Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-04-03
GRANDMA'S LESSON.
BY MRS. HARRIET A. CHEEvER


and placid smile, sat dreamily gazing
at figure in the carpet as she rocked
slowly to and fro.
The needles which rarely were
quiet when held in grandma's indus
trious fingers, now lay at rest in her
lap, and only a slight creaking under
the the rocker was heard in thesilent
dining-rOom.
Everybody in the house loved
Grandma Vance, and nearly every
room contained comfortable rock
ing chair, with view to having her
able to pause in whatever place she
liked, and find an easy chair awaiting
her.
So it happened that grandma was
sitting in the dining-room, as it was
very warm there on the cool winter
morning, and the furnace heat had
not penetrated to the upper rooms as
yet, with quite such a genial warmth
as was felt there.
Things had not gone quite as
smoothly that morning in her sons
family as usual there seemed to be
some little friction between the child
rem, and Julia, her sons wife, found
thefamily sewing accumulating faster
than her busy fingers could meet the
pressing demand.
Then Jane had "given notice." and
within a week another girl must be
found to reign as queen of the kitch-
en-; and what with one thing and an
other of an untoward nature, young
Mrs. Vance was tired and discour-
aged.
81 declare" she said to herself, 81
don't see how Franks mother can al
ways be as bright and cheerful as she
is. 1t seems to .me if l was as old
as she is, the noise and contention of
the children would drive me nearly
distracted. Then when Baby unrav-
eled that long piece of knitting yes
terday she had put SO much time and
work into, she was just as undisturb-
ed and patient about it as could be.
I've a great mind to ask her how she
finds so much comfort in life"
There was baking to do, and pile
of mending to be attended to; hut all
at once, grandma, still dreaming
away with her eyes fixed on the car
pet, was reused from her day-dream,
by the entrance Of her daughter-in-
law.
In her hands young Mrs. Vance
held her work-basket, with a pile OF
stockings heaped high on top.
"There, MOTHER" she began, "Pve
got all creation to do today, it seems
to me; but l made up my mind tC
darn a few stockings first, and at the
same time have a little chat with
you; now, I've been wondering il
you ever used to feel tired and per.
picked in your younger days, wher
family cares bore hard and troubles
used to all come in a bunch, as | sup
pose they do to everyone sometime il
life"
"Dear child" grandma began
"you little know how much Of toll
effort, and oftentimes how much o
Encouragement / waded through
while bringing up my large family
"To begin with, there were NJ
modern Improvements in my day
making work comparatively light
and after rising with the dawn
kneading bread, churning butter, anC
attending to various wearing dutie
connected with farm and dairy,
would be obliged to sit up half Of tn,
night with a sick child, then be VI
and about my household cares earl.
in the morning.
81 think that, naturally, my dispo
sition was a happy one, butgraduall,
| began to let my incessant dutie
worry me. know that my vote
was not always as tender as a moth
er's should be in addressing her child
and then / know, too, my brow be
gan to be clouded much of the time
81 thought my work was more con
slant than that of any of my neigh
bors, and although poor father, we al
ways called Franks father father
the whole of us, although he did al
he possibly could, | somehow felt a
though | was leading a hard, sever
life, which in some way he Nigh
make lighter if he chose.
"Well, my dear, | sometimes thin
that when we have enough and trie
the Almighty up to a certain poin
it is a great part of His mercy just
give us a glimpse of what He coil