Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-02-08
HOW l CHEATED.

julie and wipe dishes three times
every day. Mamma washes them and
we wipe. We don't like to do it very
well, specially the big platter.
julie don't like to wi pc that n neither
do |. We most always take turns WHIP
ing it, 'cept sometimes when we forget
whose turn it is. Then julie wipes one
side of the platter N | wipe the other.
Jules my sister. She goes to school
cause she S ten years old. Tn only
eight, n don't go yet. That's why
! have to wipe all the dishes Moons. l
mean every noon 'cept Saturday n Sun
day.
julie don't have more'n time to come
straight home from school N eat her
dinner n go right back again. So she
can't wipe any dishes, IN sometimes
there's lots N lots of them to do.
Well, one day, Miss Crafton--that's
Jules teacher-told all the girls that
she had some picture cards that she was
going to give to the ones that weren't
late to school for a whole month.
julie said Miss Grafton held up some
of the cards to show them, n they were
real pretty. They had flowers on them
in colors just like real flowers, N julie
said she was going to try ever so hard
to get one.
So every morning she'd start at half
past eight, so she'd be sure to be early
enough, n moons she'd run both ways,
N for three weeks she wasn't late once.
Well, one Thursday mamma d been
baking. She always makes ever SO
many dirty dishes when she cooks, N
this time the sink was just full. Course
I'd had to help her all the forenoon, n
my feet were awful tired doing so many
errands, n just hated to think about
the dishes.
Ibid wish julie would stop n help me.
But she ran in just the same she always
does n sat down and ate her dinner, n
while she was eating ] went into the sit
ting-room-
Mamma had most washed the dishes,
but didn't feel like wiping them just
yet. Sometimes l let my dishes get
stone cold before wipe them, hate to
DO it so.
Well, / went into the sitting-room n
there was our old clock. IT'S a big one
above my head, N father winds it. But
don't you think, he'd forgotten to wind
it that morning, n there it had stopped
Just fifteen minutes past twelve!
And then don't know what put it in
my head, but / just made up my mind
I'd make julie help me anyway; n i
went back n / said: julie, it's only
fifteen minutes past twelve. You've got
lots of time yet. Do help me about the
dishes"
Well, she didn't want to at first, n
she said "No;" but / teased. n told
her l was so tired, n told her again that
it was only fifteen minutes past, n SO
she got a dish-towel N hurried round to
help me, n / wiped, too.
Oh my. you don't know how mean
did feel! l kept saying to myself:
.'Tisn't truly lie, you know, the clock
really did say fifteen minutes past. n
julie needn't have believed me n never
have gone in to see for herself. guess
she won't be late. Anyway, 'tisn't any
worse than an April Fool"
But all the same was real glad when
julie got through n picked up her hat
n started of on run. She'd stayed
until the very last dish was wiped, n
I was getting real scared for fear she'd
be late.
Well, when four o'clock came didn't
want to see julie much, N did'nt run
to meet her the way do sometimes.
But just the minute she came inside tho
yard I knew what had happened.
20 Lulu" said she, what made you
tease me to stay this noon? was ten
minutes late, n now / can't have my
cardr' N she cried SO lard that-oh,
I'd rather have wiped dishes hundred
years than had her feel sol
Well, she cried most all the evening
n didn't want any supper, n all the
time she never even s'pected that I'd
told her the time wrong.
And / went round feeling just like
Judas N Mas n Sapphire until j
couldn't stand it any longer, n then /
told mamma n julie everything, n I
cried; n julie wasn't mad at all, N We
made up, n mamma went n told Miss
Grafton all about it next day. n she
gave julie one of the cards, same as tho
other girls,
Is'pect Miss Grafton thinks Jules
got an awful wicked sister n agree
with her, for / really b'lieve it Oas
truly lie after ll.-Mary z. Bonford.
- YOUTHS Companion.