Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-10-01
a FAMILY STRIKE.

his cap Into chair, MS pat OH .ne '+ooi ,
and stretched himself upon the floor
with a.detiant look on bis young face.
"What will you do when she comes
in and says in that quiet, strong way
Jasper, your hat is out of place; hang
it up in the entry, please; and put your
bat behind the shed door," said Elsie,
with n droll imitation OF her stepmoth'
er's voice and manner.
"I'r just say, I'm going to when
I've rested little We've all jumped
at her bidding ever since she cane. I've
gone back to wipe my feet, and hang
up nv hat, and clean my oveTshoes, and
all that, till am sick of i"
"I'm sick of it, too" said Elsie. 81
left nv clothes where they fell last
night when l went to bed. l was SO
tired. Mother didn't happen to look
in, or suppose shed have routed me
from bed to hang them up. It's awfully
tiresome to have to put everything just
so, every time"
"Ma never made us DO it," said Jas
per.
"And the house was always tidy
enough to suit me-" said Elsie. MOI
so nice as mother keeps it, perhaps, Du'
| like to be free and easy, and | hate to
be prim."
"The old order was good enough, |
saw" said Jasper. Let's strike! Strikes
are all the rage nowadays. When folks
want the rules changed they strike.
Well talk it up to Bess, and Clarence,
and Rose; and if we're all Ill 1t,
mother'll see that she may rs well give
up. That's the way it always works,
don't you see?"
81 don't want to do anything bad,
said Elsie. "You know ma said II God
sent us anybody who was willing to be
a mother to us, we were to be good and
obedient.'
well, we bave been, spd we mean
to be. Only she needn't be so much
more particular than ma was"
Bess and Clarence and little Rose
were easily led to embrace the views OF
their brother and sister. The league
was formed, Jasper appointed as leader,
and it was agreed that the strike should
come off "before father comes home
1.-THE first thing to do is to form
procession and march," said Jasper,
"and while we're doing that I'll think
up my speech. Our marching will show
mother that we mean business"
1t was fine fun for the little ones.
They got strips of red and white cloth
and tied them to short poles, and carried
them as banners; and they marched up
and down through dining-room and
kitchen, and bedroom, upstairs and
downstairs, out into the yard, and back
through the long entry, till the mother
wondered, and grew little restless
over the tramp, tramp, that was making
more threadbare the carpets which wore
out SO fast.
"Come, come.' said she, at last
"haven't you kept up that play long
enough? Seems to Inc it is rather small
business for you, Jasper and Elsie"
"We're strikin'," said Clarence, wav'
ing his flag. "Just like the big folk;
do"
In and out, up and down, they still
kept their march. There was curious
expression Oh that stepmother's face
whenever they passed through the
kitchen, where she was ironing their
clothes.
Finally they halted before her, anC
standing with toes all even with a cracE
in the kitchen floor, they made a low
bow, as Jasper had instructed them, ant
then he began his speech follows:
"Honored and Respected Madam, on
Mother We have tried TO do as you
wanted us to do, and we don't wish now
to be bad, or rebellious, or anything
But we think, one and all, that it's tot
hard, whom fellow comes in all tiIet
out with baseball, or something, to have
to run straight and put his bat in on'
place and his hat in another. Thit
Strike is to-to see if ne can't come tC
some agreement that we shall live !
little more fire. and easy, as Elsie says
and do little more as we've mind TO
do about such things. We don't wisi
to Oe very disOrderly, but we woulC
rather not have to be quite SO particu
lar"
~ SUPPOSE" said she, '.you expec
me to make a speech in reply. But
must have little time to think what
ought to say. Besides, it is almost luncl
time, and must get these things irone'
first. Suppose you march up and dowI
on the sidewalk i'm front of the hous'
till my speech is ready
Cant iron. and you 60 right to get
ting lunch?" asked Elsie, pressed b!
hunger.
THAT ism, the way. We ought al
to keep marching" said Jasper; "bu
we're all hungry, 10 perhaps you'd bet
ter"
"Just as you like" said their mother
"And If Jasper and Clarence will hrinI
some light, dry wood from the shed, W
shall have lunch all the sooner"
Flags were consigned to Bess an