The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-09-02
ETHELINDA'S PIECES

the place homelike and pleasant There
peace might have reigned and Joy expanded
had 1t not been for a lady who thought the
landlady ought TO have help. That she
meant well none would he so cynical as to
deny. She was assisted in her attempts to
make life less mouotonous for her fellow
boarders 10y her daughter. a small, seven
year-old girl, with abnormal powers of
obedience, and whose most prominent facial
characteristics were .reckies and a look of
resignation. Whenever the two were pres
tnt the other people would talk fast be-
cause they knew any lapse in the conversa-.
ton would be seized upon to require Ethel
Inda to come forward and recite The hard,
mechanlca. sense of duty indicated by the
thlds manner Of compliance was more APP
pa.ling than the selections which she
Groned of. hating now and then till her
mother could prompt her The lady's name
was Mrs McGoogau. but she was always
knoHn as "Ethehnda's mother The pair
had Only enc rival IN unpopularity. 1t was "a
Young man with large. wayy ears. lie wore
paid clothes and tall collar which never
narmoI .zcd with his short bosom. There
was - netting about his calm seif.reliance
that oppressed the Others uniavorabiy. So
prone are we to mlsiudge our fellow-man.
When he had heard EthcIiuda's repertoire
once OF twice ne began to take a great inter
ct IN tie performance. lie spoke to her
mother of the infants wonderful talents.
and lac Was often seen with the little girl
apart from the Others, keeping time with one
hand while she rcclted. The others were
perfectly willing that he should thus mo
nopou2e her genius.
A new boarder came TO the house; mem
her Of congress; a man of impressive de
neauor, a. became his importance. There
was hush among the people who had as
semhled n The par.or just prior to the din
ner hour. They were all under some slight
rostraint-aA hut Ethelinda's mother. The
.Iience OF the others gave ner her oppor-
;uuity.
'Deaiie, said she. won't you recite.
something for the Indies and gentlemen"
A. she spoke She placed her hand between
the child's shoulders and gave her push
ont into the middle OF the floor.
Nes, IN: IN the young man with the
large ears, "r,yitc that piece about Curfew
Shall Not Ring Tonight"
The prodigy hesitated in embarrassment.
'England's sun wss slowly setting,
prompted the mother.
she looked up at the ceiling. and. nervous
y rmphng fold of her frock between her
thumb and iorehnger proceeded:
'EnpNands sun vas slowly setting.
When the maiden grabbed the bell.
Come. what mean your cried the sexton
On sand she, I haze 10 tel,
But tonight go out riding
And | have no bell in sight,
And l fear those bold policemen,
GirfeW must--nOt--rng- tonight"
! Her mother looked, turned pale, and
ggsped, bat the young man, with bland
emile suggested;
! Lets have that new one
The prodigy promptly began;
I've will all be there when the orchestra
plays,
| Wen give her applause and Wen throw her
bouquets.
In the Ballet she stands, in the foremost row.
She's somebody's grandmother, boys, you.
know
The applause given at this was tremen-
| dous.
Don't you know any more;" inquired.
the member Of congress.
Where she learned that ribald trash is
more than | can tell exclaimed her indig
naut mother.
How about Hostler joey asked the
| young man IN a nonchalant tone. Ordinarily
such suggestion would have met with chill
ihg irowus. But they all listened with cheer
| iul expectancy while the little girl again
| p.ped up:
Plump was Annie plump ana pretty, when
she married Ostler doe;
| She got divorced and then went out and
| Travelled with a show.
| Her husband thought ned go and wee the
play one winters night;
| II shocked him when he saw her coming for
ward to recte.
| But for her the blow was fatal. She soon
found out, alas.
lie was all the audience present, and he came
IA On pass"
MY child, leave the room this
| But the reproof was drowned by the ap-
| proving demonstra lions, under whose cover
| her new prompter gave another hint. The
| child made the little bow with which she
! preceded each selection, and went merrily
! on
GO wash the dishes mother,
And wash them nice and neat,
Nmle play on tins piano
The twO-step march so sweet:
And brush up my old clothes, mother,
BE nasty and don get gay,
For I'm TO be Queen OF the May, mother!
I'm to be Queen of the May
"Ethehnda.' said the mother, in a cold.
hard voice, 81 shall give you one more chance
10 redeem yourself. You may come away
from that part OF the room and recite Casa
blanca. think possibly You win he able
to do that without any Of this rude inter
ference"
Again the little bow and again the small.
shrill-keyed voice took mp the familiar
rhythm, but improved and modernized as
follows:
"rhe boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him had fed
They called 20 him, he wouldn't bulge,
And this is what he said;
GO save yourselves, III linger here,
It's hard TO have to toast;
But I'm such chestnut that
| ought to get a roast
Her mother was too much overcome to
speak She did not even protest when the
young man asked for 'The Face on the
Floor" and Ethelinda gave;
ut was balmy evening and goodly crowd
was there;
A man stepped up before the bar he had no