The San Francisco call., 1904-11-06


ried I told him I'd marry him two
weeks from the next Saturday. an that
would give me time TO pack up my
stun, an give him time TO tell his
boys an to let the hired man on for
a few days. 1t was just as well not
to have him around TO put the boys
up to meanness an TO stir up the
neighbor boys 10 shivaree US. So I
told Jim to be sure not TO tell him at
all An then, too, the weddin' would
come at a time when It wouldn't in
terfere with the farm work. As to
tellin' the boys. 1 asked Jim TO stop at
my house when he went TO town the
next Saturday, but not TO say nothin'
to the boys about me till after that
'On Saturday he stopped an I
packed up a fried chicken I had ready
an some cake 1 didn't send the cake
the day Of the picnic Forgot all about
II. An L had some preserves an
some other things in the basket. An L
says TO Jim, Now tomorrow is Sun
day. The hired man will be away for
the day. Now just set this stuff be-
fore the boys, an L guess they'll en-
JOY it. Then you tell EN- that the
woman that you're gOin' to marry sent
that cOckin' for them 10 try. They're
old enough now TO have things like
that talked over with 'em. Then
you can go on an tell 'em that you're
goin' TO get married on Saturday the
week after next, an that you're gOin'
to take them an me to town, an you
an III be married first an then we'll
all go to the circus
He kicked a little at first, but I
made him practice till he could say all
1 told him Just as IL he thought Of IL
himself I told him, Don't you let the
boys know but what you thought OF
the whole thing yourself. I know you
wouldn't have thought OF takin' the
boys, but let 'em think you did. There
amt no reason why the children
should be left at home alone all day,
plannin' mean things to do, an dOin'
EN-, while their pa is of gettin' mar
ried. believe in takin' EN- along an
maxim EN- have so good a time that
they'll look back on the day that their
stepmother comes as the beginnin' OF
the best time they ever had In all
their lives You can tell 'em not 10
say nothin' about it. an IL they keep
still, then nobody won't stuff their
heads full Of nonsense about step
mothers Seems il some folks don't
have nOthin' better to do than try to
make other folks children unhappy,
any way. The only reason why step
mothers Is hated so is just cause
gran'motheFs an hired men an help
an all the others without nothin' else
to think about stuff the youngsters,
heads full Of yarns. An ! told him as
he drove off: Now, there amt no rea-
son why you should come here again
until the mOrnin' Of circus day. I'll
have enough to do packin' my stuff
An don't bother about the dinner
I'll see TO that. Be here early cause
it's a long ride to town. an we want TO
get married before the parade comes
of SOS to have that of our minds.
He kind q kicked on not comm, but
l'G set my mind on 1t, an SO he
agreed
..T,J -aav, a-,o,,ob - s+o--,,,+ 49, an,
boys in my time to know that wasn't
goin' to- have them boys feel toward
me the way some boys does toward
stepmCthers- If they're handled right.
from the start, they can't help but
come out right. an made UP my mind
that I'd do my best TO handle EN-
right / was sure Jim wouldn't inter-
fere. cause he said he was gOin' 10
kind o leave the boys to me- They'd
had a little too much pa durin' the
last year an a half An / went into
the thing with my eyes wide open
knew if Jim tackled 'em Sunday after
noon after they'd finished that fried
chicken. about bein' married. that
they'd agree. an it's lots easier on the
father 10 say nOthin' OF the step
mother when the children amt raisin'
objections Then ! depended on the
circus to do the rest Jim said they
hadn't ever been TO one. an 1 kind o
wanted TO see it myself. so 1 didn't
see why all OF US couldn't see il to-
gether. An 1 thought il no more'n fair
that the boys should have chance 10
see their pa married Then besides,
everybody knows that If you really
want to get 10 know couple OF boys
all you have to do is TO take EN- 10
the circus, or county fair. or anything
OF the kind that's handy. I knew I'd
know enough more about them boys
after that day was over to more than
pay for takin' EN-. an KNOWN is the
biggest part Of raisin', as you'll md
with anything, turkeys, or chickens, or
boys.
'On the day Of the circus. about half
past seven, the three drove up in
two-seated buggy that Jim borrowed
for the day. The boys was fixed up 50
they looked pretty good, an they was
so uncomfortable they could hardly set
still. for they had on their heavy
wooden suits, an stiff shoes, for the
first time In months. i guess The
boys didn't get out. but Jim came in
an carried out the big basket Of lunch
an dinner I had already, an then I
went over the old house just TO look
at il for the last time Ev'rythinS
looked kind O. bare, an the boxes an
barrels made the rooms look kind o.
different. but / wanted TO say 'Good-by'
to the place just the same. Then we
went out dn JlLl says 10 the DOySs
She's the one that's gOin to be your
ma I'd told him not TO use the word
mother TO the boys, cause maybe
they might want to think OF me as
their ma, an OF their dead mother as
mother an there want no use in
mixin' 'em right at he,start- I knew
beforehand which was which OF the
boys. Jimmie the oldest, an Frankie
the other. I didn't want either OF the
boys to ride in the seat with me.
cause 1t would spoil his whole ride, 50
I says TO Jim, Hadn't you better ride
in the back, seat with me. an let Jim
mie drive? Then We can talk better
knew the boy was achin' to show of
how well he could drive. an I knew by
the way he held the lines that he knew
just what he was doin'- Jim always
drives a good team I spOse he wants
team that can make up for the time
he loses with his slOwnesS-
As soO1 as we was started. told