The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-02-24
GRANDMOTHER'S SIGNS.
Her Prediction Concerning the
Baby, and What Happened.

Baby, and What Happened.
We were all very glad when Grand
mother Ryder came to live at our house.
She was my mothers mother, and one
of the best-intentioned little old wom-
en- in the world. When grandfather
died, my brothers and sisters, as well
as myself, were afraid that grandmoth-
er would make her home at our Uncle
Mats or at our Aunt Mary's, and there
was great rejoicing when the letter
came in which she wrote:
Il did think at fist that I'd better
60 to Mary's, but the grounds in my
colfee-cup never pointed favorably to
it, and last night | had dream that
I've dremp three times running, that
made it clear to my mind that I'd bet
ter come to you. would start to-
morrow if it wasn't Friday, and l
sometimes think the Friday sign runs
into Saturday, too; so will not start
until Monday, which will bring me to
your house on the day the moon fulls,
and / take that to be a good sign"
An amused smile came into fathers
face as he read this letter aloud to us
children, and he burst out laughing
when / said:
"Pd just like to know what coffee
settings and dreams and the moon
have to do with itP'
Nothing, my dear; nothing at all, :"
said mother, laughing softly. "But
grandmother has odd notions that we
need not say any thing about, or mind
at all, when she is here"
We lived in the country on q splen-
did farm. On the next Wednesday
afternoon, to our great delight, we saw
father driving up the long lane leading
to our house, with Grandmother Ry-
der seated on the spring seat by his
side. She waved her handkerchief,
and six eager children set off on run
to meet her. We had not seen her for
three years, and as soon as we were
near enough to hear, she began say
ing:
"Why, bless my soul, how you haze
growed! declare, don't know 10th
er from which, but l guess that's Ber-
tie, and that little girl with the rutfled
apron is Mamie, and that's Tommy
with the red ribbon to his neck.
Looks 'zactly like the ambrotype of him
I've got. Bless all your little hearts,
anyhow! I'll know which is which
fore two hours"
When father helped her out of the
wagon, she struck her foot on some
thing, and would have fallen had he
not caught her.
"Mercy on usr' she said. I'm
glad | stubbed my right toe. If it had
been the left, it'd been a sure sign |
was going where l wasn't wanted. "
You know that you are wanted
here, no matter what the signs say"
said mother, as she took grandma
into her arms and kissed her many
times.
Yes, dear, l know it, l know it, "
said grandma; "but all the same, ]
couldn't have helped worryin' some if
it had been the left toe"
We soon discovered that grandmoth-
er had n sign for every thing that
happened, and tor much that didn't
happen. When any thing unusual
occurred, grandma suddenly recalled
the manner in which she had pre-
viously been forewarned of it. The
fact that her signs and predictions gen.
orally failed of fulflment did not dis
turb her in the least
One day | overheard mother say:
Don't you often notice, grandma,
that your signs do not come true?
You said yesterday, when you saw the
cat scratching the fence, that it would
rain, sure, before night; but there was
not cloudan the sky all day, and not
q drop of rain fell"
"Why, Susan!" cried grandma, in
tone of great surprise. The
morning paper says there was per-
feet flood yesterday down in Ala
bama"
The proof was incontrovertible, not
withstanding the fact that Alabama
was fifteen hundred miles from GU,
home.
My youngest brother was but three
months old when grandma became {
member of our family. She was very
fond of baby Danny, and was gratifiec
to know that the signs she had had re.
garding him were favorable to hi.
future happiness.
IF he lives to grow up" she said
"he'll be smart and rich man
See that mole on his neck. Tha s {
splendid sign. And he's going to have
II 'cow-lick, too; that's another gooc
sign. hope to goodness, Susan, tina
you haven't allowed him to look into
looking-glass YETI
81 don't know, I'm sure" sale
mother.
"Why, Susan cried grandma, she
must not see himself in a glass unit
his first birthday You'll never raise
him if he does. I'm glad he's alread,
tumbled out of bed; it's sure sigr
he'll never be fool.
Grandmother's signs and omen'
were source of uneasiness to hersel
only Mother early took occasion
privately, to instruct us older children
on the subject She told us tina