Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-18
WHY MINNIE sTA1D AT HOME.

"But, Mamma" said Minnie, look
ing grave but determined, 81 shall haze
to wear this dress, because my only
other white one that is clean is too
tight for anything; it hurts me so that l
can hardly breathe"
Pm sorry, daughter" the mamma
said, with equally determined face;
''but you surely see that such a delicate
muslin Us that you have on is not suit
able to wear to a lawn party. 1t will
tear as easily as lace"
"But I've got to wear it, you see,"
said Minnie, with a touch of Impotence
in her voice. "You don't want me to
wear tight clothes. you know"
"And what reason have you found
for wearing that broad, blue sash?"
swell, mamma. you know it is the
only one that matches nicely with this
dress and these stockings, and things
ought to match"
eyes; and why must the stockings
be worn?'
go, WE'LL" said Minnie, catching an
end of the sash and twisting it, 81 sup
pose l could wear other stockings, but
l thought with my nice new slippers
.nS9O NOulu 1oOh tue pfeCtleSC, anu 1
didn't think you would care"
"Does it seem to you that nice
new SLIPPERS that were bought to wear
only in the house, are the proper things
for lawn parties?'
"No'm; but l had to put them on.
My boots have the ugliest great nails
sticking into my toes; l could hardly
walk around last night; so, of course, I
had to put on the slippers"
Very grave looked the mamma. It
was a sad fact that she had never heard
of the dress that was too tight, or of the
fearful nails in the high-buttoned kid
boots, until this moment. Could it be
possible that her little daughter was
tempted, by her desire to appear in fine
new clothes at the party, to speak not
quite the truth?: She sat thinking for a
full minute before she decided that her
child needed o severe lesson.
Minimize" she said, and the little
girl knew that when her mother spoke
in that tone, and called her by her full
name, there was no more chance for ar
gument, ''you can no wear that dress,
and that sash, and those slippers and
stockings, to the lawn party"
Now it was Minnie's turn to consider.
She looked down and fitted the toes of
her slippers most carefully into a fl CURE
of the carpet.
"Well,' she said at last, drawing a
long sigh, a~ndlooking as though the sor-
rows of life sat heavy on her heart, 81
suppose l can go and change all my
things; but [ shall be very late. 1t is
time to go now.o
"Yes," said the mother, her face
most sad ''you may change all your
things. Put on the calico that you wore
this morning, and your everyday
boots"
mammal" gasped Minnie, don't
you mean to let me 60 to the party?"
''There iS nothing for you to wear,
my daughter. l suppose you would
not like to go IN your everyday clothes,
| and you say your other white dress is
TOO tight, and the nails in your kid boots
hurt your feet. So, Of course, you will
have to stay home. If l had heard of
this before, I could have altered the
dress and had the boots put in order;
but you know YOU have never said any,
thing about it before
Then was Minnie's :ace very red. 81
can wear them. mamma she said,
turning away. ''They are not very
comfortable, but [ can stand it,"
'.No, daughter, | can o allow you
to stand it, You know l do not wish
you to dress so you can hardly breathe,'
nor wear shoes in which you can hard
ly walk around 1 see nothing for you
but to remain at home"
Then did poor Minnie burst into a
flood of tears! She poured the words
ont very fast. Her dress was not too
tight, she did not have any trouble to
breathe, and her shoes did not hurt her
but just a speck, and she could wear
them as we'll as not.
"Minnie.n said her mother, breaking
into the midst of this storm of words.
"Then what have you been telling your
motherY'
Poor little Minnie! It was a hard
lesson. She went to no lawn party that
afternoon; she sat on the back piazza
in her dark calico dress and thick boots,
and sobbed. She had grown so used to
making little bits of things into great
ones, when it suited her convenience to
do so, that she actually did not realize
that she vas telling what was untrue.
l know some other little people who
have the same bad habit.-IAe Pansy.
What Can He Do?