| Show If h i O X X O c cI I S l F 8 Bobberts B 0 b b ert s Merry M C h o o O Oo o i o oI 0 0 0 o 0 v o I 1 By B Y Josephine J osep h l e Dodge D 0 d ge D Daskam as k am 0 0 o k ND how I 1 came to tobe tobe A be he born barn In a manger mangert t Bobbert concluded The baby nodded her mouth a comprehending bud her eyes t big lg with Interest tory tors Tell Tall Babe nay tors tory she Ehe demanded So then the wise mon men came They were shepherds They came with their flocks by night Huh I Flocks by night I say It was something they had They brought me some Franks Pranks incense Pank Fank Fank Will you keep still It that Frank inquired the baby with a startling Intelligibility Her German for some reason best known to herself herselt was as distinct as her Eng English English lish was garbled I Because It silly Uncle Frank a wise man hes a fessor In I college And they brought me meLoon Loon Look Loo here IH re Bobbert what on earth are you talking about Im her all about Christmas t Uncle Frank Bobbert removed the I corner of the rug from the baby 3 I mouth and handed her her silk sUk rag doll Minna said to amuse her ber and andI I was About the manger I was vas telling tell telling tellIng ing So I heard But why do you cast It In that form precisely You see you born b rn In one and and er eryou you really to talk that way dont you rou know Why I 11 S Because you erent Well where was I then l lYou You were born In this house Where in this house hOUS Where Why upstairs I 1 suppose Are people always born upstairs Usually Never born downstairs at all youver know anybody that was nas born d f P POh Oh stop Bo bert Go on amusing your jour OUr sister You have a genius for pure idiocy Wheres s your mother Bobberts face fell f The baby tore Y off oft a bit of her doll and swallowed it it was one of her swallowing swallowing swallowing lowing days and began wetting her finger fingar and following in a smudgy out outline outline outline line the figures on the Kate Greenaway Gr wallpaper without one reprimand from her ller brother F p i Im gain goin to have a tree I 1 want wanto to o make it myself all down downIn In the and I have to keep out o ut got a ladder In there too And they laugh all the time I have hae to stay here with her the good goodo o callin caJUn it my tree if I cant help Aunt Helena says wont my eyes pop out when L 1 I see but they wont she better keep the doll to play with and ea eat something else elseI I think I might go In Here stop eating that Baby Let Iret go Somebody fell ell oft off ot the ladder too and there I was out in the hall I dont believe they had the little back thing up that keeps it from doubling up the good goodof of ot a tree ree anyway I tou u think she improves the wall nail wallpaper paper aper with that border Perhaps the color comes off re stop top that Dont suck your h hand nd Baby 13 by Oh goodness I wish Minna was vas here Im not a nurse I In never n v r made such a fuss when I was little I know non If I had a tree for anybody Id let them have the fun of it you His audience looked uncertain In his heart he felt that his nephew was right but prudence restrained him and he rose to go with a temporizing air Well Nell you know Its usually done this his way he h suggested Its supposed to robe be in the nature of a surprise If you joU arranged the whole thing there be anybody to surprise would there Bobbert sniffed Oh If you ou stay out we could you I spose he said somewhat cynically But Ive seen so many trees The defense was very feeble and he know w It ItOh itOh Oh all right said Bobbert testily dirking d the baby away way a from the high I fender And popping corn cornover cornover over Ver 0 the fire in there I heard h ard It pop And Arid Aunt Helena said that it was so I food rood sugared and that fat one the one nc with the yellow mustache said that he should think all that she ate would taste I How do you know what they said saidI I J heard 1 How 1 I heard he rd 1 How did you hear I Through the keyhole Bobbert set see seelI fils lI l Jaw and twisted apiece of the ba 1 bys b s dress nervously And since when n have you adopted that method meth d of obtaining information 1 Robertson Robertson R bertson 1 1 I dont care I only did a moment i j care are if ir it Is sneaky I might just J st as well be sneaky If Im not going t Annapolis If I 1 do anything at all everybody says Oh dear Im Pm afraid never be a lieutenant after all aU THey never do so And If I say Im going to be one they say I on It t Bobbert till Im just sick and arid tired Am I going to Annapolis Am Writ I I dont care about the old tree If IT know that My lIy dear boy how do I r know It will depend em on on circumstances h concluded he weakly eakly Bobbert stamped his foot His uncle slipped out of the room In the library the tree was towering to o completion A 4 gilt gUt angel held ropes o q of popcorn that straggled artistically d snowy rib pack packets packets ets ts dangled from the boughs candles dotted the ends Aunts and uncles chattered and laughed and quarreled amicably amicably while Bobberts Bobbert s father and mother mather bubbling over with delight and busyness and vague Christmas good go d feeling ran about holding the thes same s same ine parcels straightening the same red candle pulling at the same rope of cranberries it grand Frank This is real really ly lythe the best weve ever had How are the children Do they suspect anything Nothing nothing whatever he assured as assured assured her Bobbert Bo bert thinks the odor of hemlock and popcorn is to be attributed to the window boxes and I have no doubt that he supposes youre oure conduct ing ins a funeral down here Its so still and an solemn Oh Fr Frank how bow absurd Well WeIl I Is suppose s he does begin egin to t suspect My dear sister your penetration does you yo credit Bobbert is only 9 and he has only seen this performance nine times so It would be odd od l if it he should haye have any exact Idea of or what you are all doing but he probably has a a dim Now Frank you you Are tiresome Of course he be knows but how can he know knoy kno y the size of it He lIe never saw one so big And we never never had so many can candles there are three boxes here And look at this What do think Uncle Ritch has bas sent him One of ot the aunts waved at hima set of red blue and yellow balls baUs attached by elastic cords to a brightly hUy colored I stick I 1 suppose suppose the dear old man thinks about two years years ye rs old Where 1 have h ve you put that Japanese Ja p n ese jugglers juggle rS outfit Kate See Frank that beau beautiful beautiful beautiful I French Fr puzzle Its awfully in interesting interesting interesting I hope hell heU like It More candy The idea The child would die Wheres Father bird book dear I shant dare let him take It alone its too exquisite See Frank there are colored plates it beautiful Bobberts Bobbert uncle fell upon the book By George GeorFe he hc said aid but a beauty father Bather wasted Bobbert It know an ostrich from froma fromn a n canary does he heWell heWell Well what Father Robertson wants him to learn they erred cried in cho chorus chorus rus rusHe He nodded doubtfully Pity he cant come in and help he be suggested hed enjoy this rumpus They stared at him in consternation Why Francis Robertson Ro ertson what are you thinking of Have Bobbert help on his own tree Are Ar you crazy I 1 suppose It do he admit admitted admitted admitted ted but you see just what a little fellow likes all the noise noose and fuss and running about and the smells he h added vaguely The smells demanded Bobberts mother The hemlock and the candy and the new smell of all the things he per persisted persIsted persisted In short said the fat one with the yellow mustache looking up from a box of baubles with which he and Aunt Helena were play in undisguised joy just what we like Uke Precisely remarked remarked Uncle Frank Really said Aunt t Kate R te somewhat stiffly if Bobbert and Babe should I help about the tree I cant cant capt quite see I whom wed call can in to see it this even evening evening evening ing What are we n e working wor ing so hard i for forto to please ourselves oUr elves Oh no great heavens no cried Uncle Frank Bobberts father appeared apI eared with an armful of steel rails raUs and crosspieces What do you say to this Robertson he called delightedly Jove these are are heavy Three switches to the thing and you ought to see the engine Theres a parlor car a smoker and I two passengers See the tender Jove I I 1 call cal that pretty good Ring the bell Kate Rate Look at that piston rod Frank They clustered about him excitedly Father sent it round just now tell teU what he paid for the thing You clamp it down to the car carpet pet right through it goes There are feet of railing hows that Four curves and three s s regu U lar thing you know Well WelI W f put it right i through the library across across the hall han and I loop It back in front of conserva conservatory conservatorY conservatory tory What do you say Wont he be delighted sighed the aunts Can we get It down before evening said Bobberts mother nervously nerv Well W ell I should say so sol so The rhe fat one 1 with the yellow mustache seized an armful of or rails raUs and a d began to study the Bobberts father tather and Uncle I Christopher explained the switch workings eagerly to each other arid and Bobberts mother flew fiew about wonder wondering wondering wondering ing how the rugs would stand It nd picturing Bobberts joy NY as the train puffed out from the base of f the thee tree This is great Uncle Christopher I cried as the rails went down with won wonderful wonderful erful d celerity HaV nt had such fun In h an age Half the th funs in Inget get getting ting It ready The fat one with the mustache glanced up and caught Uncle Franks Pra eye II Perhaps hed rather Bobberts mother shook her head ead at them Now stop right there she I said merrily if youre you going g to t 0 sug suggest suggest gest that he should come down don d wn and help belp You dont seem to see my my plan at all Frank I want this thing t to be perfect I want it all to burst on him himat himat at t once How can we we put ut it down in inthe inthe the evening when were all dressed And there be b time anyway Oh Chris you get him hirn that too too She See S e that lovely dog collar nar And the chain too Now Don Dpn 1 will look respectable re respectable Just step tep upstairs wont you YO Frank and keep Bob on that floor till supper Minna will bring it to him up there Hell HeJl see the rails you see if it I he comes down into the tl hall hail Helena If you and Mr lIr Ferris eat any anyn n ore of that broken candy cery certainly certainly be sick No I 1 dont mean ill iii iiiI illI I 1 mean ulain D ain sick Do you mean to to say youre not going go goIng going Ing to let that child out into the din dining dining ing room Hell HeU be so disgusted therell be no managing him Bobberts mother looked plaintive I wish to heaven Frank she sl said s fd that you ou had some children of your own owai Perhaps you be so ridiculous then How on earth is it going to hurt Bobbert Bobb rt tonight pf of all nights n to stay in the nursery a few hours h ris just justI so that we may all aU toll lull for lor his own particular amusement Tell T ll him a astory astory astory story or s Well barely have time timeA timeA A burst of laughter interrupted her Uncle Christopher Ch had w wound und up the train and started It on what extent of rail was already laid to his own O great gi at comfort and the disgust of Bobberts Bob erts father fatter and the fat one with the mus mustache mustache mustache tache who shrieked at him to stop It off and ana nervously waved their hands At the engine as it hove hore down upon the unfinIshed curve at the hearth rug rub I while Aunt A Helena wa waved feda a ared red flag wildly and Aunt Kate began to a pass around a hat for fora a purse for the brave girl who risked her life so 50 gal gallantly gallantly gallantly to save the train He left them with a chuckle chuckle and be began began began gan to mount the stairs two steps at ata a time just saving himself from falling upon a a huddled group at it the top of the flight I t 0 What are they doing in the hall haIJ Bobbert demanded abruptly clutching the skirts with one hand and I supporting himself in a peering attitude atti attitude attItude tude with the other What makes em scream that way Why do they the say sa Down brakes Is It a a game When Aunt Helena laughs and laughs that way she cries afterward Uncle Frank towed them back Into the nursery and led the th conversation n but Bobbert was not n t to be beguiled i t tIm Im tired of stories Id rather be down stairs he yawned I know one thing if I 1 get another old carpenters set Ill sell It tomorrow for 5 cents I hate em era All I 1 wants a boat and I cant have that I dont see why I cant go out If it is snowing I never can cando cando do ito a single thing I 1 want anyway 5 You are aUttIe a little cross observed his I uncle surveying him critically but I dont know that I blame blam you Minnas coming up soon Well she better Bobbert scowled at t the baby bab who smiled sweetly back Youre bad he said shortly sho Uy Oh uGh nien she smiled Oh ja he scowled Youre always always chewing the wrong thing Look at your shoe all aU wet Minna say sa She screwed her face Into wrinkles and shook her head wringing wringing her hands with Minims Minnas gesture doch loch s 1st she scolded I dont believe iou get a present at all he continued Babe get pest Babe get big bigi pest Not a one Not a one one he persist persisted ed i edHer Her eyes eyes filled she Implored him earnestly Pease Pense Babe get big pest Not a 80 teasing your sister Bobbert Of course shell get a present Why not Because she swore What on earth do you mean 1 I mean what I say P When did she swear Day before yesterday esterday night She said she was going to be bad when she he got up and they kept at her to say she and she said she would She can be the worst you ever saw Worse ever saw echoed ech ed the baby And all day they were afraid she could be and she and she and she Not till she went to bed And she said her prayers pra ers that one she sh says Herr Jesus mild und something DU and then she just looked up at the ceiling and swore as hard as s she could What in the time did she s e say She said 0 0 Lord Good heavens Damn Oh nd she got her little hands mighty well ll slapped too She must never say sayi i ti It again must you Baby The Tle baby laughed impishly There was vas no telling what more she knew At exactly 6 the library doors flew fiew open with a bang the piano struck up a brilliant march and Min Minna Minna Minna na escorted her charges pompously down the stairs the baby in white v Bobbert in a blue sailor suit Around the gleaming tree stood a aring aring aring ring of ot aunts uncles and grandparents grand rents flushed and happy Merry Christmas Bobbert Merry Mem Christmas Babe How do you OU like It it grand See the angel See the popcorn Dont look at the floor yet No it time so soon Chris will tart start it Well WeIl was it love loe lovely lovely ly bless her little heart Wunder schon sehon lIebchen night Bobbert smiled perfunctorily at the tree blinked a little leaped through the ring of ot relatives and fell upon a apologetic man standing with the group of ot de delighted delighted lighted servants servants f near the door Hello David Davi he cried When did you come back Are you goin going to stay Did you know I could swim Will you tell me a story tonight David whose only fault was too great an attachment to the cup that cheered him too frequently and who had been devoted de ted to Bobbert coughed depre deprecatingly dep deprecatingly and explained exp Only dropped in for the tree Mr Bob you ou papa popa havin asked d me in with the rest pest t And Anda a fine tree it Is Im sure sur I expect most o 0 them presents will be for you Mr Bob |
