Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-02-21
A KNOT IN THE SKEIN
By Mrs. Chas. G.. Marble.
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= "
thumbs, slowly went on the winding
about grandma's ball.
Dot stood first upon one foot, then
the other, like barn-yard fowl, and
rave at intervals a tremendous sigh as
evidence of her WEAKNESS.
"You's 'zasperatin'," she at last
broke ut; "really and truly, drandma''
vou's old 'zasperatin hisself,'
"What?" cried the startled old LADY,
who had been been intent upon her
winding or perhaps lost in a reverie OF
other days; what is that you are say
ing, Dot?" -,
u said you was a 'zasperatin' old
poke replied Dot, firmly. 81 is most
tired to deaf, and there you 60 on wind
in les as if you was asleep"
well. | never" gasped the old lady.
| pretended to be intent upon the
work before me, yet could scarce re-
frain from laughing aloud
Tired, eh?" queried grandma, with
a twinkle in her eye; "well, we will
soon be through, and you can lie down
and rest" :,
''No. I'm going out to jump rope"
incautiously said Dot, with Willie and
Rose. They're jumping now, don't you
hear 'em, drandma?"
"Ah. you are going to rest your
weary limbs by jumping rope" re-
nlied grandma. "Well, so that you
won't be entirely used up, suppose you
sit on this chair" pulling one beside
Dot.
Dot sulkily complied, but as she did
SO dropped her hands in feigned wearl-
ness.
"See," cried grandma, "you are let
ting strands of the wool slip over your
fingers. Hold up your hands, dean
and we will soon be through" and on
went the old lady, placidly and slowly
winding as before.
Dot for a space looked the picture OF
youthful resignation, but soon her i'm
patience returned.
Hurry up" she cried, vehementIy'
you're enough to desperate the pa
thence of job" and again l saw her
slvlv drop a loop or two from her fin
gers. as she moved restlessly upon the
! chair.
Grandma looked at her reprovingly,
but fastened somewhat her move
ments. There was a pause presently
in the winding. The old lady brought
her spectacles down from her fore
head. and peered at the skein of wool
There's a snarl," she said, dear,
dear. how did that come"
ITS an awful hard knot" cheerfully
said Miss Dot, after grandma had made
several attempts to disentangle the
srarl. Il dess you had better get it all
right. Grandma, and we'll wind the ball
mother time"
"Oh, no, Dot, we'll get it all right
now" replied grandma, with jerk.
Snap went the strand. Several min
utes were consumed in Strengthening
the skein, and grandma carefully knot
ted the broken threads together before
resuming her winding.
The sounds of laughter and jump
inc outside the window came borne in
uDon the stiffness of the room. An
other pctulant movement from Dot.
Il is 50 nervous, can't hold still,
she next exclaimed, impatiently tug
eirc at the wool.
Dear, dear, another knot" crie(
grandma, peering over her spectacle'
at Dot. "Why, at this rate, we vii
never get through"
But at last it was done; and ava.
scampered Dot, every vestige of i'll
humor banished from her pretty face
Grandma's glance met mine.
,, The wool is for her own stockings
: quietly said she, as if in answer f
something she read in my eyes, ian,
I intend these knots shall teach her
lesson which mere words would fail t.
accomplish. Youthful experience,
; rightly impressed, may serve to guar
the future from sterner ones"
The old lady's favorite expression, "
know" played about her frml
r closed lips, but she gave no utteranc
TO them as with ball in hand she sd
gazing upon the pictures Of the past
pictures whose lights and shadow
J wers reflected in her own dim eye
= IN The fitting smile upon bro>sor lip.
Well, if grandma had been glow
winding the ball, it was more than sh
was in lessening it again. How IA
: her needles flew! Early in the morl
= ing, late at night, went on the knitting
Dots eyes watched the progress OF II
= stockings, and her admiration was III
J. bounded over their hue.
e RED stockies, and a red hood, ar
red mitties! Ny, it pears Sunda
won't ever comet"
!, Crimson" corrected grandma; mt
!, red" But it mattered little to d.
n what the color was named when 81
drew the bright stockings upon n
chubby legs and over them again
i pair of shining new shoes.
n "You will be proud of these stoc
ings." said grandma, on Saturday nigf
= as she rounded the toe with bit
J. white wool, because you helped me
l. wind the wool, you know, Dot"
~ EYES," assented the little one, with
proud air, wasn't dood, grandma
"And you so tired, too" went
4 grandma, ignoring her question.
"And so nervous" responded Dot.
- ayes, and you called me 'zasper'
v in old poke" gravely answered gran
d. ma, "and snapped the thread on pr