"It's a lot of boxes piled up higher and higher, and
nailed down tight so that ye can walk on them, and when
ye get away up high, there is another house right farninst
ye--well anyway, there was a lovely pianny in the parlow,
and flowers in the windies, and two yalla burds that sing
as if their hearts wud break, and the windies had a border
of coloured glass all around them, and long white curtings
full of holes, but they like them all the better o' that,
for it shows they are owld and must ha' been good to ha'
stood it so long. Well. annyway. there was a little boy
called Jimmie Watson"--here all eyes were turned on Jimmy,
who was sitting on the floor mending his moccasin with
a piece of sinew. "There was a little boy called Jimmy
Watson who used to carry milk to the lady's back dure,
and a girl with black eyes and white teeth all smiley
used to take it from him, and put it in a lovely pitcher
with birds flying all over it. But one day the lady,
herself, was there all dressed in lovely pink velvet and
lace, and a train as long as from me to you, and she sez
to Jimmy, sez she, 'Have you any sisters or brothers at
home,' and Jim speaks up real proud-like, 'Just nine,'
he sez, and sez she, swate as you please, 'Oh, that's
lovely! Are they all as purty as you?' she sez, and Jimmy
sez, 'Purtier if anything,' and she sez, 'I'll be steppin'
over to-day to see yer ma,' and Jim ran home and told
them all, and they all got brushed and combed and actin'
good, and in she comes, laving her carriage at the dure,
and her in a long pink velvet cape draggin' behind her
on the flure, and wide white fer all around it, her silk
skirts creakin' like a bag of cabbage and the eyes of
her just dancin' out of her head, and she says, 'These
are fine purty childer ye have here, Mrs.
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