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Lady Gadsby and His Honor, in talking about this, had thought of improving such a condition; but Simpkins was not a man to whom you could broach such a thought. It would only bring forth an outburst of sarcasm about trying it on your own brain, first. So Branton Hills Council always had so to word a motion as to, in a way, blind Simpkins as to its import. Many such a motion had a hard fight showing him its valuation as a municipal law; such as our big Hall of Natural History, our Zoo, and so on. Now nothing can so light up such a mind as a good laugh. Start a man laughing, good, long and loud, and his minds grimy windows will slowly inch upward; snappy, invigorating air will rush in, and - lo! that old snarling, ugly grouch will vanish as hoar-frost in a warm Spring thaw! And so it got around, on a bright Spring day, to Old Bill sitting on Gadsbys front porch; outwardly calm, and smoking a good cigar (which didnt blow up!), but, inwardly just full of snarls and growls about Branton Hills Youth. Silly half-grown young animals, found out that two plus two is four, and thinking that all things will fit, just that way! Now that small girl, of about six, who had had Nancys baby out in City Park, was passing Gadsbys mansion, and saw Old Bill. A kid of six has, as you probably know, no formally laid-out plan for its daily activity; anything bobbing up will attract. So, with this childish instability of thought, this tiny miss ran up onto Gadsbys porch and stood in front of Old Bill, looking up at him, but saying not a word. Huh ! Bill just had to snort. Looking at anything? No, sir. What!! Oh, that is, you think not much, probably. What do you want, anyway. I want to play. All right; run along and play. No; I want to play with you. Pooh!! Thats silly. Im an old man. An old man cant play. Can, too. My Grandpa can. But Im not your Grandpa, thank my lucky stars. Run along now; Im thinking. So am I. You? Huh! A kid cant think. Ooo-o! I can! About what? About playing with you. Now Simpkins saw that this was a condition which wouldnt pass with scowling or growling, but didnt know what to do about it. Play with a kid? What? Councilman Simpkins pl But into that shut-up mind, through a partially, - only partially,rising window, was wafting a back thought of May Day in City Park; and that happy, singing, marching ring of tots around that ribbon-wound mast. Councilman Simpkins was in that ring. So this thought got to tramping round and round many a musty corridor in his mind; throwing up a window, busting in a door, and shoving a lot of dust and rubbish down a back stairway. Round and round it ran, until, (!!) Old Bill, slowly and surprisingly softly, said:- What do you want to play? Oh! Oh! what a victory for that tot!! What a victory for Youth!! And what a fall for grouchy, snarling Maturity!! I think that Simpkins, right at that instant, saw that bright sunlight coming in through that rising window; rising by baby hands; and from that bust in door. I think that Old Bill cast off, in that instant, that hard, gloomy coating of dissatisfaction, which was gripping his shut-up mind. And I think,in fact, I know, that Old Bill Simpkins was now,that is, was waswas, oh, just plain happy! What do you want to play? This is a lady, a-going to town. Play what? My!! Dont you know how to play that? All right; Ill show you. Now just stick out your foot. Thats it. Now Ill sit on it, so. Now you bump it up and down. Ha, ha! Ho, ho! Thats it! This is a lady, a-going to town, a-going to town, a-going to town! and as that tiny lady sang that baby song gaily and happily, Old Bill was actually laughing; and laughing uproariously, too! As this sight was occurring, His Honor and Lady Gadsby, looking out from a parlor window, Gadsby said, happily: A lady physician is working on Old Bill, causing Lady Gadsby to add: And a mighty good doctor, too. >1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 . 15 . 16 . 17 . 18 . 19 . 20 21 . 22 . 23 . 24 . 25 . 26 . 27 . 28 . 29 . 30 |