EARLY INQUISITIVENESS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3030, 24 January 1899, Page 3

EARLY INQUISITIVENESS.

''"Papa!"' ■ ■' '" ll "-"V"-"'" """■" . --"'--V- "-' ' - i .- ?T - '"-"- ?':- lit was two o'clock : ia tthoN morning* and Higgins -was as sleepy as the average man Vi!» nt tl|a^h6ur,jbut.thejlitUelad little bed near by was just. as-wide awakje.,ga|i ; : some children are, apt to be at any hour of thoriigfit; ■ ' '■' '■■ ' ''.'-"'.'■ •'_''.' . ■• ' ■ ':•; " .-: •;'■ X'r-' \■• ' it ?" asks' papa. ' ;. c iV j • ■■•• When's Christmas ?" " !' — v \f ; .".Oh,- before 10ng.".,; ..<.., '■. .; j ;■' ■ r _'f When in ' before long ?' " . : "" Well; it's soon.' Ybu'go to' sleep." ' : * ?!' '•;l:d6u*t:wunt to. ; I'm all waked.Up.- How soon is Christmas ?" ; ; „,,, ..',:: "Next week.'! " ." ' ' • . ' '•"Monday ?" : " • "■■■.'■• r -■ ; '■ " " ;v ' "- L -, *f <No^-y"6u ; g6 to;fOeep." ' \'~ rJ i" '* The day after Monday.;?' 1 ..'.•.-■. : ; „"Ho-n ot until l '^atur^ayi Now, you shut up* yolir peepers light away. -I want-to go to sleep.";., .-. v ,..;.; ; .. ■■ „ .>.... w ..'■' ■;'•.•..• "i " f don't. Say, papa!" .*-. ■ ;,.>' ■"" What do you want ?" )r--. -.--/• " What are you goi ng to buy me ?*' : MI can't tell yet." . r "."T wouldn't want you to if you could, t papaV' '•'•'"■' ' ■••-■•• "Why.not?" — - ■ . " I'd rather be s'prised." , . ■-■ , " Well, supposing you B'prise me by going to sleep." . ; , ; , ■?••■•;. ; r . ; "That WQuldn't be. t any. a'prise I , 'cause you'd know I was going to'dO" it.' Say papa, papa !" ■■> - i; • c •• What now ?" , ; . ; ''Sammy Smithers says there ain't no such tin ng as a Santa Claus. There is, isn't" there ?'" lt Oh. I suppose so.'' . . " Sammy he Btijd you and mamma w^as air Ihe Santa Claufi there'd be in this house. He was a big old liar;- wasn't he ?" ; " Theie! there! Don't you over call any one a liar." • > | " Not even when they are one ,"" . j •* Not at all." " You can if they're litter'n j r ou are, can't you." " No, you must never call any one a liar." " Well, he is one, all the same, isn't he ?" " You go to sleep." " You're no Santa Claus, are you, papa ? If Sammy Smithers sayß so again I'll — well, ' I guess I'll break his jaw." •' Don't you ever let me hear you say snch a thing iigjiin. Now you go to sleep or maybe you'll not Hod anything at' ! all"' in your stocking Christinas morning." _ " What you s'pose I'll find thcrp if I'm good ?" < " Oh, I don't know." " Then you're not Santa Claus and Samm> | SniitherH is a big, old liar. Goody, goody, jgont,! I s'pect me an' Sammy'll tight about it, aivl " '• No, you'll not. But you'll go to sleep right now, because " I •' Do yi>u s'pose I'll get a bike in my stocking ?" " No, 1 do not." " Why V " Because you're not big enough to have one." " But I'm getting bigger an' bigger all the time an 1 my legs is getting longer an' longer an' " " Now, that will do. You shut right up or " " S.-.mmy, he thinks he'll ge.t a tricycle, ■ but I'll bet he don't. I wouldn't want one. | Thry'm only tit for girls! Glad I ain't a ! girl, because — you s'pose I'll get a railroad train with real smoke an' steam coming out of it ?" " No, I do not, but " " I'd rather have a steamboat to float in the bath tub or a real gun to shoot with. I know a boy I'd kill if I had a gun. Won't you buy me a gun ?" " No, and I'll not buy you anything if you don't no right to sleep." " Well, I puess I will. I don't want to know, anyhow. I'm asleep now, papa. My eyes are shut just as tight! I'm all asleep. Are you, papa ?" '• Yes." " So am I." He is at 'least still, and Higgins is thank ful that he does not hear anything more from him that night.