"ElizaLeeFollen-TheTalkativeWig" - читать интересную книгу автора (Follen Eliza Lee)

THE TALKATIVE WIG

BY

MRS. FOLLEN


With Illustrations by Billings and others






THE OLD GARRET.


"Pray, dear Mother," said the boys, "tell us what else you heard in
the old garret."

"You know," said she, "it was on a rainy Sunday when my mother sent
me up there with my book, Pilgrim's Progress. This book always
delighted me, and set my fancy to work in some way or other.

After reading a while, I began to look at the queer old things in
the garret. Pussy began to purr louder and louder, and at last I
fell again into the same dreamy sleep that I was in at first.

Presently I heard the same confused sound which I heard before when
the old tenants of the garret began to speak. There seemed also to
be a slight motion among them, and a sort of mysterious appearance
came over the whole apartment, as if they were all living, though
very shadowy beings. Presently I heard the creak of the curling
tongs, and he uttered these words:--

"I think we have all been wronged by our friend the wig; he approved
of our all relating our own histories, and promised that, after we
had done so, he would give us his, frankly and truly, as we have
done; instead of that he, as well as the rest of us, fell asleep
when our friend spinning wheel related her story; and, when we all
waked up, he did not fulfil his promise. I move that he be requested
now to give us a faithful account of his whole life, till he was
consigned with us to this dark, gloomy old place. I probably have
been more intimately acquainted with him than any one present; for
once or twice I have assisted in smoothing, or rather frizzing, his
ruffled hairs, and making him fit for company; and, with your leave,
my friends, I urge him in your name to relate his history." A sort
of hum of approbation sounded through the long, dark old garret, and
then the wig spoke.