Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-05-19

an old fashioned meal, for, while the
brother helped to the ham and eggs and
fried potatoes, Aunt Susan served the
ounce preserves and passed the hot
| biscuit and Alice poured the tea. The
table, too, had a Christmas touch, for
around the mat where the lamp stood
was green wreath frightened with
clusters of red berries. 1t was all a
charming picture, and not the least of
it was the fair girl who so graciously
played the hostess. When the meal
was over she said:
Now you two gentlemen must go
into the parlor and smoke, and I'll join
you later. l command you to smoke"
she added mperiousy, ''for 1 want the
house to smell as if there was a man
| around"
When she came in later, wearing her
new house dress, she drew her chair
close to her brothers and, resting her
elbows on his knee and her chin in her
open palms, she, looked up and said
with witching smile:
Now, BERTHE, I've done all could for
your comfort, so now please tell me
what is in that long, fat box you
brought"
"You are a bewitehing coaxer, sis
he answered, but l am hard hearted.
III make trade with you, though
First tell us all about your school
teaching and sing us all the songs
ask for, and then I'll open the box"
You are very modest in your wants., y
she replied archly, "but, like all men,
you must be humored to keep you good
natured, presume"
Il wish you would tell us about your
school, Miss Page" put in Frank. you
are not a bit like the schoolmaam Of
my boyhood, and would like to know
how you manage children"
"Well, it was little hard at first
she answered, "for boys and girls Of
ten and twelve have surprisingly keen
tntuitions, and it seemed to me they
made a study of my face from the first
and concluded I was soft hearted. I
had one little boy that was born mis-
ways 1 had to love him in spite of it.
But he had to be punished some way,
and so one day l kept him after school
and then told him l must whip him
hard, but not at that time. l explained
to him what was going to punish him
for, but l said, I shall not do it to-
night. l may do it tomorrow or the
day after, but will not tell you when
the whipping is to come until 1 an
ready to do it, My little plan was q
success, for the next night he waited
till all the rest had gone and then came
to me with tears in his eyes and begged
me to whip him then. didn't, though,
and told him l wouldn't until he dis
obeyed again. He has been the most
obedient boy in the school ever since.
There is one little girl who has won
my heart, though, in the oldest way
| YOU can imagine. The day I received
| your letter, Bert, l was so happy that
| the school ran riot, and I never knew
| it. They must have seen it in my face,
| l think. Well, when school was out
| this girl, shy little body Of ten, sidled
up to my desk and said, 'Pleath may ]
kith you, teacher, fore go homer II
was such an odd and pretty bit of feel
ing it nearly brought tears to my eyes,
II should like to give that little CIR
a box of candy, Miss Page" observed
Frank, ''and then ask her for a kiss
myself"
For an hour Alice kept both the
young men interested in her anecdotes
Of school teaching, and then her broth.
| er said:
Come, sis, you must sing some, or nc
box tonight"
WELL" she replied, smiling, what
shall 1t be-a few gems from Moody
and Sankey or from Laurel Leaves? u
And then, turning to Frank, she added
MY brother just dotes on church mu.
Sic"
Alice" said her brother, with mock
sternness, IF you tib like that you
know the penalty"
DO you play or sing, Mr.. Mason p
she inquired, not needing her brother.
Il do not know one note from an.
other" he answered.
"Well, that is fortunate for me-" she
said. II only sing old fashioned bal.
lads and help out at church."
Then, without further apology, she
went to the plano. Come, Bertie," she
said, you must help me, and we will
go through the college songs" And
so through them they did, beginning
with "Clementine" and ending with
"The Quilting Party"
"Now, SIS" said her brother, 81 want
old Folks at Home, Annie Laurie,
'Rock-a-bye' and Ben Bolt and then
I'll open the box.
ITO BE Continued