The Monitor-register. [volume] (Woodstown, Salem Co., N.J.) 1892-1972, 1896-11-20
WHAT AUNT HANNAH DISCOV
Erred,
BY ANNIE HAMILTON DoNNELL

thereabouts, Aunt Hannah came again.
She had never seen the childre and il
took so long to hug them and cuddle
them, turn and turn about, and to get
downright intimate with them, that it
was quite a week before she got staidly
settled in Comics pleasant home.
She went to Comics first, because
you see. my DEAR" she told her, smiling,
"Helen's got the boy" Aunt Hapnah,
like Mr.. Emerson, believed in the law of
compensation.
One morning Aunt Hannah and Connie
were making mince meat, and the
kitchen was sweet and spicy with it's
incipient odors. Little Honey Bunch had
grown tired of watching the chopping
and seeding 60 on, and had taken her
dolls into the dining-room.
'The good smells leaked in here
through the crack O. the door," she
announced in her little shrill high voice
'Bless the childw murmured Aunt
Hannah tenderly, over the chopping. tray.
A tiny fleck of -four just crossing the
bridge of her nose gave piquant aspect
to the dear old specialized face.
"Bless the childw she repeated. "Is
she always good, Connie9 Don't she
ever have spells of bein' naughty like
other children ?'
Comics face was radiant with mother
pride, but she laughed.
"Oh. she's human, Auntie,-don't 20 u
get worried! She has her little SPELLS
sometimes. But now, truly" she
lowered her voice prudently, ''Honey
Bunch is the dearest little midget You
can't think what a comfort she is,
Auntie. 1t takes just the wee est dosing
of punishment to rum herp'
The chopper rested in Aunt HaDnah's
hand minute while she said:
"You've got good deal to be thank
full for, Constance great deal. hope
Helen is blessed just as mnch.''
There was an uplift to Aunt Hannah
voice at the end that seemed to ask for an
answer.
| "Tomsy's bright little fellow" Aunt
| Connie remarked warmly. tHe's just as
smart as he can be! You ought to hear
| him read !"
docs he go to school2"
"Yes; Helen sends him mornings. She
| thinks it is good for him.
Aunt Human looked up through the
upper story of her glasses quickly.
"Do you think it's good for him ?" she
queried curiously.
81 don't think it's good for Honey
Bunch, !" Connie said quietly. And that
was all she would say about Tomsy.
But Aunt Hannah fell to thinking.
She watched tosee Tomsy go past next
day with q beyy:of big, rough boys and
| noticed him hit out at them with his
small, lusty fist and pose his small, iusty
figure in comical imitation Of them.
Through the window Aunt Hannah could
hear his loud boastirg words, not
unmingled with slang.
Then she locked across the room at
Honey Bunch reading Robinson Crusoe
in one syllabled words, at Connie's elbow.
Aunt Hannah nodded, then shook her
head. The nod was for Honey Bunch,
aud the shake was pointed toward
Tomsy's little retreating form.
"Why don't Helen teach him?', she
asked abruptlys
r fesct VINO o. Tomsy Why, she
thinks it's better for him to 60 to school.
She says it 'enlarges' him.
"Enlarges his grandmother
20, no. she's large enough" laughed
Connie. "But, truly, Auntie, that's one
of Heleo's hobbies. We get to discussing
the public school question together very
often, and I'll have to confess she floors
me with her arguments. Helen's a
glorious arguer. ,h-o-r.e, what does
that spell, chicken littlea) And of course
public schools are all right--for other
folks childrenl'
"Mebbe so-mebbe So" Aunt Hannah
said absently, without noticing Comics
little joke. -, i. 1a
s'What is it the speech makers say,
Auntie They re the 'sinews of the
nation, o. The muscles or backbone or
something. To be sure! OF course we
could no more give up our public schools
than we could our churches. But what
l say isns
4 -
| Connie got up and stood in front of
Aunt Hannah with an, impressive little
pose of her 1.-the, graceful figure.
Her Bingham apron she gathered into a
twist and flung lightly over one shoulder.
Pm going to make a speechps she
announced, laughing. It's coming onl
You have just time to get into the
dining room under Honey Bunch's wing
Aunt Hannah! One, two, threew
Aunt Hannah waited. posing the chop
per expectantly.
what l say is" Connie went on,
shat perfectly wise, pure, safe public
school system would be greater boon
than Mr.. Edison's miracles of electricity
or-or-fying machinesl But as long as
the system isn't perfect, as long as agents
will give their5schools to their incompe.
tent sisters and cousins and aunts, and
of course mean country and village
ungraded schools particularly-as long
as they are just SO many little hot beds
of impurity for little minds to sprout In
well, after all those 'as long as es,' l
prefer to keep my little white Honey
Bunch at home. Them's my sentiments,
ma'am."
Connie UNFINISHED her apron and sat
down. Her bright face was flushed with
real feeling.
'I'm waiting for perfect school," she
said, taking up the raisin-bowl again.
"And guess shall have to wait till we
fit for college-Honey Bunch and 1. I'd
rather squeeze the dish washings aud the
sweeping and pies n things to make
time to read Robinson Crusoe and make
little pot-hooks, than risk my grille one
minute in auy school 10 this country! OF
course, other folks feel very differently,
Helen does. But that's the way fsel!'
The work came to a crisis then and
they were too engrossed in questions of
more Glove or less cin1amon--too salt or
not salt enough-to discuss momentous
questions further. So the matter rested,
and before they got around at it again, it
was Helen's turn for Aunt Hannah.
She packed mp her modest possessions