The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-06-25
MISCELLANY.
Mode and Tense.
Az EASY But IMPORTANT LESSON FOR
TIE YOUNG Folks.
BY 5. II. BROWNE.

Father was gouty, and often detained
from the office for two weeks toge ther.
Sometimes he was in very pleasant and
genial humor, and sometimes extremely
touchy sometimes in mool to pore,
over his old mus,y law. books, sometimes
engaged with his pen, and occasionally,
not very often, indeed, disposed for a
little conversation with 'us three, rs we
prepared our school taek around the libra
ry table Now and then he would lend
us helping suggestion in regard to some
puzzlng example in arithmetic. or an
explanatory remark on some Latin con-
structon, or French idiom; but he did
not bold, he said, TO getting lessons for
scholars, nor to the modern custom of
having everything so simplifed for them
that no mental effort was necessary so
we generally had to solve our difficulties
as well as we could by continuous and
patient application.
One morning the poor man was more
restless and fretiul than usual. lie had
had bad night and kept mother awake
SO much that she had gone TO her room to
get an hours nap while we studied our
lessons, and waited upon father. But he
could hardly be patient with us while we
did it, lest our skirts should swing against
| his muilled feet.
'l'e careful, girls be careful he cried,
deprecatlngly, and houriShing his hands
about him, Its sore all round here !!
We laughed at the idea, but ulder-
stood the precautionary device, and tucked
our drapery into the smallest possible
compass whenever we went near to hand
him anthing
Poor papa, said Rebecca, as she slipped
behind his easy chair where there was nc
danger of hurting him, and tried ic
sooihe him by stroking his hair. and
stealihiy pressing her rich red lips to the
shiny bald spot on the top Ct his head
This medicine seldom failed OF happy
effect
Thank you, dcar-thank you,' he
said tenderly. 'Now get your comb and
comb me TO sleep for few minutes, il
you're not too busy with your books
That comb has magnetic effect upon
me, you know
Rebecca was never too busy to do hi:
bidding; and by few passes of her soft
fingers and the tavorie comb through hi.
thln locks, now changed to an iron gray,
she soon had him, if not asleep, ye
combed into a quiet humor.
BY this time Maria Jane and / were
yawning over our lessons.
'llow stupid this grammar is said
Maria Jane. Nothing but mode ant
tense, mode and tense, for twenty page,
here. | don't see much in mode and
tense; wish there wasn't any.
Mode and tense! spoke up fathel
suddenly. Don't see anything in mode
tense All, I'm afraid you are yer,
dull girl. Mode and tense Why, there
everything in mode and tense!'
Maria Jane blushed like peony, no
having the least idea that he noticed wha
she said and when he broke out Sc
abruptly, and yet SO earnestly, she wa
all ready to recant everything, and tC
assent TO any proposition he might make
especially that she was very dun girl
and that grammar was an immeasurably
Interesting and enlivening study, parIicu
larly ITS department of mode and tense
And sue was preparing to submit to
critical catechising on verbs in general
with all their belongings while th
apprehensions of divers blunders hashe,