broadway. This street is always crowdedwith people, as well as with carts and carriages."

  "I have seen that street," said Tommy.

  "Now you keep still a few minutes, Tommy, if you can,"interposed Mrs. Lee.

  "At the corner of Wall Street----"

  "I know where that is," exclaimed Tommy.

  "At the corner of Wall Street there was a man with a kind ofcart, loaded with apples and candy, which he was selling tothe passers-by. Suddenly there came a stage down the street,and ran into the apple cart."

  "I saw the very same thing done," added Tommy, with hisusual self-important air.

  "Keep still, Tom Woggs," said Charley Green.

  "The apples were scattered all over the sidewalk; yet theman picked up all but one of them, though he was very angrywith the driver of the stage for running against his cart."

  "Why didn't he pick up the other apple?" asked Henry.

  "A well-dressed man, with big black whiskers, picked that up.'Give it to me,' said the apple man. 'I will not,' repliedthe man with whiskers. The apple merchant was as mad as hecould be; and then the man with black whiskers put his handin his pocket and drew out a knife. The blade was six incheslong."

  "O, dear me!" exclaimed Flora.

  "Raising the knife, he at once moved towards the angryapple merchant, and--and----"

  "Well, what?" asked several, eagerly.

  "And cut a piece out of the apple, and put it in his mouth."

  The children all laughed heartily, for they were sure theman with the whiskers was going to stab the apple merchant.

  "He then took two cents from his pocket, paid for theapple, and went his way," continued the old man. "Now, thereis one thing more I can do. I want to run a race with theseboys."

  "Pooh! You run a race!" sneered Charley.

  "I can beat you."

  "Try it, and see."

  The old man and Charley took places, and were to start atthe word from Henry. But when it was given, the fiddlerhobbled off, leaving Charley to follow at his leisure.

  When the old man had got half way round the lawn, Charleystarted, sure he could catch him long before he reached thegoal. But just as the boy was coming up with the man, thelatter began to run, and poor Charley found, much to hissurprise, that he ran very fast. He was unable to overtakehim, and consequently lost the race.

  The children were much astonished when they saw the old manrun so fast. He appeared to have grown young all at once.But he offered to race with any of the boys again; and halfa dozen of them agreed to run with him.

  "I guess I will take my coat off this time," said thefiddler.

  As he threw away the coat, he slipped off the wig and falsebeard he wore; and the children found, to their surprise,that the old man was Mr. Lee, who had dressed himself up inthis disguise to please them.

  The supper was now ready, and all the children were invitedto the tent. They had played so hard that all of them hadexcellent appetites, and the supper was just as nice as asupper could be.

  It was now nearly dark, and the children had to go home; butall of them declared the birthday party of Flora was thebest they ever attended.

  "Only to think," said Flora, when she went to bed thatnight, "the old fiddler was my father!"

  LIZZIE.

  Mother, what ails our Lizzie dear, So cold and still she lies? She does not speak a word to-day, And closed her soft blue eyes. Why won't she look at me again, And laugh and play once more? I cannot make her look at me As she used to look before.

  Her face and neck as marble white, And, O, so very cold! Why don't you warm her, mother dear, Your cloak around her fold? Her little hand is cold as ice, Upon her waveless breast,-- So pure, I thought I could see through The little hand I pressed.

  Your darling sister's dead, my child; She cannot see you now; The damps of death are gath'ring there Upon her marble brow. She cannot speak to you again, Her lips are sealed in death; That little hand will never move, Nor come that fleeting breath.

  All robed in white, and decked with flowers, We'll lay her in the tomb; The flower that bloomed so sweetly here, No more on earth will bloom; But in our hearts we'll lay her up, And love her all the more, Because she died in life's spring time, Ere earth had won her o'er.

  Nay, nay, my child, she is not dead, Although she slumbers there, And cold and still her marble brow, And free from pain and care. She slept, and passed from earth to heaven, And won her early crown: An angel now she dwells above, And looks in triumph down.

  She is not dead, for Jesus died That she might live again. "Forbid them not," the Saviour said, And blessed dear sister then. Her little lamp this morn went out On earth's time-bounded shore; But angels bright in heaven this morn Relighted it once more.

  Some time we, too, shall fall asleep, To wake in heaven above, And meet
our angel Lizzie there In realms of endless love. We'll bear sweet sister in our hearts, And then there'll ever be An angel there to keep our souls From sin and sorrow free.