The Press., 1899-01-19

hysterical, and though she was in no dan
ger, and nothing came within ten yards
OF her, we had to stop the fight long
enough to tell some of the boys to stand
about her, SO that she would feel safe.
The boys gnyed her .dreadfully though.
So at the close of the fight her nerves
wsre in a distressing state, and her tenn
per was not what 1t should have been,
we fear.
ALTHOUGH she loves her parents dearly,
she began to talk about them in very
in1pudent way, and TO declare that she
didn't want those ''brats' in the house.
As we have said, she soon had some SYM
pathizers among her sisters, especially
Louisiana, herself an adopted child of
French extraction, who always made the
sugar candy for the family, and didn't like
Cuba and Puerto Rico because they could
make it too. By and by matters came
to such pass that we called family
council, and after hearing Massachusetts,
through her passionate and insulting
speech with all patience, we spoke to her
thus before all the rest:
Massachusetts, you say we have no
right to bring these children whom you
choose to call 'brats' into our house.
Why not This is our house, and we
can do what we please in it. Then, with
tie strange Inconsistency of passion, you
say we have no right to bring them in
without their consent. A great many of
youl brothers and sisters came in without
their consent. There is Florida, Louisi-
ana, Dakota, California and little Alaska
and Hawaii; you didn't make any fuse
about them. AS to Cuba, he and we have
made an agreement. He is going to stay
with us till we think he is old enough to
shift for himself. He has had no educa-
ton, and for the most part, Is still dis
trustful of himself. If by and by he wants
to stay with US permanently, we will talk
about it together, and it is nobody's busi-
ness. AS to Filipino and Puerto Rico.
they are too small to have any say about
the matter. We can't send them back
to their cruel father, and they are too
small to shift for themselves. II we turn
they would soon be sick and starving,
and all the town, even Mr.. Spain's cousins,
twvnid be blaming us, But would you
force Filipino to stay with us against his
WILL you say. Certainly. We always
shut the front door, when the babies try
to get out Filipino may kick and squall,
and bite, and we may have good deal of
trouble with him, for he has inherited an
out to wander and get lost, and starve
and catch his death of cold. And did you
have the impudence to say, Massachusetts,
that your parents couldn't govern chill
dren anyway, and that outdoors. was bet
ter than this old house ?: We are ashamed
of you, Massachusetts, for slandering
your own flesh and blood am glad you
said it in the house. Don't let the folks
ON the other side of the street hear you.
Stand up, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Tex
as. Say, haven't we always ruled this
house justly and In love? You hear them
all say yes and you know it. Massa-
ehusetts, too. Do you think that our
Cousin John Bull can rule his big and
Troublesome II family and we can't? Do
you think little Mr.. Dutchman can rule
the same kind of a boy as Filipino, only
twice his size, and five of him, and we
can't rule this little fellow and only one
Be ashamed ever to say that again. No,
we are going TO do our best for Filipino.
We are going to wash him, and -clothe
him and train him with love and firmness.
We are going to give him all the privi.
leges of this beautiful house we shall
teach him to pray and love the Saviour
and we hope that, by and by, his wicked
temper andqafarfelsome disposition will
be eradieated, and that he will learn to
love us and this hear home. But of one
thing, be sure, though we would not have
picked him out for member Of our fam
/ lily, though we expect quite trial with
him, and it will be an additional expense,
We are not going turn him out ON the
streets to starve and die, even If he don't
know any better at first than to want tc
run away" .....
Whereupon, with another strange men
tai turn, Massachusetts said, well, We
cant let him go back to his fathers, but
you have no right to keep him unless yor
adopt him legally" We are sure that we
don't know what she will say next. But
Filipino is going to stay. ...