The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-10-21
:, fragments of'an.E Evening.

%eseeeeeeeeeeeeeee&eeee<
THIS is simply fragment torn out
of an evening. The reader will
please uprear before his vision bed
room, gas jet burning at what might
be called tho middle register of illu-
mination, bed upon which small.
white figure reclines, if burrowing and
writing may be brought under that
Head, and man bending over the en-
semble of nightgown, twinkling feet,
brownie doll and copper cent.
Mote. The copper cent has been
given as bribe to induce willingness
to 20 to bed.
First Voice (small, piping, but ex-
tremely cheerful)-Let's play circus,
papa.
Second Voice firm, but gentle)-No.
Pops boy must say his prayers and go
to sleep.
First Voice (adding nothing whatever
to the original proposition further than
little stronger tincture of persuasion)
Let's play circus, papa.
Second Voice tits proprietor evidently
determining quietly to ignore the sug-
gestion)-Begin now, sweetheart. Put
your hands together that way. "God
bless mamma
"Gaw bless mamma
"'And papa
"An' papa. T. If I say Cav
bless papa will you play circus?"
''Maybe so. Now, honey mustn't talk
about anything else when he is saying
his prayers. And Sister Ros' -
A sudden ejaculation of delight as one
OF the wee feet, plunging upward at
right angle with the beds surface car
ries with it the counterpart and sheet,
forming thereby very insignificant
looking pyramid of covering.
10000! Circus tent! Papa be ele-
phant!"
sternness on the part Of the senior.
A quick leveling of the pyramid by sim
pie process of extracting the center
pole and Strengthening out the architect
to his proper length of two feet three
inches.
Now, go on. God bless Sister Rosie
and -
60! Papa's bad boy. Spoiled my
circus"
"'Sistez Rosie and grandmamma
and'"-
Silence.
Don't you know what becomes of lit
tie boys that won't say their prayers?"
The reluctant one looks defantly out
into the adjoining room, from which a
celebrated and especially fendish frog
is supposed to come when called upon
for the purpose of carrying away little
boys who do not say their prayers.
"You b'oke my circus"
"All right. I'll turn down the lamp.
Then we'll see what happens"
The rebel manifests disposition to
hedge, provided he can do so with dig
nifty and untarnished honor.
"'Gaw bless Sister Rosie and'-am l
good boy, papa?"
"'And grandmamma.'
But this skimming over and neglect
ing a vital proposition is not to be per-
mitted.
"Am good boy, papa?"
eyes, I guess so. Go ON, now, little
man. God bless Sister -
IF the frog comes to carry away your
good boy will you whip him."
The elder of the couple concludes that
by making vehement declaration and
continuing it on through many words
he will be able to lead the devout one
back to his supplications, even unknown
to him.
''Well, should say so. A nasty, big
frog that would come to carry away
my boy when he was just saying his
prayers as nice as anything-I should
think would whip him. And so would
grandmamma punish him, too, and drive
him away, because grandmamma is
good to her little man and loves him
and so let's say: God bless grandmam-
MAJ"
"Gaw bless-would You whip him
with stick?"
with stick and a switch and-and
a curtain-rod."
can th'ow stones at him."
First Voice - (ts owner awaking to
the fact that the doctrine of physical
force is in danger of overshadowing the
matter of orisons)-Now, my boy mustn't
talk so much about other things. Go
on with your prayers. Now
Second -O-a-i-u-e-a-o-i-a-e!
This is not the name of Hawaiian
lady. It is the chronicler's poor, futile
effort to make the very accommodating
Roman alphabet cover and describe the
ejaculation and wall of dismay, sorrow,
despair, gloom, dolor and lugubrious-
ness which rose when the supplicator
discovered the awful truth that his
cent had disappeared.
First Voice-Sh! sh! What's the
trouble?
Second Voice - My-cent - all
gone!
First Voice-Your what?
Third Voice (by the sound feminine,
by the words, maternaD Hes lost his
copper cent in the acknowledgements
mas darling!
The small bunch of melancholy re-
peats another Hawaiian name-this
time it is that of some island and joins
his progenitor in delving into the bed