Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-10-29
You'll learn all these things as you grow

lust here, Miss Sarah, who had break.
tasted at a side table, was seized with Gu
riosity to see what was ON the breakfast ta-
BILE. 49,,
Accordingly. she undertook to withdraw
herself up to the convenient elevation by
the table cloth. Her mother arrested her
Just in time to save cup, and pushed her
aside with gentle admoniton. This did
not abate Miss Sarah's curiosity in the
least, and she recommended her experiment.
Her mother removed her little more en-
pha,;callv this time. These little interrup-
tions only fired Miss Sarah's zeal and she
was returning to the charge with redoubled
energy, when she ran her cheek against the
palm other mothers hand with ra6ya-
cient force.
Away she went TO her grandmother, cry
ing, 'Granma, ma whipped your precious
darlin' angel baby =,
Did she my darling Then granma's
precious darling angel must be good child,
and mother won't whip it any MORE
We'll, l will be dood chile'
| well, then, mother won't whip it any
more.' And this conference was kept up
without variation of a letter on either side,
until the grandmother deemed IT expedient
to remove Miss Sarah to an adjoining room,
lest the mother should insist upon the i'm.
mediate fulflment of her promises.
MA, Just look at Abe = cried out Will
liam, he saw me going TO take biscuit,
and he snatched up the very one was
lookin' at
..AJe.' said the mother, Il do wish could
make you quit nicknaming each other; and
/ wish more, that | had never set You the
example-put down that biscuit, sir, and
take another.
Abraham returned the biscuit and Will
liam took it up with sly, but triumphant
giggle at Abraham.
Ma said Abraham, Bill said Gud dwn.'
Law, what a story! Ma, declare !
never said no such thing
yes, you did, and CLANCY heard YOU
Williams countenance Immediately show
ed that his memory had been refreshed;
and he drawled out never none now, with
tone and countenance that plainly impair
ted guilt to some extent. His mother sus-
pected he was hinging upon technics, and
she put the probing quest;on-'Well, what
did you say
i said, / be toto'tly 'odurn.'
sAnd that's Just as bad. Mr. Butler, you
positively will have to take this boy into
hand. He evinces strong propensity to
profane swearing, which, if not corrected
Immediately will be ungovernable.
Whenever you can't manage him, said
Mr.. Butler as before, Just turn him over to
me. and reckon can cure him.
when did he say it, enquired the moth
er returning to Abraham.
you know that time you sent all us
chiI'en to the new-ground to pick peasP
'Why, that's been three months ago, at
least; and you've just thought of telling it.
oh you malicious toad you, where did you
learn to bear malice so long' | abhor that
trait of character in child
Ma said BILL ABE ha'nt said his
prayers for three nights
Abe and Bill now exactly swapt places
and countenances.
.Yes, said the mother, 'and suppose l
should never have heard of that,if Abraham
had not told of your profanity
i know better, dragged out Abraham IN
reply to William:
Abraham said the mother, solemnly,
did YOU kneel down when you said your
prayers last night!
Yes, ma am, said Abraham, brightning
little.
yes. ma continued Bill, 'he kneels
down, and fore l say now lay me down
to sleep, he jumps up every night and hops
in bed, and says he's done said his prayers,
and he ha'nt had time to say hall prayer
During this narrative, my name-sake kept
covering under the steadfast trown OF his
mother. until he transformed himself into q
perfect personifcation of idiocy.
How many prayers did you say. last
n;abt Abraham. pursued the mother, in an
awfully portentous tone.
81 said one anJ'-here Abraham paused.
'One, and whatP
'One, and piece of 'tother ONE
why, ma, he couldn't ha' said it to saved
his life, for he hadn't time.
Hush, sir, don't ask for your assist
ance.'
Il did, muttered Abraham; Il said 10th
er piece after l got in bed.'
| Abraham said his mother, 4 declare |
do not know what to say to you. | am so
mortified, so shocked at this conduct, that |
am completely at loss how to express my
self about it. Suppose you had died last
night after triaing with your prayers, as you
did who can say what would have become
of YOU? Is 1t possible that you cannot
spend few minutes in prayer to your
Heavenly Father, who feeds you, who
clothes YOU, and who gives you every thing
YOU can have in this world. You poor sim
full child, could really weep over you.
Poor Abraham evinced such deep con-
triton under this lecture (for he sobbed as
if his heart would break that his mother
deemed it prudent to conclude with sua-
siyes which she did in the happiest man.
ner.
Having thus restored Abraham's equa-
nimity in a measure, with gently encour-
aging smile, she continued:
AND now, Abraham, tell your mother
how you came to say part OF your prayer
Il couldn't 60 to sleep till said it ma
am
well, that's good sign at least And
what part was It
God bless my father and mother ;, !
Mrs. Butler felt quickly for her handKer-
chief. 1t had fallen from her lap and she
was glad of it. She depressed her head be-
low the table in search ofit-disnisscd the
children before she raised it, and then rose
with countcnance suffused with smiles and