The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-15

may. ''Do you mean to tell me, Mrs. Best.
that our grands0n's dishes are wiped on a
flour bag? His mother would never have
have permitted il"
Pm sure his father never ate off any
dishes in my house." said the other, that
were not wiped on Christian dish towels.
L always had crash towels for the heavy
dishes and kitchen things, linen for the
glassware and also old damask for the sill
yer. Livery towel was marked, too. The
crash towel with a K, for kitchen, the
linen with e. the silver towel with an
>, ana each had its proper place to hang
Yes. indeed. l 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 wrong way to do
everything, say"
This was almost too much for my gravity,
ana was glad when, few minutes later,
the two left the room and allowed ME to
make my escape and tell Kate
To my surprise she was more gTieved than
amused. Poor Ole dears," ste said, I'm
afraid they're not going to be happy. They
think us dreadfuly slack and careless. |
suppose everything is very different from
New England. | know when | was there
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
netts heart one day by brushing off the
front-dOor mat with the broom she had Just
swept the hall with, and a morning or TWO
later, when l had brought in from the
kitchen piece Of soft old calico and busted
the parlor mante1, 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 / know
not what, but busters seemed to Lave been
her strong point. II had dusteloth in
every room," she said. 'hemmed and
marked, and bag to keep it in. And my
now, or such linen. l always kept my sill
yer 10 chanoisskin bags, or wrapped in
tiSsue-paper. Dear. dear. how they knock
things about now jast any way"
One evening Flaxen, whose real name is
Katherine, which both grandmothers in
sisted upon calling her. was being read to,
as was our custom, before putting her 10
bed. We were all very proud of the fact
that, although not quite year old, Fiaxen
had decided taste for what is good in liter
ature, never having heard anything but the
best. That night her mother read chap
ter from George Macdonald's beautiful
story, lat the Back Of tie 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 little old book in
shabby cover.
There" she said, ''is a sensible book TO
read 10 that child. Her fathers sisters had
it read TO them when they were young. and
his mother as well, and / brought it out here
for my first gTeai-grandchiId. Ii will profit
her good deal more than such ianciful
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 we're improving to the
mind. We children didn't go to kinder
gartens to learn 10 make mud pies and little
windmillS - 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 OF some thing besides amusement"
l took the little old book and glanced
through ii that evening.
1t proved to be a highly moral and iu-
strnctiye tale of the adventures and virtues
of a certain good little Alice, written in the
stilted and affected style Of go odd years
ago. 1t was entitled ''The Well-bred Girl"
and as L read ii a nefarious scheme for get
ting even with the good old ladies' dawaed
across my mind. | said nothing, even to
Kate, but next day ElaXen and / were
closeted for two hours or more, with that
marvellous literary work. The blessed
yOungster entered into my scheme With
zeal equal TO my own, and even plotted adj
dltl0nal 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
a queer little cuTtsy before Grandmother
Best, Il will tell you tie 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 ais the child?" gasped Grand
mother Best and Grandmother Bennstt
lad down her knitting in wonder, while
flaXen proceeded to relate in stilted lang
uage, that was capital paraphrase of some
OF little Alice'S utterances, 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 J" asked her grandmother
but just as Fiaxen was about to explain
Kate began TO suspect something, and, with
4 reprOachfnl glance at me, called the child
10 come and hear her story and go 10 bed.
FlaXen slept late next morning and l con-
trived TO 90 up TO call her just as the two
grandmetherS were leaving their rooms for
The bTeakfast-room. Let us go and wake
up FlaXen," | said, and 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 a low curtsy and saluted
us with demure good-morning. Then,
turning. she proceeded, rather nnskilIfully,
but very soberly. to draw up the bedclothes
and tack them in smoothly.
0.afs,
don't you air your bed before You make
it2" Flaxen looked up with an air of in
n0cenee 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 gTayely. Tie faces of tie grandmothers
were n study. They stood gazing at the
Child who made the bed. set the little pill
lows straight and then went across the room
TO the tall, 0ld-fashioned bureau, in one
drawer Of which her clothes were kept, and
opening this drawer proceeded 10 take cut
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 aud said nothing,
but Grandmother Bennett exclaimed For
pity S sake, child, who ever let you nut your
day clothes in the bureau drawer? Don't
you know you ought to hang them Oh
chair TO aT?"
Little Alice put hers in the drawer"
Flaxen said stoutly.
BY this time l thought it would be wise
to retire, SO telling Flaxen 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, / piloted the old ladies
around to one side of the house. where they
could get good view of taoleau | knew
would be awaiting us. ] said nothing. but
let them go ahead. until presently heard
Grandmother Bennett scream, and knew
her blood had begun TO curdie. Grand
mother Best grasped my arm and pointed
to n 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 wafer on the sill, beside
her, and with a table-aapkln In her hand
was to all appearances industriously polish
ing the window glass. The two old ladies
were speeehless with fright. what are