_Of Many Washings and a Walk._
To-day I did take Mathilde Plantagenet to visit the girl that has
no seeing. I did tell her I would so bring Mathilde Plantagenet,
and she did have joy feels when she did have thinks about Mathilde
Plantagenet coming to visit her. Before we did start, I did give
Mathilde Plantagenet a good foot-bath, as Sadie McKibben does always
take one before she goes a-visiting. Then I did wash the neck
and ears of Mathilde Plantagenet in a careful way. It took four
Castoria-bottles full of water to do so.
I have had a big problem. That’s what Sadie McKibben says when she
has had a difficulty of managing. My big problem was what to carry
water in when I go to make prepares to give my pets foot-baths and
neck-and-ear washes. I have tried thimbles to use for wash-pans
when I do wash the hands of my pets, but thimbles hold not enough
of water. Often and often again there is needs to go for more water
when one does use thimblefuls at a time. Sometimes now I do use a
mentholatum jar. It holds more water than does a thimble, but mostly
now I do carry Castoria bottles full of water when I start on my way
to wash the neck and ears of my animal friends. Sadie McKibben has
gave me advice and a lard-bucket to carry those Castoria bottles
full of water in.
After I so did have Mathilde Plantagenet washed then I did dry her
neck and ears with the soft salt-sack towel that Sadie McKibben has
gave to me. After I did have her neck and ears washed and her hair
rubbed down in the way it does go, I did give her a little lump of
salt. She liked that. Then I tied the little rope around her neck
that I do lead her by, and we made starts to go visit the girl that
has no seeing. When we were come to her gate, I did open it and
Mathilde Plantagenet and I went down the path to her door. Mathilde
Plantagenet went around with me to the window where I do tap taps
so she will have knows I am come.
She did rub the nose of Mathilde Plantagenet. And she was so glad
to see her. She straightway did go to bring her a salt-lump. But
I told her Mathilde Plantagenet did just have a salt-lump after
her foot-bath. And I did give her explainings as how I thought one
salt-lump a day is enough for Mathilde Plantagenet while she is yet
so young. When she is older grown she may have two salt-lumps in
one day. Then the girl that has no seeing did give me the salt-lump
for her to have to-morrow. She has thinks like my thinks that there
is music in the moos of Mathilde Plantagenet. And she had asks how
was the dear baby of Elsie’s. And I told her as how I thought it
would have two tooths soon, and she said that would be interest. I
had thinks so too. I told her the mamma’s nice baby has a lot of
tooths. It’s had them quite a time long, and so has Thomas Chatterton
Jupiter Zeus.
Then we all did go for a walk. With my right hand I did lead the girl
who has no seeing. With my left hand I did lead Mathilde Plantagenet.
And Brave Horatius came a-following after. As we did go along, we did
have listens to the voices of the trees and grass. The girl that has
no seeing is learning to have hearing of what the grasses say and
of the waters of the brooks that tell the hill songs. Too, she is
learning to see things. She shuts her eyes when I shut mine. We go
on journeys together. We ride in a cloud--in a fleecy white one that
does sail away over the hills. We look down on beautiful earth, and
we see Nonette and Iraouaddy and Launette and forêt d’Ermenonville
and Aunette and forêt de Chantilly and Saint Firmin.
To-day, after we did have our eyes shut for quite a time long, I
did open mine just a little bit to have seeing how big that bee was
that was making such a buzz. He was quite a big bee and he was in a
hurry. When he did go on, the girl who has no seeing did have asks
when was I going to bring Menander Euripides Theocritus Thucydides
to visit her. She said she had thinks he must be a bigger lamb now
with me giving him his bottle of milk morning and eventime. I said
he was growing more big--a little bit. He is a very dear lamb. Then
she had askings when was Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus and Lucian
Horace Ovid Virgil coming to visit her. And she had wants to know
when was Lars Porsena of Clusium coming again. I did have thinks
about it and I did tell her we would all come to visit her on the
fourth day from the day that is now. And I did sing her the song of
fleurs: of _tante_, of _myosotis_, _aubépine_, _romarin_, _gentiane_,
_ulmaire_, _eglantier_, _rosagine_, _iris_, _tulipe_ and _éclaire_.
And we came home, and before we were yet to the house we live in,
we did make a stop at the cathedral for prayers, and “Hosanna in
excelsis.”