Dash it ! '' as a big man nearly upset them and a dog barked madly at the balloon . Being safely landed in the train , Jimmy hung out of the window till the last minute , discussing his new prospects with Will , who stood on tiptoe outside , bubbling over with fun . `` I 'll teach you to make butter and cheese , and you shall be my dairy-woman , for I mean to be a farmer , '' he said , just as the bell rang . `` All right , I 'd like that ever so much . '' And then the irrepressible madcap burst out , to the great amusement of the passengers , -- '' ` For you might have been a Roosian , A Frenchman , Turk or Proosian , Or an Ital-i-an . ' '' And Jimmy could not resist shouting back , as the train began to move , -- '' ` But in spite of all temptations To belong to other nations , I 'm an Amer-i-can . ' '' Then he subsided , to think over the happy holiday before him and the rich cargo of comfort , independence , and pleasure he had brought home from his successful cruise in the `` Pinafore . '' II . TWO LITTLE TRAVELLERS . The first of these true histories is about Annie Percival , -- a very dear and lovely child , whose journey interested many other children , and is still remembered with gratitude by those whom she visited on a far-off island . Annie was six when she sailed away to Fayal with her mother , grandmamma , and `` little Aunt Ruth , '' as she called the young aunty who was still a school-girl . Very cunning was Annie 's outfit , and her little trunk was a pretty as well as a curious sight , for everything was so small and complete it looked as if a doll was setting off for Europe . Such a wee dressing-case , with bits of combs and brushes for the curly head ; such a cosey scarlet wrapper for the small woman to wear in her berth , with slippers to match when she trotted from state-room to state-room ; such piles of tiny garments laid nicely in , and the owner 's initials on the outside of the trunk ; not to mention the key on a ribbon in her pocket , as grown up as you please . I think the sight of that earnest , sunshiny face must have been very pleasant to all on board , no matter how seasick they might be , and the sound of the cheery little voice , as sweet as the chirp of a bird , especially when she sung the funny song about the `` Owl and the pussy-cat in the pea-green boat , '' for she had charming ways , and was always making quaint , wise , or loving remarks . Well , `` they sailed and they sailed , '' and came at last to Fayal , where everything was so new and strange that Annie 's big brown eyes could hardly spare time to sleep , so busy were they looking about . The donkeys amused her very much , so did the queer language and ways of the Portuguese people round her , especially the very droll names given to the hens of a young friend . The biddies seemed to speak the same dialect as at home , but evidently they understood Spanish also , and knew their own names , so it was fun to go and call Rio , Pico , Cappy , Clarissa , Whorfie , and poor Simonena , whose breast-bone grew out so that she could not eat and had to be killed . But the thing which made the deepest impression on Annie was a visit to a charity-school at the old convent of San Antonio . It was kept by some kind ladies , and twenty-five girls were taught and cared for in the big , bare place , that looked rather gloomy and forlorn to people from happy Boston , where charitable institutions are on a noble scale , as everybody knows .
XXXXX watched all that went on with intelligent interest , and when they were shown into the play-room she was much amazed and afflicted to find that the children had nothing to play with but a heap of rags , out of which they made queer dolls , with ravelled twine for hair , faces rudely drawn on the cloth , and funny boots on the shapeless legs .
Annie Europe Percival Pico Proosian Simonena charity-school dairy-woman school-girl state-room