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

haps it would have been forgotten al
! together, but Mrs Jones herself re.
minded them of it by saying, 81 have
my answer ready now, if you wish tc
hear ii"
go, yes, we do! Form into line here
There, we're ready" said the children
swell, when l came here, you all
threw your things down just where il
happened, and often they were lost, OF
broken, or soiled; and it always made
the house disorderly. | suppose your
own mother used to pick them up fol-
you, but thought you were old enough
to begin to learn to ut them away
yourselves. But it seems you do not
like my plans. Now, can't have dis
orderly house. so we must compromise
the matter. That is the usual way in
case of u strike believe"
Yes, we should like to compromise,
said Jasper" That's just what We want" j"
VERY well, there is a large hogshead
in the back room. Whenever you leave
any of your things about, | shall not
ask you TO put them in place any more.
will just drop them into that hogs
head. We will call it the disorder bar
rel And when YOU want them you can
look there for them"
Jasper and Elsie looked somewhat
non-plussed, and glanced dolefully at
each other, but Clarence and Bess and
Rose hailed the compromise as every
way satisfactory, and the "strike" was
over.
The first things that went into the
"disordeI barrel" were the flags which
had been thrown together upon settee.
Mrs. Jones dropped in this first contri.
button with quiet, amused smile.
For several days Jasper and Elsie
were rather careful to put away things,
for the hogshead was deep and wide,
and it was "such bother" to get them
out if they once got in. But presently
the barrel began to fill up, and the
fuller it grew the more difficult it was
to find any small article that had been
consigned to its depths. Mrs. Jones
seemed fully satisfied with the arrange
ment. She no longer reminded them
to lay their things in the proper places,
and books, states, hats, bonnets, mar
bles and jumping ropes, were quietly
dropped in together.
More and more frequently the cry
arose in the house: "Where is my jack
knife 2" "Where is my best alley?''
"Where is my tippetf" Little Roses
small, piping voice was generally heard
in reply. "ln the 'sorder barrel,
spect" and the discomfited loser ran,
often in hot haste, to rummage among
The medley OF articles. The older ones
stood on chair and reached down to
search, but when time pressed and
search was unavailing they were often
brought to the extremity of turning the
barrel upon its side, pulling out the
contents, and, when the lost article was
found, tumhlIng them back again. But
Clarence and Bess, who were not strong
enough to tip the barrel over, had been
known moro than once to climb into it,
much to the detriment of some of its
contents.
Jasper and Elsie complained Of this,
but the mothers laughing reproof In nc
wise availcd to prevent repetition oi
the offence. Consequently many thing:
came out of the disorder barrel SO
crushed and spoiled that they might al
most as well have been thrown into the
fire.
81 can't 90 to the picnic tomorrow
nor to school next day, nor anywhere
anymore as see," said Elsie, one day
Ny hat is just ruined! The crown il
crushed down, and there's a stain Of ap-
I
pie or something on the ribbon. I'll
never wear it. don't think much OF
your old Strike, Jasper! It's made III
ten times more trouble than we had be-
fore. should like to set that old dis
order barrel afire and burn it up, with
all there is in il, aud never hear of il
again!
"Well, | own that I'm sick of my job,
said Jasper: Suppose we Strike once
more, and get it abolished!'
"Oh, yes; strike again Where's my
flag, | wonder?' said Clarence
"Strikes are such fun"
"The consequences are not fun tC
me-" said Elsie, 'and I'm not going
through any more of that silly march
ing. I'm just going TO ask mother tc
change back to the old way-thats all.
"But we ought all to go together and
ask her, because we were all in the
strike" said Jasper.
"WelI, then, let us 90 IL rlght away,
said Elsie.
So the procession was again formed
and without much preparation, and with
no needless parade they sought theii
mother and made known their request
She chserfully promised that the odioui
barrel should be abolished. And tina
evening she kindly pressed and re
trimmed Elsie's school-hat, 80 that the
soiled ribbon and crushed place were M
/ longer visible, aud henceforth things
returned to their old order, the gaiI
from the strike being manifest only IL
the added zeal aud cheerfulness will
which even the slightest hints wer'
obeyed.
A bright-eyed little fellow Oh beini
asked by his sister why the running o.
90 many rivers into the sea didn't fl