"Because," said the dame, "it has two sides to it, and it is hard to
choose between them. Now here are my two neighbors, contagious to me on
both sides--one goes for probation, t'other for licentiousness; and I
think the best thing for me is to keep nuisance."

She meant neutral, of course. The neighbor admired, and smiled, while
Ike lay on the floor, with his legs in the air, trying to balance Mrs.
Partington's fancy waiter on his toe.


IX

Christmas Ike was made the happy possessor of a fiddle, which he found
in the morning near his stocking.

"Has he got a musical bent?" Banfield asked, of whom Mrs. Partington was
buying the instrument.

"Bent, indeed!" said she; "no, he's as straight as an error."

He explained by repeating the question regarding his musical
inclination.

"Yes," she replied; "he's dreadfully inclined to music since he had a
drum, and I want the fiddle to see if I can't make another Pickaninny or
an Old Bull of him. Jews-harps is simple, though I can't see how King
David played on one of 'em, and sung his psalms at the same time; but
the fiddle is best, because genius can show itself plainer on it without
much noise. Some prefers a violeen; but I don't know."