Smyrna times., 1885-11-11

sunny AatlI uHu pOllSneu DOOUS, Jney
followed in orderly fashion the lead of
the eldest, who stood before his mother,
awaiting her permission to speak.
"Well my son ?" she said quietly.
"There is no school this afternoon;
the senior class is to be examined" !" he
said, weaIily.
No school Very well, I will set
you some sums after dinner, and find
you some words to study in the die
tionary"
Silently the five sat down and waited
till the visitor departed, uncomfortably
conscious of ten weary eyes, and five
pallid, pinched faces.
Crossing her own doorway, Mrs.
Turmoyle was greeted by a merry
duet
No school no school !"
Then the tenor:
won't YOU make some bobs for my
kite, mamma? There's splendid
wind"
Followed Ivy a sweet soprano:
And oh, mamma you promised the
first holiday you would trim my dolls
bonnet"
e" I amt a kite, too?" stuck in Mark.
oh, do let me get my BREATH" cried
the little woman Where's your hat,
Tom ?"
oh, ] forgot" said Tom, sweeping
it off with profound bow. Here,
take til ) chair, aud let me take your
honnet and sacque up stairs You are
very tired"
III help make them," said Bessie
"anl I'll go and watch Tom mamma,
if y Il don't feel like trimming the
Lo>npt.'
" W"ll see after dinner" said Mrs,
Turmryle looking from one round,
rosy iaca to the other, marking the
sturdy liMbs and dancing eyes. To
hr sure the hair of all three must be
reduced from II state of rebellion before
.hey were presentable at the table, and
,oap and wafer were pleasant sugges-
ti"ns in the maternal eyes. There was
perfect heath and happiness, if the
voic = Wer shrill and boots noisy.
" I've been to see Mrs. Stone, she
sail. when washed aud oombed, the
.hil lreu gathered around her to wait
for papa and dinner, land wondered
il l could ever make my children as
juliet AID orderly as hers are"
willie Stone is milk-sop!" said
Tom, contcmptuously Always cry
my because his head aches He can't
play anything and darent move for
fear of spelling his clothes Wouldn't
play football Tor fear of getting dust on
his Shoes There's o nice boy for you
he might as well be girl %
"And mother, the teacher had TO
write note TO Mrs. Stone the day John
Gray spilled ink on Maud's apron
She was SO afraid to go home, it was
awful She said her mother would
whip her. and keep her on bread and
water for II 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 papal"
cried Tom.
Mr.. TurmOyle came in with very
grave face. He made no comment on
the boisterous announcement of the
holiday, Dut stopped to kiss the rosy
faces with unwonted tenderness After
dinner he sent the children to the
nursery, and lie said to his wife, who
had been anxiously Watching his clouded
face:
''Tillie, / met DR.. Holmes on my
home, and he tells me that there have
been three cases of scarlet fever from
the school, 1t is raging fearfully, he
says"
Mrs. Turmoyle turned pale.
In the school 2" she murmured.
We'll, among the scholars"
There was little more to say, but
the heart of each parent sent up a
petition to a 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 wers 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 We're swallowed
if mamma coaxed, and the most strin-
gent stiffness was observed when papa
was discovered to have tears in his eyes
beside Bessies crib.
The day the children assembled in
the sitting-roOm for the first time was
gala day, but papa was observed to have
q sad face.
"While We are thankful, dear chill
dren," he said. "for our blessings, let
us not forget to sympathze 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 sleepof fconvalescence, Mr. Turmoyle
came to the nursery whore tho blue
eyed wife was laying out the morning
clothing.
"Tillie," he said, drawing the little
woman close in his strong arms" l
have had a long talk with DIR. Holmes,
and cannot rest until thank you for
our unbroken nursery. Next to God
you have saved our children"
1 am sure you never spared your
self in nursing, said Mrs. Tprmoyle.
"rhe nursing was the smallest part
OF it. DIR. Holmes says it was not
the scarlet fever that killed Stones
children, but the mothers system. The
fever found overtaxed brains. bodies
weakened by want OF exercise, tempers
made sullen by a deprivation of oil
childish pleasures. They were nursed
by system, no allowance being made
for weakness or suffering, and the two
that are gone but precedo the two that
are dangerously ILL., 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 savnges."
Mrs. Stone could see no fault in her |