Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-09
THE GRuMBLRR,s BOOK.

ly, OF not brightly enOugh the grass
should have been blue, instead of green,
and the sky green, instead Of blue. At
church she observed that the ministers
necktie was awry, the singing bad, the
organ out Of tune, and "the old church
never looked so shabby and Old-fash-
iOned before" At home, they never
had things a. other folks had them"
The parlOT carpet was old-fashioned
and worn, every room in the house was
too small, and she was "tired to death
OF those everlasting old stoves, when
everybody else In town has CRATES"
The same spirit Of complaint went with
her to school, where she found cross
teachers, lessons longer than had ever
before beer given, and "no sense in
them anyway"
"What sense can there be in that in
tolerable DleESd, menSg. mensg, men
sam, nlelsa, nleTlsa, should like to
know"
% AHnG, Ailng, Anng, AnHaDl! What
has come over the spirit of your dreams
latelyp 1t seems to me you've been an
accusative case long enough Can't
something be done 10 remove the blue
glasses from your eyes, so you may see
things as they really are?" This from
Brother Fred.
THAT girl must be miserable in order
to be happy" remarked Uncle John, as
Anna left the room.
Fred resumed his reading. He was
following Captain Burnaby on his "Ride
TO Khiva," and had Just finished the
Captains account of riding "a camel in
love-" when he overheard his petulant
sister severely reprimanding a certain
geranium, which had obstinately refused
to blossom.
''See here, Sis" he called, you've
found some fault with everything that
has crossed your path for a week past;
and I'll acknowledge I've worn blue
glasses part of the time myself. 1t
relieves one immensely TO say Just what
he thinks once in a while, and must
confess rather enjoy it. However,
am aware chat mater faniliGs is not at
all pleased with some of the outspoken-
ness indulged in by her children, and
I've been casting about for some plan
which would enableyou and to sputter
| to our hearts content, and still not
offend the mother; and I've hit on Just
such plan. Want to hear itp'
The seTio-comic air with which Fred
| delivered this speech brought a smile to
| Annals face, in spite of her efforts to
keep on frown; and curiosity to learn
his "plen" prompted her to give an
affirmative reply.
"Well," said Fred, turning back a
few pages in his Ride to Khiva,"
"isten TO this. Captain Burnaby,
describing the station-houses along the
road which he travelled in Russia, says,
among other things "A book in which
to inscribe complaints was kept, and
any traveller who felt himself aggrieved
would write down his grievance. which
would be subsequently investigated by
an inspector, whose duty it was TO per-
form this task once a month Now, l
propose that you and / keep grum-
| bler's book, and, instead of splitting out
| our grievances as fast as they come to
us, causing the mother a sore heart and
everybody else a great deal of annoy
ance, we will write them in this book.
| Then we will constitute Uncle John in
| speetOr, and it shall be his duty to in
vestigate the contents of the grumbler' s
book every Saturday night, in the pres
ence of the entire family. What do
you say to writing book in this wayP"
Fred was obliged to wait moment
for reply to his question. The fact
was, Anna did not feel at all inclined to
favor this project, for she realized that,
in a measure, the so-called satisfaction
arising from speaking ones complaints
would be lost in an attempt to write
them; for really there was more truth
than there seemed to be in Uncle
John remark that she must be mis-
-, 80 kn huw.v,vr ~
| gT-umblers will understand this. More
over, the idea that all her complaints
for week were to be brought before
the family every Saturday night did not
seem to her quite a pleasant one. Still,
after a moment or two, she remarked
to Fred that if he was willing to do his
grumbling in this way she would under
take it, too; and the matter was settled.
On the following Monday morning a
blank book was given to Fred by his
uncle, and placed Fred and Anna only
knew where. Mrs. Parker was not in
the secret" and, as day after day
passed and no word of complaint was
heard from either Fred or Anna, her
surprise almost equaled her delight.
Only mother placed in exactly the
same situation can realize what week
that was for Mrs. Parker.
Saturday night came in due time. All
were gathered "rOund the evening
lamp" busted in. various ways, Mrs.
Parker, Uncle John and Fred absorbed
in their occupations. Anna, however,
appeared restless as a leaf, taking up
now this, now that piece of work, turn
ing the leaves of several books, but too
Uneasy to undertake to read; and final
y she was forced to inquire:
Fred, viii the inspector attend to
MS duty to-night?'
Mrs. Parker glanced at Anna with
wondering look, evidently bewildered
by her question; and she was not at all
heightened when Fred, closing his
book, remarked, with a merry twinkle
his eye;
''Guess, as he's Russian parsonage,
le's either frozen to death or has been
iating too much"
Uncle John laid aside his writing,
nd, looking up, with a laugh, said;
Bring the book, Fred, and the in-
pector will be ready for duty at once.
,ou know, Sister," he continued, as
red left the room, that Fred has a
( literary turn of mind, and hisgreat am
bition is TO write book. Wen, he has
commenced his book this week"
A" My book, rather" interrupted
Anna; ''for I've written nearly all Of it. "