The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-31
MORE EXCELLENT WAY.

It all came about through Johnny's
dropping the syrup pitcher at breakfast
The tablecloth was spick and span clean,
and his mother had risen with miserable
neuralgia headache, and Johnny wasn't
as careful as she would have been, of
course, when in his hurry he tipped the
pitcher, which in it's fall overturned a
very full tumbler. And SO, in another
half minute, there was an island of syrup
set in a small pond of ice-water | All
the circumstances which have enumer-
ated were too much for ordinary mater
nal patience.
Johnny, you are naughty, careless
boy You may have no syrup on your
cakes this morning |"
Johnny's eyes opened in astonish-
ment.
"Why, mamma, I didn't mean to do
it |"
"But you are always doing things with
such rush. You make other people
great deal Of trouble and labor, and then
you say, Il didn't mean to!'"
A cloud of very gloomy character had
suddenly fallen over the group at the
pleasant breakfast table. Just here, in
the confusion consequent upon the &C.
cident, Kate, the twelve-year old sister,
who sat opposite Johnny, struck her
nspkin-ring sharply against the salt-box
standing by her plate, thereby overturn-
ton the dainty little china device. This
incident being of so trivial a nature, no.
body made comment, until the rebellious
and fearful Johnny exclaimed: ''Kate has
been careless, too, mamma, and you
haven't blamed her bit. Shan't she go
without syrup, too?"
sit isn't any thing to tip over salt
box" demonstrated the little girl.
"What silly thing to mention, john
ny!" added the mother.
But somehow, almost the remark had
left her lips, her conscience had disputed
its truth.
"Johnny," she said suddenly, "will you
excuse me for speaking as did? 1t was
because the clean table cloth was soiled
and the spilling made such confusion and
somuch work that was discouraged. But
it was an accident and not my little boys
fault. You did not mean to do damage
any more than Kate when she hit the
salt-box. You can see that yours was
much more trying accident, and it was
hard to be pleasant over it; but 1 see
that was in the wrong, because was
really blaming you because there was
syrup in the pitcher, and not for being
careless in tipping it, as said. Kate's
salt-cellar did't have any syrup in it, you
see, only salt which did no damage"
The picture before her was chaotic, but
Mrs. Way succeeded in smiling brightly
into Johnny's eyes, and added: II am
sick this morning. 1 didn't sleep well
last night. You know how L dislike a
soiled table-cloth-so, on the whole,
won't you try to excuse me?"
Such queer expression Johnny's face
wore, but smiles carried the day very
speedily.
"Now, children" interposed their father
''since mamma has been SO very polite,
and has apologized SO beautifully, don't
you think a small boy and girl, not very
ar away, ought to be very careful as to
their manners at table, and run no risks
of tipping pitchers and tumblers and
salt-cellars, and making ugly spots on
clean table-cloths?
"Yes, sir" said Johnny, with great en-
phasis.
"I'll try" added Kate.
That morning, as the children were on
their way to school, Kate said in a
thoughtful way, with tender accent in
her voice: 81 think mamma is just the
sweetest mother in all the world. She is
always sorry when she does wrong, just
as much as she wants us to be-"