vote for Bosco if he could. But when he examined Cuba, he became sure
that Denver had nothing finer than that. Mrs. Brewton took no notice of
him, but bade me admire Aqua Marine as far surpassing any other 6-month
child. I proclaimed her splendid (she was a wide-eyed, contented thing,
with a head shaped like a croquet mallet), and the agent smiled modestly
and told the mothers that as for his babies two prizes was luck enough
for them; they didn't want the earth. "If that thing happened to be
brass," said Mrs. Brewton, bending over the ring that Aqua was still
sucking; and again remonstrating with the mother for this imprudence,
she passed on. The three-year-olds were, many of them, in costume, with
extraordinary arrangements of hair; and here was the child with gold
wings and a crown I had seen on arriving. Her name was Verbena M., and
she personated Faith. She had colored slippers, and was drinking
tea from her mother's cup. Another child, named Broderick McGowan,
represented Columbus, and joyfully shouted "Ki-yi!" every half-minute.
One child was attired as a prominent admiral; another as a prominent
general; and one stood in a boat and was Washington. As Mrs. Brewton
examined them and dealt with the mothers, the names struck me
afresh--not so much the boys; Ulysses Grant and James J. Corbett
explained themselves; but I read the names of five adjacent girls--Lula,
Ocilla, Nila, Cusseta, and Maylene. And I asked Mrs. Brewton how they
got them. "From romances," she told me, "in papers that we of the upper
classes never see." In choosing Horace Boyd, of Rincon, for his hair,
his full set of front teeth well cared for, and his general beauty, I
think both of us were also influenced by his good sensible name, and his
good clean sensible clothes. With both our selections, once they were
settled, were Sharon and Rincon satisfied. We were turning back to the
table to announce our choice when a sudden clamor arose behind us,
and we saw confusion in the Manna Department. Women were running and
shrieking, and I hastened after Mrs. Brewton to see what was the matter.
Aqua Marine had swallowed the ring on her thumb. "It was gold! it was
pure gold!" wailed the mother, clutching Mrs. Brewton. "It cost a whole
dollar in El Paso." "She must have white of egg instantly," said Mrs.
Brewton, handing me her purse. "Run to the hotel--" "Save your money,"
said the agent, springing forward with some eggs in a bowl. "Lord! you
don't catch us