St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-07-14
FRETTING.
The reason Why Stephen Did Not
Fix the Gate.

Stephen" said Mrs. Wilson, In a
fretful tone, don't you see the latch is
off the front gate?"
EYES," indifferently.
'.Aren't you going to put it on?"
Sometime, may be-" and the boy
continued his absorbing occupation of
Ticking the flies from the window
pane.
Il never saw any thing like it, y
room. 1.-The children are all alike.
They do nothing but worry me to
Geath all the time, and they don't seem
to care one cent
This appeal did not have the slight
lest effect upon the mighty hunter of
the flies.
Miss Renter rocked herself to and fro
in a great state of perturbation. She
did despise ''old-maid aunts who inter-
fered with their nieces and nephews, y
peace now. Finally, human nature
could endure it no longer and she said:
Aren't you going to fix that gate
for your mother, Stephen?''
mot if know myself, at least not
just now
why not?n she demanded, rather
sternly.
I'm going to leave her something
to fret about She worries and frets
so about every thing that it does me
good to see something really worth it
ALL"
81 don't think that's exactly the way
for a boy of seventeen to talk of his
mother
mo, perhaps not, Aunt Ellen, but let
me tell you one thing, and that is, that
boy of seventeen sees a parents
faults as well as any body. There
comes a time in every boys life when
he begins to guage his parents as man
and woman. His affection for them
does not change, but he sees their
faults, as he sees those of the rest OF
humanity, All my childhood our
household was uncomfortable, and I
never knew exactly why, although /
felt the difference between my home
and that of some other boys / know
You've never been here before, but
you'll see. Yo u'll find out what found
out, that the whole discomfort rises
from mothers nagging, fretful DISPOSE
tion-day in--day OUT morning, noon
and night, I can just tell YOU
Mrs. Wilson's entrance put an end to
the confidence.
ssJust look at that carpet, she ex-
claimed, the same fretful frown on her
face, ssall the corners turned up.
never saw any thing like it. I sup
pose Stephen kicked it up. You may
be thankful, Ellen, you never married
and had any boys. They are enough
to drive any body distracted. Where
is he nowph
II really don't know; perhaps he has
gone to mend the gate. Y
II suppose he has, just as wanted
him to go on an errand; he's never on
hand at the right moment. Stephen!
Stephen" she called, In rasping tones.
s'Well?n came from the distance.
II want you to go on an errand. =
''Can't fix the gate. I have just
got all the things out and it will take
so long to put them all back again? It
won't take me q minute to fix the
gate, called Stephen, in reply.
mo! You must go now. Good graz
cious! never saw boy take SO long
to put away few tools. What have
you been doingP" Ne reply. What
have you been doing?n in q louder
tone.
ssYou know perfectly well, 7 fired up
the boy, that father always makes me
put the tools back exactly SO in the
chest, and it takes good while
well, now you can go down to the
store, and get me these buttons for
your shirts, and let me see II you can
be as long about that
Naturally Stephen, thus admonished,
started out in any thing butsa pleasant
temper
Now, Ellen, she said, you've been
here two days, and just ask you, did
you ever see such q disrespectful, in