Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-07-04

-Purdars Susan.
Mrs. Spider lived in me new house
Just outside the screens Of the little
window in the bathroom. whore for
once she was ont of the reach o.
brooms. RrOoms How she dr"Jdcd
the thought of them They had ruined
more than one beautiful home OF hers.
one day she went to a spider meeting,
where one of her cousins made a
speech on the Rights of Spiders.
This cousin of hers was one of the
family who build their homes in the
grass and whose dainty webs axe so
pretty in the early morning. when the
dancing dewdrop on them are glis;en-
ing in the sunshine.
All thought Mrs Spider. there
are no brooms where he lives. II |
could make up my mind to live in the
grass But she could not. so after
the meeting she told her cousin all
her troubles.
My dear madam said she, did
you ever stop To think that you have
no right to live in any ones house, and
that you ought to build your home
where you will not be a nuisance to
anybody
Il am sure. said Mrs Spider. that
| never intended to he nuisance to
anybody. and eat all the mosquitoes
and flies can catch. Folks do act so
queer about spiders. | have known
young ladies TO scream at the mere
sight of me, and yet ! am glad to say
they would not kill me because they
think it would bring them bad luck
Young ladies always act silly about
us answered the grass spider, smil-
ing.
Everyone does. think said Mrs
Spider. "or they would let my home
alone. II is so discouraging to build
a new house and expect TO have a
broom tear it down any minute"
1t must give one an unsettled feel
ing" agreed her cousin; then. after
telling her to build her home out OF
the reach of brooms. he hurried away
to the field where he lived. That is
how Mrs. Spider happened to make
her new home outside of the screen
Of the little window in the bathroom
One day when the North Wind was
ont on a froliC he gathered a quantity
Of dandelion down and tossed II about
for amusement. The big girl and the
little boy, who told ms this story were
out in the yard and they laughed with
the North Wind when they saw the
down dancing about in the air. Poor
Mrs. Spider did not laugh. but looked
anXiously out of the window hoping
that the North Wind would not blow
North Wind knew that Mrs Spiker
was a very neat housekeeper. but he
sent the down flying right into her
house. For a few seconds Mrs. Spi-
der felt like shaking the North Wind
but instead of trying to do so. she
went busily to work cleaning house
When the North Wind saw the mis-
chief he had done he gave a low
histle Then he felt so ashamed of
his rudeness that he quietly fOated
over to Mrs. Spider. told her ne was
sorry he had made her so much trou-
bic and offered to help her clean house.
While they We're working merrily to-
gcther the big girl and the little boy
went softly into the bathroom and
climbed up so they could look out Of
the window and watch Mrs. Spi.tr
clean house. The book Of spiders Sd Us
that these little creatures have eight
legs, and it does not say word about
arms but the big girl and the little
boy saw Mrs. Spider gather up big
Tall of down in her four long ARM
and push il through her parlor win
dow. The little boy was so delighted
that he laughed aloud. The minute
Mrs Spider heard him she rolled her
self into the quecrest little ball aud
kept still a. mouse for ever so long
but after a while she went to work
again Every time tine little boy made
the least noise. Mrs. Spider doubled
herself up until he Was quiet again.
The big girl and the little boy watched
the busy worker until the last bit OF
light was gone. Then they found the
spider book and the big girl read
stories about spiders. The next morn
ing, when they looked out OF the little
window in the bathroom, Mrs. Spiders
home was in perfect order--not A
speck of dust or bit of down TO he
seen and Mrs. Spider perfectly happy.
The Household.