The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-01-22
How =
Mia Was Punish ed !

2 + + z = = Z + + + + + r 3
Mamma, please tell me goodnight
story" So begged little Oracle Adams
Of her mother. The clock had struck
eight and 1t was the hour for Oracle
to 60 to bed.
Every well, dearie," promised Mrs.
Adams. what sort of story do you
want?"
Il like fairy stories best. mamma"
replied Oracle.
Then, as soon as Oracle was in her
little white nightie, she Struggled close
beside her mamma in big sleepy
hollow, prepared to give close attention
to the goodnight story.
WELL" began Mrs. Adams, "this
story l am about to tell is of little
girl called Nita, and Of her punishment
for being very naughty one time dur
ing her mammals absence. She was
left in the company of her aged great
grandmother, who was almost blind.
Before her mamma departed from
home she told Nita to be very kind to
old granny, and to perform any little
errands for the old lady that she
might wish to have done. Nita prom
Used to obey; but the very first thing
that granny asked her to do, she pout-
ed and acted very naughtily. And all
granny had asked of her was cold
drink of water to be brought from the
spring, which was near to the kitchen
door. But Nita was playing with her
dolls and did not want to take the
time to go to the spring, so she got
dipper of water from the big wooden
pail which stood on a bench in the
kitchen, thus saving herself five min
utes' exertion going to and from the
spring for fresh water. Granny put
the water to her lips, but, finding it
warm, said she could not drink it.
"Why, it's from the spring." declared
Nita, thinking, that she was telling
the whole truth, for, Of course the
water had originally come from the
spring but it had been in the pail for
some time. But she knew she was
deceivng her old grandmother. There
fore her deception was as wicked as an
outright lie would have been.
" Well, it cannot be direct from the
spring, child said the poor old lady.
And I cannot drink it, thirsty as l am.
But shall try to get to the spring it
you will give me my walking cane.
think it is in the corner"
N-s+o eo1% IS ho,,
ing tried to deceive old granny, she
nevertheless got the old lady's stick
for her, for she was too anxious to get
back to her dolls to run to the spring
and get the water.
"After her aged grandmother had
hobbled to the spring for a drink, Nita
sat down on the big back porch to play
with her dolls. She sat busily sew
ing on a little frock for one of her
dollies, a pretty pink silk Ia remnant
her mamma had bought for the pur-
pose) to be trimmed in white lace. AZ
ter few minutes had passed away she
heard her grandmother's voice calling
to her: 'Nita! Nita, dear! Please
come at once to granny
The old lady's voice being some
what excited and imperative, Nita
threw down her work impatiently and
went slowly into the house to ascer-
tain her grandmother's wants. She's
such q bother she said to herself. oh,
why must an old lady want SO much
waiting onr Then, entering her grand
mothers room she asked in rather IN
impatient voice: Well. what Is It
now. granny"
I feel 70 faint, child, that want
you to fetch me the camphor bottle.
You'll and 1t on the top shelf in the
closet Of my room. VIII you fetch it
quickly, dearie? l am SO faint"
''Nita went upstairs, but not aG
quickly as she might have done. Took
her time for getting the camphor bot
tie, returned leisurely to her grand
mother, put the bottle on the table be-
eide her and started to go to her play
again. 'P1te dearie,' said granny
4eebly, pour q little camphor in that
glass of water there on the table and
hand It to me. 1t was the exertion of
going down the steps to the spring
and up them again that caused this
sudden weakness. Oh, dear child, it is
10 hard to become as feeble as am,
and to be obliged to ask other folks to
wait on me- And the poor, old lady
wiped. q teardrop from her almost
siShtiess eye. .
slgita dropped some camphor into
the glass, roughly handed II to her
6randmother without single word OF