Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-04-28
WILLIAMS 0N'S
INSO N MA"

/
tween the hours of / and o'clock in
the morning. As he grew older the
somnOlent characteristics of the nor
NAL boy were noticeable by their alb
sence. The sound of rain on the roof,
a creaking door, the thought of to-
morrow's examinations, could Danish
from him all possibility of sleep.
Mrs. Williamson's first important
lesson in her married life concerned
the sacredness of Williamson's slum-
bers. A motheRin-law, three sisters
ln-law and a maiden aunt of her hus-
bands all united to impress on her
mind that if Charlie once fell asleep
was an excuse for awakening him.
His oversleeping in the morning was
to be hailed with thankfulness, as a
| partial atonement for the sufferings
of a wakeful night All of which Mrs.
Williamson took to heart as in duty
| bound.
Williamson, junior, however, did not
prove as tractable pupil as his moth
err Considering his inches, he had an
extraordinary amount of self-assur-
rance, and his bump of reverence
seemed totally undeveloped. If he felt
In the mood for roaring he roared re-
CARELESS of the hour or whose slum-
bers he disturbed. The room chosen
for the nursery was as remote as pos
| sible from Williamson's sleeping room,
and here Mrs. Williamson spent many
an hour of the night in an effort to
render the outcries of his son and heir
| lnaudible to her husband
But one time when Williamson jun
ior was cutting his first teeth his
mother had been up with him for
three successive nights. Then Will
hanson made proposition that would
have astonished his mother and sis
ters and the maiden aunt.
Looking across the table at his wife's
pretty, tired face, the dark lines Of
WEAKNESS giving a new luster to her
eyes, he said, firmly: Kitty, you look
worn out. Tonight you must get a
good sleep. will look after the baby"
Mrs. Williamson gasped. why,
Charlie, you won't sleep at all. The
time you usually go to sleep is just
his hour for starting in"
Il can stand it for one night" said
Williamson. Then he added with a
martyr-like air, Il sleep so little any,
way that | might as well turn my
wakefulness to some account
The prospect of one night of undis-
turbed sleep was too tempting to be re-
sisted. Mrs. Williamson yielded with
ecstatic gratitude She retired early
that evening, having first indicted her
husband into the chief mysteries con-
nected with the care of an infant
1t seemed to her that she had hard
ly fallen asleep when she was aroused
by the vigorous lamentation of her Off
spring. Her first impulse was to go to
her husbands assistance, but she he
roically suppressed it. She would not
spoil his sacrifice She fell asleep
again, her mind full of images of Will
hanson heating milk and walking
the floor and grooming lullabies under
his breath to the red, wriggling piece
of humanity who seemed on such occa-
sions prey to the most bitter cyni-
cism. Occasionally through the night
she was awakened by the babys cries,
but each time she sunk to sleep, with
the delicious consciousness that
Charlie was doing everything neces-
sary.
The sun was high next morning
when Williamson bolted into his wifes
room, watch In hand What time have
you, Kitty? My watch seems to be
off,
why, it's o'clock" gasped Mrs.
Williamson. You've oversight" Then
with commissioning tenderness. IL sup
pose you were SO worn out, poor boy,
that when he gave you a chance you
just slept regardless of everything"
Williamson looked sheepish. ITO tell
the truth, / never remember having
had better Sleep" he said. II was
in tranquil mood and the little fellow
seemed to feel it. He never made a
sound all night"
Charlie williamson shrieked his
wife. do you mean to say that you
never heard that poor child? Didn't
you even feed him?"
She was answered by Williamson's
guilty silence. Then, as she realized
the astonishing truth she gave herself
up to helpless laughter.
nshr o,,x. ,xvoe 49, ella xry.r1.-