Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-05
TWO WAYS-THE BUSTLING AND
THE QUIET.


help her mother, whom she loves very
much, and to whom she is always obedi-
ent; but she makes so much noise and
talk about any little thing she has to do
that one would rather do it ten times over
than be present while she is doing it.
Mother" said Jane. one morning
when she sat reading; mother, mother ~
calling several times before her mother
had time to look up.
Jane ought not to have interrupted her
mother while she was reading unless on
some important occasion, which in the
present case it was not.
Mother, mother, I want to know
whether may go and put the back par
lor to rights?"
Eyes, yes, you may" said her neither,
going on with her reading.
Well-mother, mother?"
"What now, Jane?"
May | take down all the books from
the shelves, and put them up better?
know [ can put them up right again.
May |, mother?"
Eyes, you may; but do not talk to me
now, because am engaged"
Jane went to work, making a great
noise in taking down and putting up the
books. Instead of clearing one shelf at
time, and filling it again before she
cleared the next, she took down all the
books at once, and as she stood on a chair
to replace them she must needs Jump
down for each parcel, as she set them up
again.
90 janet" her mother would now and
then eXclaim, as the volumes came
tumbling upon the floor, edo be a little
more careful, and try to make less noise"
But for Jane to have carried on any
work without making great fuss, or oc-
casioning interruption to other persons,
would have been quite out of the cues
ton.
There, mother, just come and see how
much better that looks" she would say,
each time she had filled a shelf.
If her mother did not attend at once,
she would go on calling, Mother, moth
err until at last, becoming quite tired of
being interrupted, her mother babe her
leave the room as it was and sit down to
her sewing. Jane felt mortified and
grieved at the reproof thus given, and
could scarcely repress her tears.
Why, what is the matter, Jane?" said
her mother, laying down her book, and
seeing her sorrowful look. This question
brought the tears at once into James eyes,
"Why, mother" she answered, 81 was
putting the book-shelves to rights as well
as l could, when you spoke to me, and
and was going"-
"Well, you did them very well, and I
should have been glad if you had finished
them, but you made so much hustle about
it, and talked so Ruch, that | could not
go on with my reading. | have never
spoken to you seriously about this fault,
h11+ So tlnCf 41yr 30
come. You are a very lively, active little
girl. should be sorry if you were indo-
lent and dull; but when you have any
little noise and hustle as possible. Now,
the bustling and the quiet way of doing
things. Let me see, what shall l do?
O! there is the hearthrug which is out of
order'
One edge of the rug was turned under,
and James mother walked to the fireplace,
stopped down to the rug, and with one or
two strokes of her hand spread it even,
and smoothed out the fringe.
"There, that is the quiet way of doing
the thing; now [ will show you the 6atstl5ng
way"
Her mother then hurried to the fireplace,
pulled away the chairs that stood near,
ratified the shovel and tongs, then turned
over the rug in such manner as to cause
a great puff of smoke and dust from the
fire, and then, IN the same fussy style,
spread it down again.
"That is the busting way of doing it,"
said her mother, sweeping up the hearth
and brushing off the ashes that had settled
upon the chimney-piece. "Now / will
show you how annoying it is for persons
to talk and disturb others while they are
engaged. Let US suppose that you have
lost your thimble, and that | am going to
look after it for you" She then pretended
to be looking for the lost thimble.
"Why, Jane" said she, hastily turning
over the things on the table, "where do
you suppose your thimble can be? Surely,
Susan must have mislaid it when she
swept the parlor. I wish she was not
such a careless girl" She then went to
another part of the room, and looked
under the sofa, continuing all the while
to talk: Why, Jane, perhaps you LETT
your thimble p-stairs, did you not? Jane
-Jane-Jane-did you not leave your
thimble up stairs? Shall go up and
see? -
Jane stood laughing to see her mother
acting in this strange way.
"You think it odd for me to act in such
a manner" said her mother, "but it is
quite as improper in little girl like you.
Now" she continued, a wish you to
learn the quiet way of doing things, and
then you will be much more useful to me
than you are at present; for very often
when there is something that you could
do, l say, No, l will do it myself, for
Jane will have SO much to say, and will
make such fuss about it, that she will
cause me more trouble than she will save
But wish you to begin now to learn the
quiet way of going about everything;
and then you will be a very great help to
me-"
Jane had many opportunities through
out the day of practicing her new lesson,
and she felt amply repaid by her mothers
smile and approving looks, and resolved
ever afterward to try the quiet nag rather
than the batstltng aoay.-Early Days.
The Old Fisherman's Story.