It may be remembered that in a recent chapter we mentioned being in a
_tranquil mood_, and, while in that condition, calling on our friend
Nix, and further, that Nix introduced us that same evening to some
ladies with brown eyes.
Since that event the _tranquil_ moods have come over us periodically,
with rapidly increasing virulence. So much so that latterly we have
found it desirable to dispense with the cumbrous ceremony of going round
to call for Nix. The fact is we have taken a great fancy to _that_ boy
Little Pickle; he is certainly a very fine boy.
It occurs to us at this moment that we have not yet given a name to this
family. Their real name is one of those which recall old revolutionary
times directly it is uttered. One of those names which, to ourself at
least, at once summons up a picture of marching ranks of men in
three-cornered hats and yellow breeches, toiling forward with glistening
muskets over their shoulders, past rows of quaint gabled houses. We
cannot give the real name, of course--that is out of the question--so we
will call them Adams, because that is not their name. Then we will
subdivide them as follows: Mrs. Adams, Bud, Blossom, and Berry. We
christen them thus because these were the titles they received in a
little floral and pomological game we once played.
The Adams family were going to give a party. We were called in as
consulting engineer, to suggest attractions. We readily accepted the
office. The reader knows our system and will easily guess our first
order. Objects to provoke conversation!
Pig made out of lemon. Good! The pig was made and applauded.
"But," suggested Bud, "why confine ourselves to a pig; surely we can
make something else."
"Surely," we assented. So all of us set our wits to work at zoology.
Bud made the first discovery. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I have found out
something beautiful--a whole litter of little pigs to go with the
lemon!"
And, indeed, 'twas true. In a few seconds she had some almonds soaking
in a cup of boiling water. In a few seconds more she was peeling off
their brown jackets, revealing the smooth white nut, as white as the
tips of her own taper fingers. The almonds were soon converted into
sucking-pigs, and were admitted on all hands to look quite cunning, and
as natural as nature, with their little white bodies grouped round the
maternal lemon--some running, some standing, and some seated on their
haunches.
[Illustration]
We need not explain to the gifted reader the _modus operandi_. It is
much the same as with the lemon, only the eyes are dotted with a black
lead pencil and the ears are made from small slips of wood.
[Illustration]
Stimulated by the success of Bud, Blossom dived down into the depths of
her imagination, and fished out a goat. The goat was unquestionably a
triumph. The body consisted of a pear, the head of an unbleached
almond, the legs, horns, and beard of raisin stalks.
[Illustration]
On the same principle, and with wonderful celerity, Berry took up the
idea, gracefully acknowledged her indebtedness to the original inventor,
and produced a deer--a deer with wide-spreading antlers made of raisin
stalks, and legs of the same material, which counterfeited nature even
to the knee-joints. The neck cost some little mental exertion, but was
finally triumphed over in the following shape, neatly cut out of wood.
The deer now appeared truly a monarch of the forest; a little weak in
the shoulders perhaps, and rather full-chested behind, but still a noble
animal.
[Illustration]
Not to be outdone with her own idea, Blossom wrestled vigorously with
her subject, and ere we had ceased admiring the deer, had very nearly
completed a sheep--a sheep so fleecy and short in the legs that it was
at once voted the greatest triumph of all, though WE personally and
privately thought, and still think, that, for true genius, Bud's idea of
the pigs far exceeded any of them. The white almond certainly made a
most admirable sheep's head, but then apple, of which the body was made,
grew rapidly rusty when once peeled--so much so that we had to scrape
our sheep once or twice in the course of the evening to restore its
fleeciness.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Having made large herds of deer, flocks of goats and sheep, not to
mention litters of pigs, we disposed some of them on the mantel-piece
and what-nots, while others were reserved to make a grand pastoral scene
on the supper table. Having finished these, we devoted our energies to
constructing scent-bags and mice, the latter made out of apple-seeds, as
described in a previous chapter. Here the transcendent genius of Bud
again asserted itself--she invented a rat; a rat made out of an
unbleached almond. When grouped with the mice and flour-sacks the effect
was truly grand.
What now?
"What shall we make next?" was the general inquiry.
"Oh, can't you make something that will jump up?" eagerly suggested
Little Pickle, who had kept pretty quiet during our zoological
researches.
"Can't you make something that will jump up?" This was so vague that we
were fain to demand further light.
"Oh, you know at our school one of the boys made a kind of thing with a
bit of wax that jumped up and frightened you."
This was still far from clear, but whatever it might be, it was
evidently calculated to frighten somebody, and so was immediately voted
down by the ladies.
"Oh, make that gorilla portrait, you know," again entreated Little
Pickle; "that makes such fun."
This proposition, though received coolly, was, nevertheless, discussed
at some length, till Blossom called her sister's attention to the fact
that one of their invited guests would be a certain Dr. O'Tang, who
really did resemble a gorilla, and should the glass fall into his
hands, he would feel hurt at the joke; so Little Pickle's second
proposition was voted down.
We now felt a heavy weight of responsibility hanging on our shoulders.
Six brown eyes were resting upon us, each as deep and brown as a
mountain pool.
"Can we not do something with paper?" suggested Bud, her exquisite
genius again coming to our aid. This suggestion gave us the cue.
"I have it," we exclaimed; "I will teach you to make stained glass. To
be sure, it is only a variation of your own beautiful art of making
transparencies; still, if you have never heard of the process, it may
afford some amusement, and help you to decorate your rooms."
One apartment in the house of Adams was of the kind known as _extension
room_. The two windows which separated this apartment from the back
parlor served admirably to exhibit the new art. The object of the
process is to produce an effect somewhat similar to the heraldic
painting on the casements of old European houses, and is done thus:
You procure several sheets of tissue paper of various colors, a pair of
scissors, and some fine boiled paste. You fold a sheet of the paper
twice, then cut out of the folded paper a form--say, for example, like
the one on the left: so that when the sheet is open there will be two
pieces like the one on the right.
[Illustration]
Paste one of these in the centre of the window-pane you wish to
decorate, then paste the other over it, only lapping over a little on
one side and below, as represented in this diagram.
When this is dry it will have a very pretty effect. Of course you can
cut the papers in any form you choose and have them in different
colors--red over green, or yellow over blue. You may also stitch one
pattern of a smaller size right in the centre of another, or paste three
or four different patterns one above the other, as illustrated by our
subjoined cuts.
[Illustration]
Having delivered our short lecture (illustrated with examples) to the
six brown eyes, and also to the six white ears--like quaint sea-shells
from the shores of Elysium--we all proceeded to operate on the windows
before mentioned, and we are glad to say with the most pleasing results.
[Illustration]
Our scissorings with the colored paper brought to light an
accomplishment of Little Pickle, which set us all to work anew with
scissors and pen and ink for some time.
Master Adams's system was this: he took a small piece of writing paper,
and dropping a minute quantity of ink in the centre, then folded it
right across the blot and rubbed it over with his finger. When the paper
was opened it displayed some curious form or another. This, with a few
touches of the pen, we generally made to resemble some object in nature.
Bud made an excellent stag's head on one occasion, which we subjoin.
[Illustration]
But Little Pickle's course of instruction did not stop with blots. He
folded bits of paper and cut them into grotesque patterns, and set us
all to filling them up with pictures. The great art consisted in making
your design conform to the outline of the paper. One of these, which we
happened to have brought away by accident, we have here engraved. It was
drawn by Bud, and is really very clever.
That was a very delightful evening we passed with the Adams's. Little
Pickle is a very fine boy; guess we will call for him on our road up in
the afternoon--to go skating.
[Illustration]
That night, when we reached home, we found Nix had called and left us a
very curious work--_The Veda, or the Sacred Writings of the Hindoos_. We
slept sweetly, and dreamed we were reclining on the banks of the Ganges
conversing pleasantly with Brahma. Singular dream, was it not?