The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-04

Everybody is familiar with the en-
FAINT terrible. Du Maurier occasionally
drew him for our amusement, and he
figures in many Jests and anecdotes.
This sometimes uncomfortable speci-
men of childhood is not necessarily dis
agreeable or spoiled. He simply at his
best state has a habit of appearing on
the scene when he is not wanted, and
of hurting out bits of truth that more
tactful elders know enough to sup
press. A child of this variety was one
day sent by his mother to carry an ex
tremely beautiful pair of slippers to a
gentleman living in the neighb0rhood.
She wrapped the gift in tissue paper
and placed it in a box, with her card,
addressing it carefully, but she forgot
to tell her little messenger to leave the
box at the door and return directly.
The boy had his own friendliness to-
ward the neighbOr and waited to see
how he would receive the gift Your
mother is wonderfully good said the
gentleman. These slippers are just
what I wanted most. II was lovely in
her to make them for me-"
ooh exclaimed the child, mother
didn't make them for you; she made
them for my father, and as they did
not fit him she was so vexed she did
not know what to do. At last she
thought she would send them over
here, and she wouldn't need to bother
about buying you Christmas gift.
This rather dulled the edge Of pleasure
in the case, and made the recipients
thanks a trif1e perfunctory.
ASK your father" said BObby'S
mother. IF he does not want to come
TO the library and see dear Aunt Fan
ny, who is soon going away" Off
rushed the child, to be back in a min
ute, saying: Father does not care
about coming in to see Aunt Fanny.
He says she is an old cat" When a
little later, with an air of gentle bon
homie, Aunt Fannie's nephew by mar
rage presented himself, the situation
was awkward and the old lady's man
ner a little strained.
At a table where several friends of
the family were gathered, a young lady
remarked to little Percy, years old,
eff you won't play games with me
shall not come again"
81 hope you never will" frankly an
swered the child. 81 don't like you, and
I shall be glad when you go away"
There lives in southern family
tradition that soon after his famous
duel with Alexander Hamilton, Aaron
Burr was a guest beneath its hospita-
BILE roof DueIling was not in those
days regarded in southern households
as necessarily disgraceful, If prellm1na-
ries had been duly arranged, and the
affair of honor had been considered ac-
cording to the code. Nevertheless, a
good deal of comment of an unkindly
nature followed Burr after that fatal
ending of his duel with the popular
Hamilton. The survivor was less fOrtu-
nate than the victim. A child of the
house wandered into the guests room
and, seeing there a silver-mOunted pis-
toll, possessed himself Of it and, enter
ing the drawing room abruptly in
quired: Us this the pistol, Colonel
Burr, with which you killed General
Hamilton"
One may imagine the confusion and
dismay of the older people at the mno-
cent and inOpportune remark
Conscientious parents are often puz-
zled what to DO with the enfant terri
BILE. He would be less formidable If
they remembered two. time-wOrn and
hOmely adages. namely, Little pitchers
have big ears, and, Children should be
seen and not heard
WelI-bred children do not interrupt
conversation, say disagTeeable things or
repeat what they should early learn
viii wound the feelings Of others.
American children are far too much in
the foreground. Their place IS not
where it should be in the happy pri-
vacy Of the home. for foolish parents