n allowed to take care of and amuse her.

"Wat's dat ar yo's speakin'?" asked Christopher Columbus (so named, his
father said, "'cause he war da fustest chile, de discoberer ob de
family, as it war") as Queen Victoria hopped into the yard on one leg,
and he stopped rocking--if you can call throwing yourself back on the
hind-legs of a common wooden chair, and then coming down on the
fore-legs with a bounce and a bang, rocking--the youngest Van Johnson
with such a jerk that her eyes and mouth flew open, and out of the
latter came a tremendous yell. "Dar now," said Christopher Columbus,
"yo's done gone an' woked dis yere Primrose Ann, an' I's bin hours an'
hours an' hours an' hours gittin her asleep. Girls am de wustest bodders
I ebber see. I allus dishated girls."

"Ain't yo' 'shamed yo'seff, Chrissfer C'lumbus," said Queen Victoria,
indignantly, "wen bofe yo' sisters am girls? But spect yo' don't want to
lissen at wat Miss Bowles done bin a-tellin' me. Hi! Washington
Webster's a-comin', an' I'll jess tell him dat ar secrek all by
hisseff."

"No yo' won't; yo' goin' to tell me too," said her big brother. "An' yo'
better stop a-rollin' yo' eyes--yo' got de sassiest eyes I ebber see
since de day dat I war bohn--an' go on wiff yo' story."

"Story?" repeated Washington Webster, sauntering up to them, leading a
big cat--dragging, perhaps, would be the better word, as poor puss was
trying hard to get away--by a string.

"'Bout Mahser Zanty Claws," said Queen, opening her eyes so wide that
they seemed to spread over half her face. "Miss Bowles says to-morrer's
Chrissmus, an' to-day's day befo' Chrissmus, an' to-night Mahser Zanty
Claws go 'bout"--lowering her voice almost to a whisper--"an' put tings
in chillun's stockin's dat 'haved deirselbs."

"Am Mahser Zanty Claws any lashun to dat ar ole man wiff de allspice
hoof?" asked Washington Webster, with a scared look.

"Allspice hoof! Lissen at dat ar foolish young crow. _Clove_ hoof, yo'
means," said Queen Victoria. "Dat's anodder gemman 'tirely. Mahser Zanty
Claws am _good_. He gits yo' dolls, an' candies, an' apples, an' nuts,
an' books, an' drums, an' wissels, an' new cloze."

"Golly! wish he'd frow some trowsus an' jackits an' sich like fruit
'roun' here," said Christopher Columbus.

"Trowsus wiff red 'spenders an' a pistil pockit," said Washington
Webster, "an' a gole watch, an' a sled all yaller, wiff green stars on
it, an'--"

"Yo' bofe talk 's if yo'd bin awfu