The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-09-23
A Quiet House.

"Dear me!' SlShed MI. lurlho9le 10
as n burst of shrill, childish laughter
sounded from the nursery down the
hall-stairs and into the sitting room
where be was making out some nc
counts. "I wish those children ever
would be quiet! Amt it bed time
Tillie ?"
"They arc probably undressing,
Mrs. Turmoylc replied, quietly. 81
will 50 up and sec if they arc ready
for bed"
DO keep them quies until they
arc! -j
There was an interval of profound
silence, and in about hall an hour the
mother returned. ..:..
trhcy are all asleep now she said
tom had dressed the kitten III Bes
sizes dolls clothes.' -
The accounts finished, Mr.. Turmoyle
leaned buck in his chair. ...
i wish you had some management
with those children, Tillic, he said.
| went over 20 Stones on business
last evening, and You would have no,
known there was u child in the house
And Stone has five, while we have
only three ss. .s.,z
Perhaps they were aBsd
'They we're all in the next room,
was the triumphant reply. 'Stono is
proud of them, and we'll he may be-
There is Willie, just the agc of oul
Tom, studying Latin instead of dress
ling kittens in dolls clothes. And
Amy, who will not be three years old
flor thrco months, reads well, and
knows the multiplication through
Look at our young savages' g..
'Thcy are getting along we'll at
school, dear. 1 think Mark is toe
young yet to study. The others did
not 20 to school till they were five.
sAnd Tom just manages to write O
decent letter at twelve, while Willie
is in Latin grammar. And as fol
manners, why Tom will mako more
noise alone, than Stones five, all put
together ., r :.
Mrs. Turmoyle, being woman o.
sense, did not continae tho argument
but mentally resolved to see Mrs
Stone, the next day, and talk with
her about the wonderful secret o1
having five children and quiet
house.
Il am sure [ can't do itl' the gentle
loving mother thought, with q sigh
Seated the next morning in close
conversation, the ladies presented 8
contrast rs marked as the atmosphere
of their houses. The tiny blue-eyeo
little woman, who had 10 heart tc
suppress Toms merry whistle, OF
Bessie's silvery laugh, had left q home
where constant care only secured
cleanliness, and where childish disor
der was manifest everywhere but II
the best parlor. She looked at the
tall, dark haired matron opposite her
noted tho exquisite morning dress
faced with light silk, spotless and IN
rumpled, and thought regrettulIy o
the marks of ten chubby fingers upol
her own, printed there when her boy
baby, her darling mark, had just sue
eccded in forcing o piece of nj
'"swectest candy" into mamma
mouth. She noted the dainty ordc
of the sitting-room, where every chal
stood primly to it's appointed place
and not even q thread rested upon tn
carpet, and remembered Marks stabl
made for his 'spress cart and horse
under tho lounge, and Bessie's "keeP
house. the lower shelf of the book
case. Visions haunted her also Q
snippings of puper, bits of string, an
|odds and ends Of dolls fnery upo1
the table. .
), Drifting from one scrap of matron
ly talk 10 another, tho ladies cam
naturally to the care and management
of children, and Mrs. Turmoyle com
plimented her neighbor upon tn
appearance Of her house and the pre-
ficiency of the little ones.
i cannot understand how you ae
compllsh it, she said, frankly. 49,,
by SYSTEM, was the reply. 'Ih
education of my children begins,
may say, in their cradeles. AS 800
as they can walk they have their ow
proper place in the room, and ar
) trained to perfect silence when olde
persons are present
| Mrs. Turmoyle thought of tn
. noisy chorus Of shouts, the eager r.
eital of the days pleasures or acc
!. dents that greeted papa, auntles 9
Sluncles in her own nursery, and WoI
tered if Tom, Bessie and Mark coul