Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-23

Wudt Cuu piOullSe mOFcG
BY boys and girls it should be said.
I'll say it with a shout:
HltrToeiI for carly into bed!
Htuydh for early out!
Chicago Standard.
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MANNERS"
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
minis in her black satin bag SO big
and round, Tommy listened dutifully,
and tried to be as polite as he conven-
iently could, with the very short men,
ory which most little boys have. Some
times, however, he felt obliged to tuck
few crusts or plain bit of cooky un-
der his plate, lest he should lose hear
ing one of grandma's lovely fairy
stories at bedtime; and this brought its
own punishment, as you will see.
Grandma Slater lived on farm, and
was too busy 10 tell stories, but Tommy
was never tired of tumbling about in
the new-mown hay, hunting for hens
nests, or helping grandma make the
cheese, eating all the while bits of de-
licious curd.
Grandma seemed to look upon little
boys as sort of grist-mill, with a
mouth for hopper, into which she
must keep pouring something or other;
she had such a funny, and Tommy
thought delightful, way of heaping
his plate with all sorts of goodies at
the table, and filling his pockets be-
tween meals.
On this particular day. there was
boiled chicken and plum-pudding for
dinner. with sauce for the latter, such
rs only our grandmothers could make,
mostly of molasses, but simmered and
stirred and spiced to the crcamiest,
daintiest of sirups. Unfortunately,
Tommy during the forenoon had eaten
as mahy apples and pears and peaches
rs would comfortably Till three boys
stomachs instead of one, and it is little
wonder he dallied so long over his
chickea 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 to look
after hur dried apples. 1t was very
nice pudding, but there was a very
small cavity left for it, and Tommy, al
though he sighed over the vanishing
sweetness, felt 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 pu iding and a 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, 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
acould Aunt Jane think of that plate
when she came to clear off the table!
What would Grandma Phelps say! and
sh9 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 rs flash, 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. the old shep-
herd dog, to follow. Faithful old Rex,
he knew, would never tell what became
of tho pudding.
But, right in the doorway, he ran full
tilt a9ainst his own papa. who had taken
n half holiday, and driven out to the
farm with mamma and the baby and
Grandma Phelps.
"Save and preserve u.s." cried papa,
catching Tommy up in his arms,
What's the hurry, little man? or is
this the way you and Rex usually get
over the groundP"
20, papal'' exclaimed Tommy,
don't-don't squeeze me. please
oh. dear me!''
"Why. Tommy Slater!' said man.
ma. pulling open the little stained
blouse and looking ruefully 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
gluttonr'
II wasn't, didn't" sobbed Tommy.
Its the-manners! L couldn't have
'em any other way; N what's the use
of EN-. anyhow, s'posin' you're full of
something else insidep'
ITO 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
ma Phelps, twinkle of mischief in her
black eyes. "a lcetle too much pud-
ling and manners, too, take il. Well,
well, soap n water III make the outside
all right, and wen plant the manners
bit deeper, so s to have the real grow
ing kind; don't do to have all tops and
no roots to that sort of thing. Tommy
isn't the first one who has set out to
make clean the outside of the platter
and found themselves in a muss."-
ConqTegGtio,latist