The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-12
MRS. TOOGOOD'S CHRISTIANITY.


and dressed the six Youngest of her fami-
~ of eight; the two eldest are girls and
, no longer need their mothers helping
( hand in the way of "iixin'." They are
going to church, aud have on their best
clothes, their Sunday go-to -mectins.
Little Beulah Nashii has on the new
pink pcrcalc that she tried to wear on
Friday to school, because the other chl-
! dren were t. be dressed up at the "read-
/ ing match" but was denied by her moth
! cr. who diG..'t believe in indulging chill
! dren in any such fUolishness and vanity.
I Alabama Washington, the Oldest daugh.
ter-named in honor of her mothers
/ birth place, and Of the Father of our
/ Country-has her iront-locks in curl
| papers, which she has kept carefully
! concealed from her mothers nu.:ce by Il
dust-c3p, until the last moment for get
| ting ready for church Mrs. Toogood spies
them.
"Do you think, Alabama Washington,
that intend To let you go with your hair
rugged out in that fashion? Do you sup
pose I'd let a daughter Of mine sit in
church under the eyes Of the preacher,
showing such signs of vanity! Now.
miss, you just brush 'em right out! /" So
poor Alabama, who is nearly grown, and
naturally desires to look pretty, takes the
Offending papers out, and slowly brushes
the otherwise straight locks, but Il few
little ringlets are leit-Alabama didn't
brush veiy hard-wlich she slyly pushes
under the edges of her hair, and duly
pulls down, rs she walks to church be-
hind her mother.
Little Jim Tom, the youngest, wants to
know if he can't ride his stick-horse TO
church. "To church |" screamed Mrs.
Toogood. "No, indeed and if / catch
you OF it, or you get Il spcck of dirt ON
your good clothes, I'll give YOU such II
warming when get home that you'll not
forget it soon p
At last the eight are ready. The little
ones eyes are rcd-i;or the tears would
come despite their mothers "if you cry
| I'll make you stay at home ~ II threat
she had no idea of carrying out-they
only hoped she would-with having
tangled hair combed and jerked, being
scoldcd for not holding the sleeve" and
other shortcomings; it's no wonder they
bore traces of having gone through an
ordeal.
"..!at.,,n,. Washington" (NIrs. Too
good calls all her children by their full
namcs) "la,. you seen anything of my
hymn book? laid it right on this shelf
last Sunday evening. Saw Henry Clay
"rn ;"'r- - H., the LORD;
knt,,, 90. What will the world come to
Pre-. Ters in hymn. book | Just
feel like shakin' the life out of her.
Come here to me, Henry Clay, what have
you been doing with my hymn book ?"
Nothing" meekly answers Henry
Clay, girl of twelve years. 81 just tool,
it to sing out ol-just to learn Come
Thou Fount Of Every Blessin'.' | haint
pressed no flowers in it,
"Well, Pll bless you if 1 ever catch
you with it again"
Notwithstanding Henry Clay's denial
the stain of green leaf and the purple
from n morning glory were visible on Il
page, but not on the one of Gene Thou
Fount;' that didn't seem to have been
touched with either flowers or finge,
prints.
Alabama Washington, i want to tell
you now that don't want you to look at
them Spriggs boys like you did last Sun
day, else I'l call your pas attention to
it; the preachers the proper one to lool;
at" Mrs. Toogood was always going to
"tcll your pa" but this was threat the
children didn't mind, as they stood in no
awe of that easy-going, patient man.
"What's that you've got, William Henry
Harrison, under your vest"' Got moth
ing" sullenly answers William Henry.
eyes he has, mother!' eagerly cries
Maria Ellen, his twin; "he's got bean
shooter; saw him put it there" Mrs.
Toosood runs her hand up William Hen
ry's vest, and out comes the bean shooter
"a strip OF leather fastened to two
pronged stick. Poor William Henry is
raped over the head with his plaything,
while his aifectionate twin giggles and
cries, "Goody, goodyw
| Mr.. Toogood, who has been patiently
standing on the front porch, calls to his
wife that "the last bell is ringing and she's
been mighty time tixin'," while Mrs.
| Toogood, with flushed face, answers if
she had no more to do than he she'd
have been ready long ago. II wish,
Jasper" she cries in exaspcratcd tone,
'you had the work | have to do with
these brats, you wouldn't then have time
to find so much fault; but the unrcason-
nblest thing on the face of the earth is q
man, and l don't want to hear another
word from you, for Pm just worried to
death anyhow. l wish you could see the
sacriment bread that Celie Ann has
baked (Celie Ann is the hired GIRL. All
| the members know it's my week for bak-
ing the bread, and I'll be mortified to
death when it's passed round. 1t will
do Mrs. Blowgo so much good to talk
about il in the next six months and old
Mrs. wilkins will be tickled to death.
do wish had baked it myself, but was
SO busy trimming my bonnet, that
made up the dough and give it to Celie
| Ann to bake, and pretty muss she's
made, with two blistcrs on it as big as
my finger nail. l just wish she had ten
times as many on her tongue; perhaps
she couldn't have so much gah, and ~;
likely why the cake was blistered she
was leanin' out the window Cabling to
Sister Potts girl, instead O watching it,
give her head good crncking tho with
the soup dippcr. 'Spect she'll leave. /
don't care If she does, the trifing thing"
Toogood, with her husband and the eight
slowly down the aisle and take a bench
near the pulpit. 1t is warm Sunday,
and Brother Doleman breaches long,
dry sermon. The four younger Toogoods
get so tired. "Nill he never get
through" they think.
Little Jim yawns and mods, and I'M
easily moves about, while his mother
gives his legs pinch under the fold of
her dress, and whispers, "If you don't
keep still I'll give you good one when
get you homc;" but poor Jim is soon
past all threats the tired eyes that he
has tried so bravely to keep open close at
last, and his little curly head falls against
his sister Alahama's shoulder-he was
afraid to rest it against his Mothers