The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-08-14
TROUBLESOME KNOTS.
How Little Dot Was Taught That They
Never Can BE SmoOthed Out.

mother and little Dot. Grandmother
sat in her low rocking chair, with her
glasses pushed back above her fore
head, and before her stood Dot holding
outstrctched brilliant skein of wool
upon her chubby little hands.
Hurry up, drandma," said Dot, with
slight frown; 'yous so slow"
Grandma took no heed, apparently,
but went on with the utmost precision.
Slowly the yarn reeled over the chubby
thumbs, slowly went on the winding
about grandma's ball.
Dot stood first upon one foot, then
the other like barn-yard fowl. and
gave at intervals a tremendous sigh as
evidence OF her WEAKNESS.
"You's 'zasperatin'," she at last
broke out; ''really and truly, Grandma,
you's old 'zasperatin' hisself."
WHAT" cried the startled old lady,
who had been intent on her winding, or
perhaps lost in reverie of other days;
"what is that you are saying, Dot?"
Il said you was 'zasperatin' old
poke" replied Dot, firmly. Il is most
tired to deaf, and there you 60 on
windin' jes' as if you was asleep"
well, l never!" gasped the old
lady. HHIa
l pretended to DO intent upon the
work before me. yet could scarce re-
frain from laughing aloud.
Tired, eh!' queried grandma with a
twinkle in her eye; well, we will soon
be through. and you can lio down and
rest
mo, I'm going out to jump rope" "
incautiously said Dot, "with Willie and
Rose. They're jumping now, don't
you hear 'em drandma?'
"Ah, you are going to rest your
weary limbs by jumping rope, "
replied grandma "Well, so that yor
won't be entirely used up, suppose you
sit on this chair" pulling one beside
Dot.
Dot sulkily complied, but as she die
so dropped her hands in feigned weari
ness.
''See," cried grandma, ''you are
letting strands of the wool slip ovel
your fingers. Hold up your hands
DEAR and We will soon be through,
and on went the old lady placidly an(
slowly winding as before.
Dot for space looked the picture
of youthful resignation, but soon hel
impatience returned.
Hurry up" she cried, vehemently
You're enough to desperate the pa
thence Of job" and again saw hel
slyly drop loop or two from her fin
gers. as she moved restlessly upon the
chair.
Grandma looked at her reprOvingly
but fastened somewhat her move
ments. There was pause presently il
the winding. The old lady brough
her spectacles down from her forehead
and peercd at the skein of wool.
There's snarl, she said, "dear
dear, how did that Gomez
1T S an awful hard knot" cheerful.
said Miss Dot, after grandma had made
several attempts to disentangle tn,
snarl. II dess you had better get i
all right, Grandma, and we'll wind tn,
ball mother time"
"Oh no, Dot, we'll get it all RICH
now,' replied grandma with jerk.
Snap went the strand. Several min
utes we consumed in strengthening tn
skein, and grandma carefully knotte'
the broken threads together before re
suming her winding
The sounds of laughing and iumpin
outside the window came borne in upo
the stiffness of the room. Another pet
ulant movement, from Dot.
II is so nervous, l can't hold still,
she next exclaimed, impatiently tug
ging at the wool.
"Dear, dear, another knot erie
grandma, peering over her spectacle
at Dot "Why. at this rate we wi
never get through
But at last it was done, and ava
scampered Dot, every vestige Of ill-hl
NOR banished from her pretty face.
Grandma's glance met mine.
1.-The wool is for her own stockings,
quietly said she, as if in answer
something she read in my eyes. land
intend those knots shall teach her
lesson which mere words would fail
accomplish. Youthful experiences,
rightly impressed, may serve to guar
the future from sterner ones.
The old ladv's favorite expression
IL know" played about her firm
closed lips, but she gave no utteran
to them as with ball in hand she s
gazing upon pictures of the past
pictures whose light and shadows we
reflected in her own dim eyes, in 4
fitting smile upon brow or lip.
, Well. il grandma had been slow
winding the ball, it was more than s
i was in lessening it again. How ia
. her needles flew! Early in the NOR
ing. late at night went on the knittir
Dots eyes watched the progress of 1