The Indianapolis journal., 1904-06-05
Some Little Stories Of Interest
Written by a Careful Observe,
at Returning Vogue the Ter
tor,, Of Mama Commo
ton...T he Little Girls Grocery and Other Stories

seems 10 be right up TO the mark in every
thing Little Sue by the way; was started
out in life by her mother-.Big Sue all
their relatives called her-as a schoolteach-
er. They were all farm people. successful
farm people, for generations back; and Big
Sue was determined there should be
schoolteacher in the family, so she gave
little Sue city advantages in schools and
colleges, with the idea of finally evolving
schoolteacher. But the plan did not work
out in that direction at all. big Sue her
self must have had a grocery bent-per-
haps from some grandfather who had kept
a country store-and. in the summer. when
camp meetings were in progress. she would
leave the farm TO run itself and open re-
freshment stand near some camp-meeting
shutters all around: and there Big Sue
little Sue always with her-would sell red
striped stick candy, peanuts. coiored
lemonade and sliced watermelon 10
fried chicken dinners and coffee.
too. to people who visited the camp
ground. AT night the shutters would all be
closed in. lounge and mattress would be
pulled out from under the refreshment
counters, and there big Sue and little Sue
would sleep. These happy. exciting weeks
behind the counter. so much to be heard
and so many people to be seen. made due
impression on little Sue; and when the
school-teaching project came up, little Sue
balked-she didn't want to teach school
she wanted TO keep grocery. Big Sue is in
dulgent, so she set little Sue up in nice
little corner grocery. Little Sue had a love-.
would rather keep grocery than keep house.
It's true story, this is: but I'll not tell
you where little Sues grocery is
The trim, natty little light-colored ma
tron at suburban railway station was
evidently in bad humor. She was sitting
on bench. plating her
A study In hair; and as she pulled
Brothers. the shining black plaits
tight. she grumbled mild
ly, in a very pleasant, well-educated and
enga ging fashion:
Men are so pampered-thats what they
are-and 1 get tired of it. so 1 do. We
haven't got room in this station, on the
womens side. TO turn round: no, we
haven't; when / want to plait my hair. the
toilet room is SO crowded that / have to
come and sit outside the door. And. on the
men S side, the other day, the railway COM
pany went TO work and enlarged the whole
place. toilet room and ALL They don't need
it. and we do; that's why they got IL. I
suppose"
The listener suggested that, In many re-
spects. the world seemed to be altogether
made for men.
$50 it is-so it is" the little blue-gowned,
white-aproned matron agreed: land what
do men do-what do they do? Lots of them
are too trifiing and bad to live-yes they
are. OF course. there are plenty of good
men, too; but why don't women get PAM
pered some, I'd like to know. Women now
work as haro as men; and some of them
work harder. l know yellow girl-just
my color-Belle's her name; and Bellies got
nine brothers-shes the only girl Belle
teaches school, too-and works awful hard.
And do you think those nine brothers help
Belle any? No. they don't. And do you
think those nine brothers bought a home
for their poor old father and mother in
their old age? Indeed. they didn't. Belle
saved money, and Belle bought house and
lot-a shelter for her old father and moth
Grand Belle teaches school, and takes
care of her old pappy and mammy-while
the nine brothers run all over creation en-
Joying themselves. spending their money
on themselves and having fine time
Don't tell me about men, the little
matron said; Il know them like book.
OF course some of them are good-but
there's Bellies nine brothers-what do you
think of them?"
Into an old book shop On a pleasant May
afternoon came a big, fat. red-faced. gray
haired. gray-bearded, rather blowsy-Iook-
ing German in his shirt
The Tinmnn's sleeves, and wearing q
Library. yelowed old straw hat
battered old hat which
looked as old as some of the yelowed old
books in the shop. The blowsy old man
engaged in a low, deeply muttered German
conversation the proprietor OF the book
shop, who had hastened forward 10 meet
him with the air of a merchant greeting .
familiar and assured customer. Numbers
of books large books and illustrated books
were taken down from the shelves and
searched out from behind counters. to be
spread before the old German, who soon.
with charming. childish absorption, opened
the largest ones on the floor. and. on his
knees, eagerly ran his specialized. faded.
but keen old blue eyes over their contents.
Prolonged deep German mutterings went
on over the rusty old volumes. which were
carefully, closely inspected and compared
by the old man. Finally a choice was made.
money changed hands; and after nosing
into various other piles OF old books all
around the shop. the quaint customer went
out. clutching his big book under his arm
Then the book dealer talked. That old
man." he said. has big library, several
thousand volumes. in a room over his tin
shop right around the corner. He is not
we'll educated either in English or German,
but he is crazy-simpiy crazy for knowl-
edge-and he comes here every day of his
life-in the afternoon-tust about this time.
and buys a book I'd be rich IL had fifty
books ne buys are histories and high-class
geographical works. travels and the like:
he wants to know the world he lives I'm.
'.Yes-he has a wife-no chidren-and he
says she scolds him awfuly every day
says she always kisses him then. and winds
up with 'Ach. books Is de bad habit, books
is de bad habit