St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-03-22
Bile GaIedunian.
a MORE EXCELLENT WAY.
BY REBECCA PERLEY REED.

BY REBECCA PERLEY REED.
II 1t all came about through JOhnny'i
Topping the syrup pitcher at break.
#st. The tablecloth was spick and
IAN clean, and his mother had risen
II tn a miserable neuralgia headache
Id Johnny wasn't as careful as she
Is hurry he tipped the pitcher, which
its fall overturned a very full tumb
II. And so, in another half-minute
ere was an island of syrup set in a
ball pond of ice water! All the cir
#rnstances which ! have enumerated
.'ere too much for ordinary maternal
tience.
t'Johnny, you are naughty, care
$ boy You may have no syrup on
bur cakes this morniDg"
Johnny's eyes opened in astOnish-
ent.
''Why, mamma, l didn't mean to do
f'But you are always doing things
It'll such a rush. You make other
Dple a great deal of trouble and la
r, and then you say, Il didn't mean
~
Ia cloud of very gloomy character
Ia suddenly fallen over the group at
De pleasant breakfast table. Just
re, in the confusion consequent upon
q accident, Kate, the twelve-year old
tier, who sat opposite Johnny, struck
Id napkin ring sharply against the
box standing by her plate, there
overturning the dainty little china
4vice. This incident being of so triv-
a nature, nobody made comment,
It'll the rebellious and fearful Johnny
zelaimed: "Kate has been careless,
ID, mamma, and you haven't blamed
81 bit. Sha'n't she go without syr-
too 2"
1T isn't anything to tip over a salt
x" demonstrated the little girl.
#'What n silly thing to mention,
#lnny !" added the mother.
But somehow, almost before the re-
Rrk had left her lips, her conscience
ID disputed its truth.
Johnny" she said suddenly, "will
Ia excuse me for speaking as | did
was because the clean tableclOth
soiled, and the splitting made such
fusion and so much work, that
discouraged. But it was an acct
bit, and not my little boys fault.
u did not mean to do damage, any
BE than Kate when she hit the salt
You can see that yours was a
7eh more trying accident, and it was
I'd to be pleasant over it; but l see
20 | was i'll the wrong, because l was
ly blaming you because there was
up in the pitcher, and not for being
eless in tipping it, as | said. Kate's
cellar didn't have any syrup i'll it,
Ia see, only salt, which did no dam
he picture before her was chaotic,
N Mrs. Way succeeded in smiling
Chilly into JOhnny's eyes, and add
81 am sick this morning. | didn't
kep well last night. You know how
"a islike n sOiled table cloth-sO, on
whole, won't You try to excuse
2"
Such a queer expression as JOhnny's
e wore, but smiles carried the day
V speedily.
Now, children, interposed their
her, ''since mamma has been so very
lite, and has apOlogized so beauti-
#ly, don't you think small boy and
not very far away, ought to be
by careful as to their manners at ia
and run no risks of tipping pitch
and tumblers and salt cellars, and
king ugly spots on clean table
Pths 2"
yes, sir" said Johnny, with great
j phasis.
8'fll try" added Kate.
HThat morning, as the children were
their way to school, Kate said in a
s pughtful way, with a tender accent
her voice: 81 think mamma is just
sweetest mother in all the world.
&c is always sorry when she does
long, just us much as she wants us to
IL
10 which somewhat confused gram
Pr of his sister, Johnny responded
I Oh earnest loyalty, eyes, and she
MS up right out loud, too, l tell
u n- COngregationalist.