The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

yaded our household; the thug of juvenile
maladies has crossed the threshold.
And the victim? Well. while the excite
always amazed that the demon should WIS.,
1t his heartside--are at their worst. the
patient patient, now dripping in rapidly melting
ton mummy, hoarsely croaks UP and says:
Ma, If takes that medicine you's fixing,
won't ont you gimme bite Of that cake
Under ordinary circumstances this re-
quest. would be hailed with JOY as an in
talllble evidence of strong puerlle vitality,
but these be no ordinary circumstances. as
any mother oan tell you. And besides,
some ten thousand things must now be
done, and there's but one woman in the
all of the other twelve nedgelings now
some innocently running. into the house
from the cour corners OF the earth, and
make stralghtway for the nursery, where
they are met at the door and shooed back
SO quickly that they barely have time to
realize what is happening.
60 away, get away, get away. You,
syieks the Queen Bee Historically, but
without superflous explanations
Now, indeed. she Is a verltable COM
mander-in-chief, or shall we say impera-
tor, for on her skill depends the mastery
OF the situation and tho overthrow of the
child-choking demon.
The frightened twelve, but vaguely real
izlng that something Is wrong, yet know
ing 1t Is time to obey. clatter Kitchen
WaidS, WNIle ltle lllVtiilQ, now beginning
TO enjoy complacent sense of his own
Importance, cunningly says. Ma, they're
all goin down after that fruit cake, and
I amt got Bit
But though the dozen so hurriedly shoo-
ed off are still unsuspecting. dynamic
influence is In the air and by some
strange mystery tho dark secret is quick
~ out and the whole neghborhood-at
lease the maternal end of it's panic
stricken.
Eight windows. which overlook the field
ilumed by the bonfire, fly up inStan-
taneously, eight curl-papered heads pro-
trude therefrom and eight small boys nre
summoned post-hate to their respective
agitated mammas.
One might almost say that this was
an astounding case OF mental telepathy,
We're 1t not Subsequently discovered that
the swart, soggle-eyed Malinda, at the
crucial moment has skunk Off the prem
ises, not to reappear until Christmas
Day. when she innocently drops in for
the presents always set aside for faith
ful domestics
A shy timorous thing Is the swart Ma
linda, In the good old summer time, she
hesitateth not to gorge on cucumbers and
to pack them in with the major portion
or u Jackson watermelon, nor does she
fear to remove her new shoes, pawn
them for strong drink, and wade almost
barefoot through the winters slush hut
no white folks diphtheria for her-least-
wise not until the innate acqusitivenesa
of the amiable savage prompts her to call
FOR her Christmas presents,
So behold the Commander-ln-C Chief. u
Rachel weeping for her chldren--alone,
quite alone In her misery-that is, alone
with one little sick boy In the nursery and
twelve healthy little well boys and we'll
girls a-squiiming and a-iEeddl!ng with the
things in the kitchen. :
Consider tSS. the nelshbors. now side
stepping and shying as they approach
tho house even as you and ! have done
and one and all thinking OF their own
| precious lambkins and dreading what the
/ next day will bring forth.
II IL terrible-too paralyzng for words
| Cruelty hard on the folks next door and
| demoralizing for the good people directly
! across the street. while even those around