A rousing fire of hickory wood roared upon the hearth, an
abundant breakfast of coffee, tea, buckwheat cakes, muffins, eggs,
wild fowls, oysters, etc., etc., smoked upon the board. The family
were all gathered in the breakfast-room. The doctor was serving out
eggnog from a capacious bowl upon the sideboard.
"Cousin Elizabeth," said little Willie, taking her hand and leading
her away to the sofa, "what do ladies love?"
"What do ladies love? Why, Willie, what a queer question."
"Yes, but tell me what do ladies love?"
"Why, their papas, of course, and their brothers, and their relations;
it would not be decorous to love any one else," said the prim maiden.
"Oh, you don't know what I mean; I mean what do ladies love to have?
You know boys like to have kites and marbles, and traps to catch
snowbirds, and picture books, and half-pence and such things. Now what
do ladies love to have?"
"Oh, now I understand you. Why, we like to have a good assortment of
crewels and floss to work tapestry with, and a quantity of
bright-colored silk to embroider with, and----"
"Oh, that's what you like, Cousin Elizabeth; but mamma doesn't work
samplers," said the boy, with a dash of pettish contempt in his tone.
Pages:
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249