New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1901-01-30
A KNOT in THE SKEIN
BY Wrs. Clas. c. Marble
~ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TT HEY made pretty picture, did
I grandmother and little Dot.
Grandmother sat in her low rocking
chair, with her glasses pushed back
above her forehead, and before her
stood Dot holding outstretched a bril-
liant skein of wool upon her chubby
little hands.
Hurry up, Grandma said Dot, with
a slight frown, syou're so slow"
Grandma took no heed, apparently,
but went on with the utmost precision.
Slowly the yarn reeled overdhe chubby
thumbs, slowly went on the winding
about grandma's ball.
Dot stood first upon one foot, then
the other, like barn-yard fowl, and
gave at intervals a tremendous sigh as
evidence of her WEAKNESS.
''You's 'zasperatin'," she at last
broke ut; really and truly, Grandma,
you'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?"
81 said you was a 'zasperatin' old
poke" replied Dot, firmly. 81 is most
tired to deaf, and there you go on wind
in jes' as if you was asleep"
swell, never" gasped the old lady.
I 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-
piled grandma. We'll, 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 weari-
ness.
'See," cried grandma, "you are let
ting strands of the wool slip over your
fingers. Hold up your hands, dear.
and we will soon be through" and on
went the old lady, placidly and slowly
winding as before.
Dot for space looked the picture of
youthful resignation, but soon her i'm
patience returned.
Hurry up" she cried, vehemently.
you're enough to desperate the pa
thence of job" and again I saw her
:slyly drop a loop or two from her fin
gers, as she moved restlessly upon the
chair.
Grandma looked at her reproving ely,
lbut fastened somewhat her move
ments. There was pause presently
in the winding. The old lady brought
her spectacles down from her fore
head, and peered at the slSein of wool.
There's a snarl," she said, "dear,
dear, how did that Gomez"
cts an awful hard knot" cheerfully
said Miss Dot, after grandma had made
several attempts to disentangle the
snarl. 81 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 a 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
ing outside the windo w came borne in
upon the stiffness of the room An
other petuiant movement from Dot.
II is so nervous, can't hold still, y
ging at the wool.
Dear, dear, another knott cried
grandma, peering over her spectacles
at Dot. "Why. at this rate, we will
never get through"
But at last it was done. and away
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 to
something she read in my eyes, ssand
I intend these knots shall teach her q
lesson which mere words would fail To
accomplish. Youthful experience, ii
rightly impressed, may serve to guard
the future from sterner ones
The old lady's fayorite expression, 81
know" played about her firmly
closed lips. but She gave no utterance
to them as with bail in hand she sal
gazing upon the pictures of the past
pictures whose lights and shadows
were reflected in her own dim eyes
in the fitting smile upon brow or lip.