Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-08-11
THE MOTHER AND BOY.
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

"Tom, let that alone 70 exclaimed a
mother, pe,ulantly, to boy Of seven years
Of age, who was playing with tassel that
hung from one Of the window blinds, TO the
imminent danger OF its destruction.
The hoy did not seem to hear, but kept
on lingering the tassel.
"Lrt that BE-, tell you! Must I speak
hundred times' Why don't you mind at
once!"
The child slowly relnquished his hold of
the tassel, and commenced running his
hand up and down the Venitian blinds
"There! there Do for gracious sake
let them blinds alone. Go away from the
window this moment and try to keep your
hands off Of things. ] declare you are the
most trying child l ever saw"
Tom left the window and threw himself
at full length into the cradle, where he
commenced rocking himself with the force
and rapidity that made everything crack
again.
"Get out of the cradle. What do you
mean! The child really seems possessed"
And the mother caught him BY the arm
Tom said nothing, but with the most i'm
perturable air in the world, walked twice
around the room, and then pushing chair
up before the dressing bureau, took there
from bottle OF hair lustral, and pouring the
palm of his little hands full of the liquid,
commenced rubbing il upon his head
Twice had this operation been performed,
and Tom was pulling open drawer to get
the hair brush, when the odor of the oily
compound reached the nostrils of the lads
mother, who was sitting with her back to-
wards him. Turning quickly, she saw
what was going on.
"You" fell angrily from her lips, as
she dropped the baby in the cradle. "Isn't
it too much !" she continued, as she swept
across the room to where Tom was stand
ing at the bureau dressing-glass.
"There, sir" and the child's ear rang
again with the box it received. "There,
sir!' and the box was repeated. "Havn't
told you hundred times not to touch
that hair oil! Just see what a spot oil
grease you have made on the carpet. Look
at your hands," .....
Tom looked at his hands, and seeing
them full of oil, clapped them down quick.
ly on his jacket, and tried to rub them
clean.
"There! Stop! Mercy! Now see your
jacket that you put on this morning.
Grease from top TO bottom. Isn't il toe
badl ! am in despair"
| And the mother let her hands fall BY
her side, and body drop into chair.
"It's no use to try" she continued
"I'll give It up. Just see that jacket! IT,
totally ruined. And that carpet too. Wa
there ever such trying boy. Go dowI
stairs this instant, and tell Jane to come U,
hrre.'
Tom had reason to know that his mothe
; was not in mood to be triAed with, 80 h
went oil brskly and called Jane, who wa
directed to get some faller's earth and pu
. . upon the carpet where the oil had beeI
!. spilled.
q Not at all liking the atmosphere of hi
!: mothers room, Tom being once in tn
q kitchen, felt no inclination to return. Hi
first work there, after delivering his met
|. sage to Jane, was to commence turning th
!. coffee-mill. rsttH .9e
"Tommy," aid the cook mildly, "
firmly, "you know I've told you that
was wrong TO touch the cohee.mill. Sc
here on the 6oor, where you have scsttere
!, the coffee about, and now ] must get
J. broom and sweep Il up. II you do 70,
,e can't let you come down here. efi4I
n The boy stood up and looked d the COO
: seriously, whilst she got the broom sn
. swept up the dirt be bad made.
"lt's sll clean again now mid the COO
Pleasantly. "And you won't do 70 On
more will YOU %