Life — March 29, 1923 — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Anna May and the Rabbit 4 Story in the Recognized Easter Spirit HEN Anna May told her mother that she just had to have the black-and-white rabbit, her mother smiled grimly. “Wouldn’t ye rather a limousee, darlin’,” she asked, “‘or a fur coat, or a pair of silk stockin’s ?” Which, if not encouraging, was at least effective. Anna May saw the point. She betook herself to the flor- ist on the Avenue and applied for a job delivering plants. Particularly around Easter florists are known to take on extra unskilled and minor help for this purpose. But the florist was firm. “Little girl,” he said, “I don’t be- licve in child labor. What I need is a strong young boy.” To soften the hiow, the florist, being really a kind- ly man, gave Anna May an obsoles- cent carnation which he was about to discard anyway. Chat left Anna May nothing to do but to go back again to the Luxor et Emporium and stare longingly through the plate-glass window. his, you will agree, was a thor- oughly useless occupation. The rab- hit. was a big, fat one and cost five dollars. It couldn’t possibly ever be- long to Anna May. But true love is like that. When the little Gooble, who was about, helping his mama to market, saw Anna May gazing rapturously the black-and-white rabbit, he promptly yelled for it. Mamma said if he was a good boy and até all of his soup he might have it for Easter. But your true Gooble is like time and tide. The rabbit departed with the little Gooble, and Anna May had a very unlovely crying fit right there on the sidewalk. This pleased the lit- tle Gooble even more than his newly acquired pet. Anna May moped for several days 1 annoyed her father terribly. He hadn't any money to throw away on rabbits, he said, and anyway it was already bought, and leave the child stop erying and get those foolish no- tions out of her head, and _ stop crying, for Heaven’s sake! Then Anna May saw the black- and-white rabbit in the Goobles’ back yard, which was awfully swell and — Nulsge Va hy wt P WZ, Judge: Where wuz you when she threw the lamp—speak up—I say where wuz you? Witness: Say, Judge, how do Ah know where Ah wuz when Ah wuz goin’? had an iron railing around it instead of a common wooden fence. But the little Gooble didn’t take kindly to her presence. After taunting her to more tears, he howled for the cook. The cook, being an obliging creature, came running out with a broom. Anna May discreetly retreated. The next time Anna May looked in on the Gooble back yard, the rab- bit was entertaining itself without any assistance from the little Gooble. Being a true Lepus cuniculus, it was secretly digging a hole. Anna May noticed the hole was located well against the iron railing and in the general direction of the great world beyond. Further scouting was inter- rupted by the cook and the broom. But Anna May returned anon with one of her mother’s table spoons and a dawning hope. That afternoon, if the little Gooble thought he did any- thing to Anna May when he stuck out his tongue at her as he passed on his walk, he thought wrong. ee * Very early Easter morning, Anna May and the rabbit finished digging the rabbit’s tunnel. Some time later, she basked in the warm heart of her family, enjoying the calm and genial freshness of the spring day. “Listen to them church bells, will ye?” remarked Anna May’s mother pleasantly to her husband, Anna May’s father. Anna May looked up and hugged the black-and-white rabbit closer to her meagre self. Then she made a cryptic remark. “Them’s no bell: wicked young thin; Gooble howlin’.” ’ volunteered the that’s the little H.W. H. Romance Sleeps RoMANCE is sleeping, The mischievous one. I lull her With my soft weeping. When my work is done, I will call her. And we shall play, she and I; I will not wake her yet, Lest I forget My goal—the sky! B.S. comicbooks.com