Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-01-05
MY COUSINS CHILDREN.

behave well at the table, and that Is why
wanted TO tell the Ohio Farmer young
ones what l saw one day last week. There
were four of them at the table, Harry,
Frank, Minnie and Freddie. Their ages
ranged from eleven to three years. The
mother said: Now, cousin, draw your
chair up here by the south window, and
we will visit while the children eat their
dinners"
SO we sat down. The door opened into
the kitchen, and | sat where | could see
the children
They came charging into the house
without cleaning their feet at all, and
rushed up to the table, jamming against
each other, and elbowing their way with
out caring who got poked in the eyes or
ribs
9 I'm as hungry as the Black Man, y
said Harry, drawing his brows in a
scowing, pouting way, and throwing his
cap clear across the floor, where it landed
among his mothers geraniums.
Pm as hungry as an old bear" said
another
Not half as hungry as / am" pouted
Minnie, "for you know the Eaters were
all gone when | came to the table this
lioiuiHS anu Noi, dSlcI IldIlN, ndu
eat 'em too you old fool, you;n and she
thrust her lips out and looked very, very
ugly.
" That's a lie," Harry plumply re-
torted
l looked around to see where | had laid
my hat; was horiiicd and almost afraid
and meditated running right off home
had never heard such language between
little brothers and sisters. | was scared.
Chidrenl children" said the mother,
composedly, and from feeble sense of
responsibllity-very feeble, think.
Then the clash of rafting chairs and
blinking glasses and tinkling spoons and
forks began, mixed in with "You!"
son, now I'll tell /" old meannessr'
Hog, you" "Gi'me somen "Got
more II yourshare," NAH ma. Ii II III. hn,
Then one ran TO the door from feeding
too fast; and another one got burnt. and
in dire extremity snatched up the near
est glass OF water to quenCh the flame,
and for his over freedom was cracked on
the head with the nearest weapon, which
was the large handle of the bread-knife
The mother, a dear, little weak woman,
was so busily engaged telling me about
some resolutions passed at a late meeting
OF then society that the din and contu-
sion did not disturb her at ALL and she
only said occasionally; children! chill
drcn!n
" You gave me the meanest piece on
the plate" whined Frank through his
stuily nose, and then he doubled his fist
into his eyes and commenced boring for
water
Ma! mar called Minnie, call the
water tipped over on to my plate, so it
did"
+" Never mind, darling, set it aside and
take another plate, thatl be the way to
MANAGE" said the mother in a sweet.
affected voice-soiter than the daintiest
satin.
You Min" was the next thing |
heard; you split all that mess on the
carpet-just secl can track you from
clear round there 10 here"
:" don't care, 50 now" was the unct-
uous answer.
Then for little while no voice was
heard, but the most vigorous Smacking
was kept up along with the noise made in
drinking-the gurglng and the putting,
and even the sounds made as the fluid
passed down their noisy throats. Four
Gogs eating right greedily from four piles
of tender bones wouldn't have made much
more noise Pretty soon one of the chill
drcn Choked and got blue in the face, and
To relieve him another one pounded him
in the back, and showed signs of conster-
nation. Then another one tipped the
gravy over into the pickle-dish, and the
accident Was duly reported 10 the mother,
who said "Mell, we'll, dearS, never
mind; eat your dinners, lutte ones"
Then one of the boys took the last
baked potato, and a serious scutfie ensued
and il fell under the table, and they
and entanglcd the table and the
dishes in a regular Sct-to, not unlike =
dog 1gh,. | could stand il no longer
and with little scream looked all about
for my hat.
The mother, with serene face, rose and
went into the kitchen, saying; Why,
what is Ii, dears Bows! boys"
WAY, The old blagcayd spcarcd into
the last uter just Is was rcachin' for
il, said Harry, with very ugly, red
face, ana he s,1wieU Nicipuslv az his
.r;siAcr, Who had risen from the fray putting
and blowing, with his damp hairall down
over his forehead
Oh, YOU don, know how angry and
ugly those boys did appear.
Wen, children. am astoni>hed AT
YOU, said the placid mother, kissing one
O. them ami making vain effort to kiss
the ether, but be was refractory and pulled
back 50 that her Nose Just uazed his
shoulder, tipping It up somewhat at the
end
He was TO bismo!" piped ont one.
90 No wasn't au,hgr, YOU old goose,
You, was yer own fault, had The best
right to The later