Little Alice\'s Palace or, The Sunny Heart
CHAPTER I. The rain was pattering, pattering steadily upon the roof of a little brown cottage that stood alone by the country roadside. There had been a long and dreary winter, and now the bright spring was coming, with its buds and leaves and flowers, to gladden the earth, that had all the time seemed to be dead. As the shower came down, the little green blades of grass sprang up to catch the drops; and they seemed almost to laugh and sing, so full of joy were they when they could lift their heads from the dust. It was so much sweeter to be out once more from their prison-house and to exult with all God's fair creation; so they bathed themselves in the falling shower, and made themselves fresh and clean; and nobody would ever have believed that they came out from their dark beds in the earth. Little Alice looked out of the windows of the brown cottage, and saw them nodding gaily to her as they were taking their bath; and so she smiled
and prowtitle (~loud cheers~). Myfren Misserboucer, fallowme callm
myfren! (~"In course, Giglamps, you do me proud, old feller."~)
Myfren Misserboucer seszime fresman - prow title, sureyou (~hear,
hear~). Genelmun, werall jolgoodfles, anwe wogohotillmorrin! (~"We
won't, we won't! not a bit of it!"~) Gelmul, I'm fresmal, an
namesgreel, gelmul (~cheers~). Fanyul dousmewor,
herescardinpock'lltellm! Misser Verdalgreel, Braseface, Oxul
fresmal, anprowtitle! (~Great cheering and rattling of glasses,
during which Mr. Verdant Green's coat-tails are made the receptacles
for empty bottles, lobsters' claws, and other miscellaneous
articles.~) Misserboucer said was fresmal. If Misserboucer
[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 77]
wantsultme (~"No, no!"~), herescardinpocklltellm namesverdalgreel,
Braseface! Not shameofitgelmul! prowtitle! (~Great applause.~) I
doewaltilsul Misserboucer! thenwhysee sultme? thaswaw Iwaltknow!
(~Loud cheers, and roars of laughter, in which Mr. Verdant Green
suddenly joins to the best of his ability.~) I'm anoxful fresmal,
gelmul, 'fmyfrel Misserboucer loumecallimso. (~Cheers and laughter,
in which Mr. Verdant Green feebly joins.~) Anweerall jolgoodfles,
anwe wogohotilmorril, an I'm fresmal, gelmul, anfanyul dowsmewor -
an I - doefeel quiwell!"
This was the termination of Mr. Verdant Green's speech, for after
CHAPTER I. The rain was pattering, pattering steadily upon the roof of a little brown cottage that stood alone by the country roadside. There had been a long and dreary winter, and now the bright spring was coming, with its buds and leaves and flowers, to gladden the earth, that had all the time seemed to be dead. As the shower came down, the little green blades of grass sprang up to catch the drops; and they seemed almost to laugh and sing, so full of joy were they when they could lift their heads from the dust. It was so much sweeter to be out once more from their prison-house and to exult with all God's fair creation; so they bathed themselves in the falling shower, and made themselves fresh and clean; and nobody would ever have believed that they came out from their dark beds in the earth. Little Alice looked out of the windows of the brown cottage, and saw them nodding gaily to her as they were taking their bath; and so she smiled