The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-11-26

y
And Susy hurried away, glad of the
permission to do something that should
satisfy her sense of duty and, Mt the
same time, take her out of the reach of
any possible calls upon the small
stock of patience. and politeness that
the petty annoyances OF the day had
left her.
The lobelia was in the herb closet, and
as she drew the bundle hastily from
its niche upon the upper shelf, the
stems dropped apart in her hand, several
falling at her feet. GO am sure l tied
them together" she said to herself, and,
as she st Soped to pick up the scattered
ones, her eye fell upon the paper label
that had dropped from the bunch
of summer savory the evening be-
fore, and, with habitual care, she
paused for moment to readjust it in its
place.
But what was this? The summer
savory, with its label untouched, lay un-
disturbed upon the shelf, where she
had placed it weeks ago-but this =
she read the before unexamined label
"Lobelia.
chased each other in rapid success
sion over the girls expressive face, and,
dropping into the nearest chair, she
laughed till the tears ran down her
cheeks.
"To think that 1 should have made
such a mistake 70 she gasped between
her paroxysms of laughter. "What will
Ben Toothacre say to his emetic, l won
der?"
Then, as sudden thought crossed her
mind, her eyes fairly danced with de-
light and triumph, and springing to her
feet she fastened into the parlor, and APP
preaching the sofa, remarked, i'll the
most matter-of fact tones:
give found out what ails your son,
Mrs. Toothacre. l made mistake in
the seasoning of my turkey stuffing and
put lobelia instead of summer savory."
"Lobelia !"
Ben grew white about the mouth, and
his mothers faded eyes absolutely blazed
with wrath.
81 should think twas mistake !" she
cried, spitefully. "What on 'arth was
you thinkin' ON ter make SIGH blunder
as that "A child ten years old would
Susy was inwardly delighted, but she
put on an air of wounded dignity.
"Hell get over it as soon as the emetic
has had time to work." she said, so
coolly that Mrs. Toothacre could hardly
forbear shaking her.
"Heu get over wantin' to eat any
more of your victuals," she retorted,
with what she considered cutting sar-
casm, and, as her son seemed consider
ably revived, she began to urge their de-
parture for home, but Susy interposed.
"Don't hurry him !" she said, with
politeness that the aggrieved pair took
as an additional insult. I" The doctor'll
be hear soon, and perhaps he'll give him
something to settle his stomach-you'd
better wait.
But Ben, like his mother, thought it
best to seek the shelter and safety of
their own home, and as Susy went to
bring their wrappings, she overheard the
old lady ask in tone of intense anxiety:
"You amt committed yourself, have
We, Benjie?"
"No, aam, I'm glad to say / hain't."
"That's lucky" replied the dame,
with sigh of relief. "Why, there amt
no KNOWN what SIGH an absent minded
woman'd do. Like as not she'd put
tansy in your sassages an fill up the
pepper-sass bottle with balm gilead
buds She amt safe to be trusted to
cook for decent folks"
"She won't never cook for me ~
growled Ben, and Susy, who heard it all,
laughed triumphantly in her sleeve.
Ben Toothacre never renewed his I'M
welcome attentions, and Father Harris
ate his next Thanksgiving dinner at the
house of his daug liter, Mrs. John Oak
man, whose reputation as model house
keeper is now too well established in the
community to suffer injury from the
significant hints of old Mrs. Toothacre
and her still unmarried son, who, to this
day, date everything from "that Thanks
giving dinner when Susy Harris seasoned
her turkey stuffing with lobelia.'