lph gave them some paternal advice, and
the good housewife, spinning in her cane-bottom chair with straight
tall back, smiled pleasantly, and curtsied.

The baby (there always was a baby at the overseer's) soon made his
appearance, as babies will do everywhere; and then the unfortunate
young curly-heads of riper age were forced to return once more to the
grass and play with Longears--they were forgotten.

To describe the goings on of the two young ladies with that baby is
wholly out of the question. They quarreled for it, chucked it in their
arms, examined its toes with critical attention, and conversed with it
in barbarous baby language, which was enough, Ralph said, to drive a
man distracted. They asked it various questions--were delighted with
its replies--called its attention to the chickens--and evidently
labored under the impression that it understood. They addressed the
baby uniformly in the neuter gender, and requested to know whether it
was not their darling. To all which the baby replied with thoughtful
stares, only occasionally condescending to laugh. The feet having been
examined again--there is much in babies' feet--the party smiled and
went away, calling after baby to the last.

"Now, that's all affectation," said Ralph; "you young ladies--"

"You're a barbarian, sir!" replied Fanny, with great candor.

"I know I am."

"I'm glad you do."

"But," continued Ralph, "tell me now, really, do you young girls
admire babies?"

"Certainly _I_ do--"

"And I," said Redbud.

"They're the sweetest, dearest things in all the world," continued
Fanny, "and the man who don't like babies--"

"Is a monster, eh?"

"Far worse, sir!"

And Fanny laughed.

"That is pleasant to know," said Ralph; "then I'm a monster."

Having arrived at which highly encouraging conclusion, the young man
whistled.

"I say," he said, suddenly, "I wanted to ask--"

"Well, sir?" said Fanny.

"Before we leave the subject--"

"What subject?"

"Babies."

"Well, ask on."

"I wish to know whether babies talk."

"Certainly!"

"Really, now?"

"Yes."

"And you understand them?"

"_I_ do," said Fanny.

"What does 'um, um,' mean? I heard that baby say 'um, um,'
distinctly."

Fanny burst out laughing.

"Oh, I know!" she said, "when I gave him an apple."

"Yes."

"It meant, 'that is a very nice apple, and I would like to have
some.'"

"Did it?"

"Of course."

"Suppose, then, it had been a crab-apple, and the b