The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-09-02
GETTING UP WRONG END FIRST
BY MRS. NJ. STRATTON BEERS,


GETTING UP WRONG END FIRST.
BY MRS. NJ. STRATTON BEERS.
| don't know what it was that made me
nurse the evil thing whose presence felt
i'll my heart upon my first awakening in
III" morning; but something so possessed
me that | was not myself.
| remember thinking Il got up wrong
end first this morning." and l laughed a
little. too, at the thought, for was not all
cross: it would have taken but tritlc of
something to have made me all right, but
that tritlc, whatever it might have been,
did not happen, so I went on getting
rrus>er and crosser, and all wrong every
way; and with my own hand was unwit-
tingly tinging my whole future life with
thr >omber coloring of a remorse which
can end only when my life ends.
To commence with, my mother told me
I" give six ears of corn to the pig in the
pen. went pouting and snarling to the
crib, and took whole armful of the
largest ears could find, probably adozcn
of them, and threw them into the pen just
rs She tmv mother) came down with a
bucket of clabber.
| expected a sound boxing of the ears,
hut instead of that she looked at me with
Il glance of surprise that knew was I'M
tcigncd. She did not expect that of me at
all: and instead of being angered she was
"rievcd. The look of surprise with these
words We're all the punishment l received:
Why, my son"'
In less time than l can write this for
You to read l had scrambled over the
fence into the pen, gathered all but six
cars up and was away to the crib with it,
OF course | was ashamed what boy of
thirteen would not have been? Besides l
was ashamed that had let my mother
with her frail, delicate figure and her
slender white hand carry the swill down
Ia the pig simply because she had not
supplemented her order about the corn
with the ono to " carry along the swill.'
SO went in and commenced to tease
my elder brother by catching his algebra
and throwing it across the room. [ felt
sure he would rctaliatc by at least a cross
word, and l felt that would be a relief to
me; but he did not; he gave me a look that
would have illuminated the one my mother
had given me down at the pen, a look in
which were mingled, though not blended,
surprise, love and pity that l was thus
tr"ubcd with a spirit so unusual to me.
This second time of giving away showed
even to me, at the moment, that l was get
ting worse, that the good in me grew less,
the evil greater; for l did not go and
pick up the book to undo this wrong, as
| had carried back the corn to make that
right again: instead, goaded on by some
impulse, kicked the book out into the
hall, then with Il second heave l sent it
out the door into a puddle of water that
hn1 I,ft fhnro hx- cl, al, had
come to us during the night.
This frightened me, and caught it out
as soon as it touched the water, but not in
time to save the leaves, many Of them,
from being wet and soilcd.
"Oh, Laz.! did not mean to do that,
indeed did not" l said, carrying the
book in to my mother, who, having seen
the whole performance, now stood with
cloth in hand to wipe the dirt and water
from the leayes.
My brothers name was Lazarus, but we
always called him Laz." for short.
Il know YOU didn't mean to, Grip, but
that don't make the book clean and dry :;
if it would | should be tempted to forgive
you on the spot; you look as if you were
sorry enough. Eli, little Bud ~
My name was nothing more nor less
than Agrippa. Grip was my nick
name, and Little Bud" or Buddie,"
was the name my little sister Honorc gave
me to distinguish mo from Bid Buddic,"
or big brother, as she could now say plain
ly, and we had grown into the habit, all
Of us, OF calling Lac. Bid Buddie," and
they of calling ME Little Buddie,"
Laz. had come up to where stood by
my mother as he was saying this, and
now he threw his arm around my Shout
dcrs, and caught the same look in his
sweet, blue eyes again; only love FREEDOM
mated now, and was heightened by the
spirit of pardon which was so freely given
me for my objectionable rudcncss 1t was
objectionable. l could not have forgiven
it, am sure. do not know what pos
sessed me; because l could not forgive
myself, felt and acted as if they had not
forgiven me, nay, l acted as if had been
the offended instead of the offender.
You can forgive me on the spot. or
not, as you choose, Mr.. Lazarus. l am
nowise particular" and strobe away out
Of the house and down to the barn, and
amused myself, until Kitty Duff called us
to breakfast by skimming stones on the
duck pond.
hadn't bit of appetite that morning,
and my mother did not press me to eat.
expect she saw that was all porcupinc
and that it did not matter at what point, 0,
however tender the touch, the quilts in
stantly stood out in full battle array if tho
touch was only given.
HOnore asked me for the sirup. took
the pitcher and poured her plate full, SC
that her steak and potato were immersed
rs well as the bit OF muffin she wished
sweetened.
Had my father been home would have
been collared and marched into his study
and locked in until after prayers, and
then receive good switching; but he was
gone, and my mothers and elder brothers
look, with her quiet 'Grippa, you may
leave the table now and sit in the corner
till we are through eating. l am ashamed
of you," reused me still more
wish my father had been at home, ani
had whipped me until I could not have
stood up fd-the pain; the whipping woult
have crushed the rebellion in my heart
and week would have cured the bruises
of the rod, and never would have writer
such an ending to my story: l should
have had no story to write at all.
AS it was, took my seat in the corner
and contented myself by making faces a
Honore whenever l could catch her eye
This was always enough to make her cry
at any time, and soon made her hide hel
face with her hands in the vain endeavol
TO hide her tears.
I remember thinking thara pyaSn,t a hny