They gathered a number of the apples, and then strolled on, and eat a
moment with the pleasant overseer's wife.
A number of little curly-headed boys had been rolling like apples on
the grass as they approached; fat-armed and chubby-legged, and making
devoted advances to Longears, who, descending from his dignity, rolled
with them in the sunshine. These now approached, and the young girls
patted their heads, and Mr. Ralph 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.
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