Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-03-25
sySysgs .
THE OUIWITTING
OF GRANDMA
-st-C--o-0-tS~
BY HANNAH SOUTHGATE.
S.ii9I.1.49I;19S95iIs 9
BY HANNAH SOUTHGATE.

l9l l9Il Nor did it strike them upon
meeting their daughter for the first
time that she could possibly have for
gotten anything. She certainly had
the unexpressed air Of one who has
nothing to forget.
What a love of n chin" sighed
mamma.
Pretty sunburned, amt she?" COM
mented papa
Mamma paid no attention. She was
used to him. II shant dare to tell
anybody she's mine," was what she
answered. It'll sound so much like
bOasting'
You'll not need to-" declared papa.
"That nose will do as well for identi-
flcation us a name would on her col
lar"
Mamma lifted mp her voice in dis
may: "Why, Jim. she hasn't got n
namew
Papa whistled. "HOw are we going
to fill out the certificate of authorship
for the health department." he de-
manded.
a"Shell have TO have name" de-
cided mamma. "She can't be mar
ried, or even chrlstened, without
one"
ooh, well, she looks all right for
family use just as she is" said papa
That name! The quest of it put the
Pipers TO it harder than that of the
holy grail ever did Sir LauncelOt OF
all the 292 names of women which
were catalogued with their derivat-
ives Mt the end OF Webster's, there was
not one that suited, Mamma SHE'D
at using her own name. Mary from
mOdesty, no doubt but she vetoed con-
sistently any others that papa suggest
ed, and asked him carelessly after
wards, when lie seemed to be Off his
guard, who were Maud, and Lillian,
and Marianne. anyway, and why had
he never told his little wife about
them?
He, poor man, was turning names
over and over as he walked the floor
nights with the unnamed baby. He
puzzled over the puzzle as he hung OH
the strap going to town on the trolley
car mornings from the suburb to which
he had moved when he married. The
uncertain movements of the tram
would settle themselves into one Of
the two rhythms which nowadays his
lips We're always forming, Martha,
Marion, Marianne, Maria" or else
"Mathilda, Maud, May, Mehitable,"
for devotion TO his wife made him be-
gin always with her name, Mary,
whether he was running along the
Webster list towards A or u.
AS for mamma, after she had once
dressed the baby all by herself, had
brushed the soft hair in different di-
rectlon from that in which it was
meant to grow, and had counted the
tiny pink toes over and over again,
to be sure that they were just the
right number, she did not care whether
the darling was ever christened or
married
Matters might have gone on in this
way indefinitely If the grandmothers.
had not come simultaneously to make
q visit. Their coming brought affairs
to q deadlock. Grandma Piper said
she thought that it was only proper
that the first baby be named after its
fathers family. Grandma Grahame
was polite but firm. 1t certainly was
mothers privilege TO choose the
name and they must leave it all to
Mary. Her advocacy of the claims OF
the Grahames was no less urgent be-
cause she put it delicatCly. FOrenOOns
the two ladies discussed the question
with tolerantly smiling faces; at noon
day with naughty eyes; with stiff up
per lips ut nightfall; and the next
morning they would begin all over
again, while papa looked stricken as
he ran for his car, and mamma Rugged
the baby as if she could not he alto
gether sorry for anything which
brought her such precious oppor-
tunity.
One Sunday morning Mary stopped
her husband as he tried to slip out Of
the room early without disturbing her.
"Oh, jim, dear, don't 90 driving unless
yOu take baby and me with you. Per
haps If there's nobody by TO see,
they'll
Just what they might do she didn't
say, but she looked as If she meant IT,
Perhaps they Will" grinned papa,
hopefully
"Oh, know what to do cried NAM
ma. Tets go and have the baby
christened."
In the cool gray of the early morn
ing they crept out Of the house to the
barn, carrying the nameless baby, and
a picked up breakfast which mamma
had hurriedly tied in paper bag.
Papa htched up old chestnut DOllle
lifted mamma and the baby and the
paper bag into the single buggy, slid
the barn door open as quietly as pos
sible, jumped into his place whipped
up, and ratified along the driveway,
trying to make a noise like q milk
mans wagon.
But what are we going TO have her
chrisienedT" queried mamma.
They looked at each other in mutual
ndeclsion
'Name 1t after your family. Mary,
love- suggested papa, thinking Of
Grandma Grahame.
Name II after your own" retortcd
Mary, hotly, thinking of Grandma
Piper.
by gnd," groaned Jim, even moth.
ers-in'law are catching
Goodness, | hope not" shuddered