The Irish standard., 1899-03-18

uUN
NO, sir; you cannot. Such manners.
Leave the breakfast table to see an old
badger burrow! Mrs. Hightower, fear
you are sadly neglec,ing your duty
toward these children. Not one of
them has particle of manners-not
particle"
""ris very strange if they haven't.
Mr.. Hightower, when you took their
table manners into your hands some
time ago"
Excuse me, Mrs. Hightowcr, but
did nothing of the kind; merely said
l intended doing so. hope that some
day you will learn to be more accurate
in your statements before these chill
dren. Keep on, and they will be whole
sale liars by the time they are grown,
and there will be no one to blame for it
but you. If you would take my motto
for the rule of your life you would not
be making ninny of yourself half the
time. Never assert anything until you
are absolutely sure that it is true. Now,
please, for gracious sake, Mrs. High
tower, try to remember that. Do you
hear?"
That's good motto, my DEAR" re-
piled Mrs. llightower, with smile;
but do you always follow it your
self? Are you quite sure of that bad
ger story you were telling just now?'
"Mrs. llightower, what do you take
me for? OF course | am sure of it.
Don't you suppose | know badger
when see one, after my living so years
in Missouri, where they are so thick
TINT you cannot walk across the
yard after night without falling down
over dozen of thcm?"
ooh, have no doubt, my dear, that
you do; but you have been getting
powerful nearsightcd of late. and l
didn't know"
That was the coal that fell into the
powder key. Up jumped old lIoop-pole,
kicking his chair two somersaults back
ward. "Who-told you ! was near
sighted?' he cried. shaking his fist
across the table "My eyes are just as
good as yours ever were or ever will
be. My father never wore glasses in
his life; nor my grandfather, either,
and he could see a needle sticking an Il
post a hundred yards away-whcn he
was ST years old, too!'
"Oh, pa! Sure enough?" vcnturcd
one of the boys; and Mrs. llightower
laughed as she poured herself out an
other cup of coffee.
Toward the door stamped old Hoop
pole, kicking the cat across the room
as he went. Cap! Go straight and
get the shovel and grubbing-hoe. The
rest of you boys, come on here; I'll
convince that mother of yours in Just
is minutes that know what | am talk
ing about"
AT this good news everybody except
Mrs. llightowcr jumped up from the
table and followed the old man out into
the yard. Some ran for tools and some
called the dogs. In Il few minutes all
were assembled at the east end of the
smokehousc, where n burrow, fortified
about with a pile of fresh dirt, gave
evidence that some animal had been at
work during the night.
Pa said the 12-ycar-old, in an I'M
guarded moment. "that doesn't look
like the badger holes do up in Mis-
souri,: it's too small"
you go in the house, sir!" ordered
old Hoop-polc, giving his pride slap
on the jaw. "Go straight this minute
and stay there If you must follow
your mothers example and dispute MY
word, go and keep her company;' and
with very rcd face and eyes that gilt
tered IIoop-pole jerkcd n grubbing-hoe
frn1,, Io Of c,II
to work loosening up the ground. The
harder he grubbcd the redder his face
grew, the farther back the boys stood
and the faster Bulgcr and 1Egc wound
up their tails. In a few minutes he
ceased, and with as much breath ;ns he
could find said, between his gasps:
"Get-gct in therc-whcw!-Ca
and throw-whcw!- that dirt with
your sh-shovcl."
In Cap went, with both dogs mixed
up among his legs, and barking the
badgers death song.
Get out of thcre!" growIcd old
1Ioop-pole, making n telling kick at
Rulger and falling over n hoe in the
hands of young lloop-pole. "rakc
that blamed thing away from hcrc!" he
yelled, scrnmbling to his feet. "Ill
teach YOU" but the boy had antici-
rated what was coming by taking the
shortest cut to the house. "Confound
my picture! Get out of the way with
that Shovel" And the old man looscned
up some more dirt for the boys TO throw
out.
Presently Mrs. 1lightowcr made her
appearance. "Mr. Ilightowcr, | thought
you were going to town this morning
so fast that you could hardly wait for
breakfast" She remarked
Madam, will you please stay in the
house and mind your own business" he
painted. while the sweat flowed in
streams.
"Oh, we'll. you need not get out of
joint about it. | merely wanted TO re-
mind you, as you said you wanted to
meet Simmons there at II o'clock and
get him to sign that decd"
There you are again, metldling
where it does not concern you. That
deed is my own affair, madnm. What's
more, this is all your work. Had you
kept your mouth shut, ] should not
have bothered this blamed varmint I'M
til ] came home. But, in Is minutes by
this stcmwindcr," he snid, patting his
vest pocket, 81 am going to show you
that l. know a badger when sec one"
That's all right, dear; but mightn't
you better come in and put on your
ovcralls? You are soiling your best
frOuSprS. fbrrnio