The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-12-31

I :--
the senior class = to % examined, :,
hs said, YEARLY.
70 school! Very well, I win set Won
some sums after dinner, and find Won
some words to study in the dictionary. y
Silently the five sat down and wait
ed till the visitor departed, uncomfort-
ably conscious Of ten weary eyes, and
five pallid, pinched faces. s.3
Crossing her own doorway, Mrs.
Turmoyle was greeted by merry duet:
mo school! no SCHOOL," -
| Then the tenor: .ss -,
| won't you make some hobs for nv
kite; ), mammaP There's a splendid
Followed by sweet soprano:
"And oh, mamma, you promised the
first holiday you would trim my dolls
"Iain't a kite, toop'' stuck in Mark.
'Oh. do let me get my breath, !"
cried the little woman. ''Where's your
hat, Tomp''
"Oh, forgot" said Tom, sweeping
1t of with profound bow. Here,
take this chair, and let me take your
bonnet and sacque up stairs. You are
very tired
I'm help make Them" said Bessie;
land Ill 60 and watch Tom mamma,
It you don't feel like trimming the
bonnet"
] ''We'n sec after dinner,'' said Mrs.
Turmoyle, looking from one round,
rosy face to the other, marking the
sturdy limbs and dancing eyes. TO be
sure the hair of all three must be re-
duced from state of rebellion before
they were presentable at the table, and
soap and water were pleasant sugges-
tons in the maternal eyes. There was
perfect health and happiness, if the
voices were shrill and boots noisy.
eve been to see Mrs. Stone,' she
said, when washed and combed, the
children gathered around her TO wait
tor papa and dinner, land I wondered
if could ever make my children as
quiet and orderly as hers are.''
"Willie Stone is a milk-sop!'' said
Tom, CONTEMPORARY. "Always crying
because his head aches! He can't play
anything, and daren't move for fear Of
spelling his clothes. Wouldn't play
football for fear of getting dust on his
shoes! There's nice hoy for YOU
no might as well be a girl!''
''And mother, the teacher had to
write note to Mrs. Stone the day John
Grey split the ink on Maud's apron.
She was so afraid to 20 home it was
awful! She said her mother would
whip her, and keep her on bread and
water for whole day. Miss Lee told
her to say it was not her fault, but she
said her mother would not believe
her."
"Dinner-and here comes papa!''
cried Tom.
Mr.. Turmoyle came in with a very
grave face. He made no comment on
the boisterous announcement of the hol-
iday. but stopped to kiss the rosy faces
with unwanton tenderness. After din
ner he sent the children to the nursery,
and he said to his wife, who had been
anxiously watching his clouded face:
''Tillie, met DR.. Holmes on my way
home. and he tells me that there have
been three cases of scarlet fever from
school. 1t is raging feartully, he says
Mrs. Turmoyle turned pale.
I'm the schoo1?" she murmured.
''Well, among the scholars
There was little more to say, but
the heart of each parent sent up a
petition to kind Heavenly Father to
keep the plague from their door.
Yet it came. A week later Mark
sickened, and in three days more all
three were down. Tender, loving care,
and unexpected docility of patients,
carried the little Turmoyles safely out
upon the road to health again. The
most nauseous medicines were swal-
lowed if mamma coaxed, and the most
stringent stiffness was observed when
papa was discovered to have tears in
his eyes beside Bessie's crib.
The day the children assembled in
the sitttng-room for the first time was a
gala day, but papa was observed to have
a sad face.
while we are thankful, dear chill
dren," he said, ''for our blessings, let
us not forget to sympathize with the
sorrows of others. Willie and Maud
Stone were buried to-day and Amy will
be deaf for life. The others are still
very ill.
At bedtime, when the children slept
the sleep of convalescence, MIR. Tur-
moyle came to the nursery, where the
blue-eyed wife was laying out the morn
ing clothing.
''Tillie," he said, drawing the little
woman close in his strong arms,''
have had a long talk with DR.. Holmes,
and cannot rest until l thank you for
n nj
you have saved our children.'
II am sure you never spared your
self in nursing" said Mrs. Turmoyle.
The nursing was the smallest part
of it. DR.. Holmes says it was not the
scarlet fever that killed Stones chill
dren. but the mothers system. The
fever found overtaxed brains, bodies
weakened by want of exercise, tempers
made sunen by a deprivation of all
childish pleasures. They were nursed
by system. no allowance being made
for weakness or suffering, and the two
that are gone but .precede the two that
are dangerously i'll. If they recover
from the fever they will never reach
maturity unless their mother sees her
error. You may thank your wife s
management for your Children the
doctor said to me; there was something
to build upon in the sturdy frames Of
those young savages.
Mrs. Stone could see no fault IN her
system, though two little graves attest
| ed its weakness. Her children, re-
covering from the fever, there was no
relaxation of home rule, and listless,
pale and dull-eyed, they went back to
the routine.
Four years passed away, and Tom
left home for boarding-school, gen.
tlemanly boy of sixteen, well up in his
studies, and in perfect health. Driv-
ing home from the station. after start
ing upon his journey, Mr.. and Mrs.
Turmoyle passed Mr.. Stones hand
some house, prim and spotless, the