The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-02-11
Children's Column.
THE GRUMBLE BOX.

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knowit. Is that a grumble, mother?''
81 rather think it is, Helen" an
swered Mrs. Porter. "Someone had
better read our contract again. We
haven't heard it for nearly two days.
You read it, Harry"
Harry took a box from the middle
of the table and read aloud:
"Each and every member of this
family of Porter agrees to pay one
cent into this box for each and every
grumble or complaint he or she may
make about any article of food upon
this table. Signed: Edward Porter,
Mary Porter, Harry Porter, Helen
Porter, Elizabeth Porter"
eff that isn't the strangest agree
ment I ever heard readI" exclaimed
Aunt Margaret, who had come in
unexpectedly for lunch. Chow did
it ever come about?"
ooh we've had it for a month or
more, now, and the box is nearly
full, {" said Helen. "For the first day
or two, cents just poured in but now
father can eat salt butter and drink
weak coffee without a word. He's
almost heroic. Mother always was
a martyr; nothing but tough beef
steak ever made her complain, but
she would swallow shoe leather now
and smile. 1 suppose Harry and
Bess and I are to fill the box-we're
no saints yet"
But" said Aunt Margaret, "you
haven't told me why you began to
have a grumble-box."
"Ill tell you" said Mrs. Porter.
Don't you remember some of the
times you have been here to lunch
or dinner when everything was
wrong on the table? The soup was
either too hot or too cold, the beef
was overdone, the vegetables either
too salt Oh not salt enough, the bread
was dry, or the toast was burnt
sometimes we hadn't even the right
kind of dessert. If there was pie,
everyone longed for custsrd or
cream"
Aunt Margaret smiled.
'I've known such things to hap
pen in other peoples houses, too"
$50 have l." said Mrs. Porter
''but don't you remember, too, the
little blessing father asks before
30 Lord, for the food thou
hast given Us, give us grateful
We would bow our heads
and listen, and then grumble over
every mouthful."
"You didn't, mother you never
did. Tt was the rest of u.s."
"Well," continued Mrs. Porter,
zone beautiful Sunday morning we
all went TO church and heard an
unusually good sermon. Then we
came home and sat down to a very
good dinner but 1t was worse than
ever, and before we left the table
stopped us and said: I've
been thinking, children, it would be
just as we'll not to ask q blessing On
the food any longer. We have such
poor things to eat we cannot feel
grateful"
81 tell you that took the breath
out of u.s." said Harry.
eyes, but it opened our eyes," said
"We couldn't believe that
we found so much fault with every
thing"
"It was father who thought of the
box" said Harry. "He said it would
help US keep a good resolution if we
had to pay for breaking it,"
eve got some pennies in, too"
said little Bess, "'oause I cried for
more sugar on my oatmeal"
"And what are you going to do
with the money when the box is
flledP" asked Aunt Margaret.
"We don't know yet what kind of
heathen are to have it," answered
Harry-"Chinese , siamese, Japanese,
or plain American it will go
from the heather to the heather"
Aunt Margaret rose to take her
departure. "Must you go, Mar
.garetP" asked Mrs. Porter. 81 am
so glad you came in for lunch. L am
only sorry we did not have q better
meal to offer you"
GA cent, mother A cent from
you |" exclaimed the children. "That
is a genuine out-and-out grumble."
And Mrs. Porter laughingly slip
ped a coin into the grumblebox.-
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