THE DOGBERRY BUNCH, 5

 

“To some place in the mountains,” said Lucy,
“where the scenery would be lovely. And oh! I
wish we could see the ocean!” ;

Ben expressed his preference for a city, while Alice
desired a country continually flowering and maturing
into fruit. Arthur, after listening to the others with
wide-spread eyes, did not find his affections weaned
from an imaginary place which he called “ Hiddley-
Giddle ;” he was fond of telling strange tales every
day about what he did in this place with two dream-
play-mates to whom he gave the not very musical
names of “ Deedle” and “ Sipsey.”” Deedle and Sipsey
were anything he wanted them to be. They were boys
or girls, or old men or dogs. If he disobeyed his elders
it was because naughty Deedle or Sipsey “ teased him
to.” They always lived in Hiddley-Giddle, and their
unseen coming and going and his remarkable conver-
sations with them amused the whole family who had
out-grown the fancied play-mates which do seem to
throng around an imaginative child of three years old.

“TLet’s have charades,” said Rome and Remus, and
the suggestion was no sooner made than the family
divided, Ben with Alice and the baby withdrawing to
sit on the railroad bank, the rest closing the shutters
on that side the caboose and setting to work upon a
“scene.” One or two flying trips were made to the
house for accoutrements, and then the audience was
called up on the platform to see “a charade of
two syllables and two scenes ;” and the caboose door,
thrown open disclosed

SCENE FIrst,

which was evidently a picture of William Tell.
Rheem, with several cushions piled under him, made
a brave little Gessler, and Loo beside him, with a
broomstick held erect, a most formidable guard.

“Bring in tke prisoner!” commanded Gessler, dim-
pling in spite of his ferocious character. The guard,
Lucy, at once opened the box and produced Jack,
who gritted his teeth, rolled his eyes, and in several
other ways testified his dislike to the little tyrant.

“What's your name, Tell?” inquired Gessler.

“Tell yourself!” responded the prisoner.

“T told you to tell!”

“Well, then, Tell.”

“ Guard, give the prisoner a knock.”

Guard knocked the prisoner, who howled like a

 

 

school-boy, and pranced with great agility. This
supple use of his person evidently reminded the ty-
rant of something which he immediately stated.

“T hear that you are very skillful in using the bow!
T want to see you shoot an apple on your boy’s head.”

“JT don’t see his head,” objected Tell.

“ Guard, bring the boy and the apple.”

Maude was brought from behind a chair, placed in
position for supporting the apple, which was only the
hollow gourd used for dipping water in the kitchen.
This fruit being put upon her head, Tell without
more ado produced a pea-shooter and peppered it
heartily until the tyrant expressed himself satisfied,
and the door closed.

“Tt’s ‘tell’ something,” commented Ben. But pres-
ently the

SECOND SCENE,

was uncurtained, and it seemed to be a version of
“Lady Godiva.”

Jack, with a bedquilt around him to represent lordly
robes, a tall black hat
on his head, the
broom-stick in his
hand, and a hatchet
hanging from his belt,
stalked about frown-
ing, and after him
came Lady Godiva in
her sister Alice’s
longest dress and a
shawl trailing from
her shoulders.

After the pair prom-
enaded the oppressed
“\ populace of Coven-
: try, represented by
Rheem in a pair of
his big  brother’s
boots which reached
above his knees and holding a pillow-case and a
towel to his eyes, and Maude weeping under a para-
sol.

“Mr. Godiva,” pleaded my lady, “ please don’t tax
these poor people-so.”

“J will tax them all I please!” cried Mr. Go-
diva, brandishing his broomstick.

MR. AND MRS. GODIVA.