Toby Tyler

t the matter other than it really was, when a voice from

n' help me carry

this, which told him that the time for the feast was near at hand; and the snake charmer,

ust help Lilly, and then I shall have the pleasure of helping you to some of her cooking,

appeared behind t

as nicely browned as any Thanksgiving turkey Toby ever saw. Behind him came his fat wife, carrying several dishes, each of which emitted a most fragrant odor; and as these were placed upon the table the spirit

me they made some addition to that which was upon the table, until Toby began to fear that

position, and then, with a certain kind of grace, which no one but a man as t

han to invite you all, including Mr. Tyler's friend Stubbs

n off in a most summary manner. His wife had come up behind him and, with as much ease as if he had b

. "If you had waited until Samuel had finished his spe

better manners than to jump on to the platform with one bound and seat himself at the table with the most

mmodation of Mr. Stubbs, who suffered a napkin to be tied under his chin, an

omplaining, after the manner of housewives generally, that the food was not cooked as she would like to have had it, and declaring t

uced on the sword swallower only after he had been helped three different times, t

t he had the good sense not to cast a damper on a party of

g pretty well, now that I

en Toby had finished speaking he started to say something evidently not very complimentary to Mr. Lord. But what it was the company never knew; for j

d around his neck, and to scold in his most vehement manner. Before Toby could reach the skeleton, however, the fat woman had darted toward her lean husband, caught him

Toby, in alarm; "

the drumming process. "He's often taken this way; he's such a glutton that he'd try to swallow the tu

etically, as he resumed his seat at the table; "he don't l

Toby gave him credit for, because at this juncture he sto

ing, lifted him in her arms and sat him down in his c

see if you can behave yourself an' chew your meat as you ought to! One of thes

ng choke him," the sword swallower ventured to suggest, mildly, as he wiped a small stream of

anger in her voice. Then turning toward her husband, she said, empha

ery thin glutton, in a feeble tone. Toby thought that perhaps the skeleton migh

Stubbs to come down from his lofty perch; but the task was accomplished at last, and

g them, devolved upon Mr. Treat, and he said, as he pushed his chair back a short

ryone must remember that we have gathered here to meet and become better a

er enormous head energetically, as if to say that she agreed exactly with her

s to it, so to speak," continued the skeleton, in a voice which was fast being raised to its highest pitch, "we feel proud, after his exploit

roval, and the sword swallower gave a grunt of ass

Tyler, all present will agree with me and all

ent remarkably well, judging from their expressions of pleasu

s to how people acted and what they said when they were expected to speak at a dinner table, but his thoughts refused to go back for him, and the silence was

unless to thank you for it. You see, I hain't big enough to say much, an', as Uncle Dan'l says, I don't amount to very much, '

d him, and of course sat plump on the monkey. There was a loud outcry from Mr. Stubbs, a little frightened noise from Toby, an instant's scrambling, and then boy, monkey, and chair tumble

the fat woman poked him all over to see that none of his bone

around on the tent pole and ropes, as if his feelings

," said Toby, as soon as quiet had been restored and the guests, wi

But don't you feel bad about it one bit, for you ought to th

back at the scene of his disaster, and then up at t

is lofty position, Toby took his departure, promising to call as of

said, as he showed signs of indulging in

' his lily of a wife been g

there to dinner,"

hey carries a cookin' stove along with 'em, so's they can give these lit

ask you to m

Did they try

y, "an' I tumbled off the p

's how it was likely your first speech. Now you'd better go into the tent an try to get a little sleep,

shifted Mr. Stubbs over to his other shoulder

attempt at dressing up. "I've been with the circus, man an boy, for nigh to forty years, an' I allus go to m

ittle church on the hill at home, and wished-oh, so earnestly!-that he was ther

n; "but now you must try to bottle up some slee

d to carry out his wishes, although he rather doubted t

of his tribe, and in a very few moments the boy was sound asleep, dreaming of a dinner pa