The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-23

fashioned, cordial way to "take tea and
spend the evening"" and 1 accordingly
appeared at the hour named.
The children. with IL group of others,
We're playing on the sidewalk before the
house, which was OH IL quiet street i'll
freQuented by business vehicles. l saw
at once that my friends little girl was
one of those unhappy children. the ''little
mothers" who although scarcely more
than babies themselves, are burdened
and worried with the care of others still
younger long before their time. This
girl was so harassed by her brothers I'M
and stubborn, selfish,
domineering ways toward the other chill
dren, whom he abused right and left,
that she could not stop to greet me at
all, being continually reminded by her
mother from window.
Look out for Petty, Ellen!'
"See to your brother, Ellen!'
"Who is worrying Petty, Elem"
Have any of you hurt Petty, Elem"
Now you are neglecting your broth
or, Ellen!"
, IF hear Petty crying again, Ellen, 1
shall call you into the house!r'
"If you don't take better care Of Your
brother, Ellen, shall not let you 90 out
of doors again for week."
And so on and on until the poor
child lad not a moment left for her
own play, but was simply body slave
to the young bully. Finally he was said
to be tired and was brought bawling into
the house, and supposed that then the
poor, patient little sister would have her
turn at play; but, no, the tyrant did not
want her to go out unless he could 90,
too, and so she must sit sorrowfully in
the house while her mates went away
disappointed just at the pleasantest half
hour of the day.
After tea, at which the youngster
reigned with rod of iron, interrupted
only by q few mild protests from his IA
ther, who objected deferentially to his
plan (and evident habit of pre-cmpting
the sugar bowl and putting his hand in
the strawberry dish, the girl was hustled
off to bed, as the boy was tired of her and
now proposed to monopoli2e his mother.
The girl departed with tired little sigh
that spoke volumes; but, alas. the boy
had not the Least notion of retiring. nor
was there the least move made toward
it excepting Il tentative suggestion from
his father that it would be pleasant to he
able to have Il little conversation with
the visitor. This suggestion was at once
frowned down by his son. who busted
himself III alternately riding a cock
horse on his fathers foot, rolling on the
floor and screaming when the cock horse
was too tired to go any longerand bound
u &c 4
dertook to remove his noisy shoes.
OF course all thought of talk was out
of the question. Nothing was possible
excepting to sit and watch the child's
antics and hear his outrageous noise.
Even this would have seemed pleasant
later on, after he announced his inten-
ton to build a train of cars. First he
claimed the sofa and all the spare chairs.
Then he compelled his mother to rise and
yield her seat. Then he laid siege to his
fathers chair, which surrendered. after
some well bred grumbling from the oc-
cupant, who provoked a series of dis
cordant yells from his offspring by sug-
costing, with the acumen that had male
his reputation as the editor of far
sighted and judicious daily, that per-
haps the visitor had had enough of Petty.
Petty combated this view with firmness
and success. He not only refused to
bulge, but he made cruel reprisal on the
innocent cause of the suggestion by at
once Selling the leg of her chair and
emptying her out of it in order to utilize
it in finishing his railroad train.
Thereafter for two hours the spectacle
was presented of three we'll grown and
supposedly rational persons-that boys
parents and their guest-standing lean
ing against the wall, while that little
miscreant banged, tipped over, dragged
round and pulled about and whacked
every chair in the room. Of course it
was impossible to converse-he yelled,
screamed and shouted and insisted on
having every ones attention. | could
only change my weight from one aching
foot to the other q had walked long
distance that day. and mentally promise
myself that | would never enter the
house again. Glad indeed was when
1G O'clock came and was free to take
my aching limbs home, where, I thanked
heaven, were no boys. think no one
heard my adieus, as the little rutfian was
still bowling at the topof his voice when
i escaped.
left the house with the impression
that my revered friend was either
much more easy going man than / had
supposed or was very unusually fond of
an i'll bred and ipjndicious wife 1t was
the mothers fault that the boy began
his tantrums. 1t was the fathers fault
that they were kept up till 10 O'clock.