Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-06-06
TOMMY'S "MANNERs."

TOMMY'S ssMANNERS."
Little Tommy could never tell which
Of his two grandmothers he loved best
-Grandma Phelps. who was tall and
straight, with soft gray curls, pretty
white laces, and plain black dresses
that were never wrinkled or mussed; or
Grandma Slater, who was short and
stout, wore funny black caps that were
always askew, and long calico. aprons
that were never off duty from morning
till night.
Grandma Phelps was always saying:
"Tommy, dear, remember to take. Oft
your cap or, Tommy, dear, you are
eating too FAST; or, Tommy, my
dear, it is very ill-manncred to leave
anything on your plate" But the blue
eyes beamed SO lovingly through the
gold-bowed glasses, and the pepper
mints in her black satin bag we're so big
and round, Tommy listened dutifully,
and tried to be as polite as he CONVEX
iently could, with the very short men,
DRY which most little boys have. Some
times, however, he felt obliged to tuck
a few crusts or a plain bit Of cooky I'M
der his plate, lest he should lose hear
ing n of grandma's lovely fairy
stories at bedtime; and this brought its
wv punishment, as you will see.
Grandma Slater lived on a farm, and
was too busy 10 tell stories, but Tommy
was tired OF tumbling about in
the new-mown hay; hunting for hens
nests, OF helping grandma make the
cheese, eating all the while bits of de-
licious curd.
Grandma seemed to look upon little
boys as a sort of grist-mill, with a
mouth for a hopper, into which she
must keep pouring something o. other;
she had such a funny, and Tommy
thought delightful, way of heaping
his plate with all sorts of goodies at
the table, and filing his pockets be-
tween meals.
On this particular day, there was
boiled chicken and plum-pudding for
dinner, with sauce for the latter, such
as only our grandmothers could make,
mostly of molasses, but sinlmered and
stirred and spiced to the crcaniest,
daintiest of sirups. Unfortunately,
Tommy during the forenoon had eaten
as many apples and pears and peaches
as would Comfortably fill three boys
stomachs instead of one, and it is little
wonder he dallied S long over his
chicken bones that, by the time he was
ready for pudding, Uncle Ted and the
hired man had hurried away to get in
the oats, and grandma had gone tolook
after her dried apples. 1t was a very
nice pudding, but there was 81 very
small cavity left for it, and Tommy, al
though he sighed over the vanishing
sweetness, felt a sense of relief when
two or three mouthfuls more promised
to leave his plate as ''mannerly'' as
even Grandma Phelps could desire.
just then, pat! came another whole
slice of pudding and q small deluge OF
sauce. Grandma Slater had stopped a
second, in one of her rapid transits
through the room. '.Eat away, sonny"
she said, ''there's plenty more; take
your own time"
"Please, ma'am, I couldn't''-began
Tommy. But grandma was gone; and
oh, dear! What if he did have plenty
of time! Swallowing another mouthful
was quite out of the question; and what
would Aunt Jane think of chat plate
when she came to clear off the table!
What would Grandma Phelps say! and
she was sure to ask if he had been her
"little man. all day.
Now, if Tommy had never hidden
those disagreeable crusts the rest of this
story might never have happened. AS
it was. quick as q fash, he unbuttoned
his little blouse waist, slowed away. the
pudding, sauce and all, and, Selling his
cap, rushed through the kitchen to the
outside door, calling Rex, tAe old shep-
herd dog, to follow. Faithful old Rex,
he knew, would never tell what became
of the pudding.
But, right in the doorway, he ran full
| tilt against his OWE papa, who had taken
q half holiday, and driven out to the
| farm with mamma and the baby and
Grandma Phelps.
"Save and preserve us!" cried papa,
catching Tommy up in his arms,
whats the hurry, little man? or is
this the way you and Rex usually get
over the ground?"
80, papa!" exclaimed Tommy,
"don't-dom't squeeze me. please
oh. dear me!"
"Why, Tommy S!ater!" said NAM
ma. pulling open the little stained
blouse and looking ruetully from that
to papa's white vest and linen duster.
"Why of all things!" exclaimed
Grandma Phelps, holding up both her
hands. ..Can it be-our Tommy is-a
g%lutton!"
"L wasn't, I didn't" sobbed Tommy.
.'It's the-manners! / couldn't have
EN- any other way; n what's the use
of 'em, anyhow, s'posin' you're full of
something else inside?'
"To be surer' laughed Grandma
Slater, coming to Tommy's rescue.
Manners, just for the outside. don't
amount to much. Never mind now,
sonny, grandma was most to blame this
time-both grandmas I'm thinking"
she added, shaking hands with Grand
ina Phelps, a twinkle Of mischief in her
black y "a. leetle too much mud.