St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-06-05
"lN A MINUTE"


Reconstruction and Forgetfulness.
If there ever was a boy who needed
to turn over a new leaf and write at
the top: "Diligent in business" that
boy was Howard Grinnell.
If his mother asked him to do any
thing, he always replied: ~ will in a
minute" He said this so often that l
wondered he was not called Sin
a minute" by every body. 1t would
have been very appropriate name.
Howard had the charge of the hens,
at least that was the way they put it,
but think that Mrs. Grinnell was the
one upon whom the burden rested.
Every morning after breakfast she
found it necessary to ask:
Howard, have you fed the hens2'
mot yet, but am going to-
"Weil, go right away, or you will
forget it. -
''No, will not forgot, I am going
in minute; l just want to look at the
weather report -
Half an hour later Howard appears
from the direction of the east meadow
with his hands full of meadow lilies
which he presents to his mother, say
ing:
"The very first! Put them in the
antique vase, please. And set it I'M
der the mantel, will You, mammal"
''Thank you, dear, they are beauti-
full! l will arrange them at once"
Then, as she turned away: "The
hens?"
20, I forgot! I'll go now
"Seems to me- said Mr.. Grinnell
one morning, shat you have carried
that on your shoulders about long
enough. Howard should attend to his
business without prompting. 1t did
very well at first, but the time has
come when he must be held response
BILE for the prompt discharge of the
duty, else take away the privilege.
Howard"'
"sir?" responded the boy, turning
back on his way to the barn.
"After this you are not to be remind
ed of your work, and if the hens are
not cared for before breakfast I will do
it myself, and you will not have any
benefit from the eggs, either in money
Or as food; it will be some little extra
trouble for your mother, but you will
be provided with food prepared with
out eggs unless you are faithful to your
trust"
" Yes, sir" And Howard went on
his way. I do not think he made any
resolutions; he thought it would be
easy enough to attend to the duty as
required, and gave himself up to the
examination of weed which had
sprung up in the yard and which was
q new one to him. The next morning
ne remembered the hens, but the Sec
ond morning, though remembering,
he thought of something he wished to
hunt up in the eyclopadia, and
stopped in the library until the break
fast bell rang.
For breakfast there was ham and
eggs, and corn mullins. Howard was
a little surprised when his father
passed him plate with only potato
on it. He was about to demonstrate,
when he caught the significant look
on his mothers face, and remembered
the compact. He wisely made the
Doos " ~, anu ueCiueu UndG ne would
try bowl of bread and milk.
After breakfast Mr.. Grinnell fed the |
hens, and at night he brought in the |
eggs. saying to his wife:
would like some boiled eggs for |
supper; as. Bridget is away, we can
get along very well with bread and |
butter and eggs. Didn't I see you
a sponge-cake this morning?'
yes" Then they both laughed,
but Mr.: Grinnell sobered Immediately |
and said:
''It is rather hard on the boy when
he is SO fond of eggs, but it is quite
time he had lesson. His dilatory
habits will be hindrance to his sue
cess as long as he lives unless he is
cured"
Now, privately, I do not believe that
Mr.. or Mrs. Grinnell enjoyed their
supper of boiled eggs and sponge cake.
l know the mother would much rather
have eaten dry bread and given the
boy her supper, but she and her hus-
band chatted over the meal as if every
thing were quite as usual. Howard
ate his bread and butter, missing the
canned fruit which Mrs. Grinneil re-
marked she thought they could do
without as they had the extra indul. (
IS lo;1oI o,-,