The morning call., 1892-05-15

may. 'Do you mean to tell me, Mrs. Best.
that our grandson's dishes are wiped on a
flour bag? His mother would never have
have permitted it,
Pm sure his father never ate off any
dishes in my house," said the other, that
were not wiped on Christian dish towels.
always had crash towels for the heavy
dishes and kitchen things, linen for the
glassware and also old danask for the sill
yer., Every towel was marked, too. The
crash towel with a x, for kitchen. the
linen with C. the silver towel with an
,, and each had its proper place TO hang
Yes. indeed, don't doubt it," nodded
grandmother Bennett. land | dare say it
hung in It's proper place, too. But house
keeping amt what it used to be. My mother
No one was even allowed to wash their
hands at that sink. Nowadays they do
things anyhow, as though il didn't matter.
There, right way and a wrong way to do
everything, l say"
This was almost too much for my gravity,
and was glad when, few minutes later,
the two left the room and allowed me to
make my escape and tell Kate.
10 my surprise she was more grieved than
amused. Poor Ole dears," size said, Pm
afraid they're not going to be happy. They
think us dreadfully slack and careless. l
suppose everything is very different from
New England. | know when | was there
they all seemed to me TO be perfect slaves to
their houses. We really must try and be
more particular"
So we tried. but it seemed almost in vain.
Poor Mary nearly broke Grandmother Ben
netcS heart one day by brushing off the
front-dOOr mat with the broom she had lust
swept the hall with, and a morning or TWO
later, when l had brought in from the
kitchen piece of soft old calico anu busted
the parlor mantel, Grandmother Best began
to tell rae all about her system. I've for
gotten how many different kinds of broOms
were used in the weekly sweeping Of the
parlor. There was the brush for walls and
ceiling, the broom for the furniture. the
carpet broom, hearth brush, and l know
not what, but busters seemed to lave been
her strong point. II had a dustcloth in
every roOm," she said. ''hemmed ana
marked and bag to keep it in. And my
linen-clOset. They don't make such closets
now, or such linen. l always kept my sill
yer IN chamois-skin bags, or wrapped in
tissue-paper. Dear, dear, how they knock
things about now jast any way"
One evening Fiaxen. whose real name is
Katherine. which both grandmothers in
sisted upon calling her. was being read to,
RS was our custom, before putting her 10
bed. We were all very proud of the fact
that, although not quite year old, FlaXen
had decided taste for what is good in liter
allure, never having heard anything but the
best That night her mother read a chap
b
story, lat the Back Of the North Wind" 10
which Grandmother Best listened with great
scorn. When Kate had gone to put Flaxen
to bed the old lady went to her room and
presently returned with q little old book in
a shabby cover
There" she said, sis sensible book to
read 10 that child. Her fathers sisters had
it read TO them when they were young, and
his mother as we'll, and l brought it out here
for my first Ereai-grandchild. 1t will profit
her good deal more than such fancful
nonsense as that other stuff. Why, that
child viii be dipping into novels before
she's 10 years older. When ] was a child
we had books that were improving to the
mind. We children didn't go to kinder
gartens to learn TO make mud pies and little
wlndmlllS - We had our primers and
learned to read and work our samplers. and
other useful knowledge We read Peter
Parley's magazine, and other instructive
works. The consequence was that we
thought CT something besides amusement"
l took the little old book and glanced
through it that evening.
1t proved TO be a highly moral and iu-
strnciive tale of the adventures and virtues
OF a certain good little Alice, written in the
stited and affected style of 60 0dd years
ago. 1t was entitled 'The Well-bred Girl"
and as l read ii nefarious scheme for get
ting even with the good old ladies' dawned
across my mind. / said nothing, even to
Kate, but next day klaXen and I were
closeted Tor two hours or more, with that
marvellous literary work. The blessed
yOungster entered into my scheme with a
zeal equal 10 my own, and even plotted adj
ditlonal wickednesses all unknown to me.
One Of these she put into practice that very
evening.
Grandmother" she said, coming into the
room with very demure air, and dropping
qneer little cuTtsy before Grandmother
Best, Il VIII tell you the whole story, and |
trust yOu will believe me, for | am sure
grandmother dear. you have never known
me Miilfully to mislead you in anything /
said"
"What ails the child?" gasped Grand
mother Best and Grandmother Bennett
lad down her knitting in wonder, while
tlaXen proceeded to relate in stlted lang
uage, that was capital paraphlase of some
OF little Alice'S ntterances, how she had
accidentally knocked over her grand
mothers workbaSket, but had picked every
thing up and restored order in the basket.
But what on earth are you talking that
way for?" asked Grandmother Bennett
Little Alice" began Flaxen.
Alice whom % asked her grandmother
but just as Flaxen was about to explain
Kate began TO suspect something, and. with
n reproachfnl glance at me, called the child
TO come and hear her story and go 10 bed.
FlaXen slept late next morning and / con-
trived TO go up to call her Just as the two
grandmnthers we're leaving their rooms for
the hreakfast-room. Let us 90 and wake
up FlaXen," / said, aud we all stopped at
the door Of the little room that opened off
her mothers apartment She had appar-
emily just awakened, and springing from
her bed she made low curtsy and saluted
us with a demure good-morning Then,
turning, she proceeded, rather nnskillfully,
but very s0beriy. to draw up the bedclothes
and tuck them in smoothly.
Child" exclaimed Grandmother Best,
don't you air your bed before you make
it2" Flaxen looked up with an air of in-
n0eenee that would have made the fortune
Of an actress. THE book says little Alice
made her bed as soon as she was up" she
said grayeiy The faces of tie grandmothers
were n study. They stood gazing a the
child who made the bed. set the little pill
lows straight and then went across the room
TO the tall, Old-fashioned bureau, in one
drawer Of which her clothes were kept, aud
opening this drawer proceeded TO take out
the garments she had worn the day before
and which, on taking them off. she had
folded up and laid away there Grand
mother Best was discreet and said nothing
but Grandmother Banaett exclaimed: For
PHYS sake, child, who ever let you nut your
day clothes in the bureau drawer? Don't
you know you ought to hang them Oh a
chair to ARP"
Little Alice put hers in the drawer"
Flaxen said stoutly.
By this time | thought it would be wise
to retire, so telling Flnxen to hurry, as
breakfast was ready, led the way down.
stairs. As soon as the old ladies were
seated at table, however. hurried away TO
hug the clever baby and help her to dress.
just before luncheon, having drilled
Flaxen carefully, piicted the old ladies
around to one side of the house. where they
could get good view of tableau | knew
would be awaiting rs. J said nothing. but
let them go ahead. until presently ! heard
Grandmother Bennett scream, and knew
her blood had begun to curdle. Grand
mother Best grasped my arm and pointed
to window, some six feet from the ground.
There stood Flaxen, on tiptoe. on the win
dow-sill, her back turned toward US. She had
a china basin fun of water on the sill, beside
her, and with a table-napkln In her hand
was 10 all appearances industriously polish
ing the window glass. The two old ladies
were speeches. with fright What are