The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-06-08
His Unful6lled
Duty


Thomas, what are you doing?"
asked Mrs. Prinster of her husband.
"Er-did you speak to me, dear?" re-
turned Prinster, suddenly aroused.
"Only half a dozen times. What are
you doing?"
II am chasing a cat UP a liberty
pole" replied Prinster, frivolously.
Sid you think I was trying to read
the evening paper"
THAT is just what wanted to talk
to you about"
about the evening paper?"
mo, about that yellow cat bust
ness"
Il suppose--oh, well, well let the
paper wait. Your voice tells me that
l am in bad, and you might as well
get 1t off your mind first as last.
What is my particular crime?"
Last night you got up at midnight
and gave little Dorothy a drink Of
water"
Eyes, she cried for 1t half dozen
times and l decided that you were
going to pretend to be asleep until l
got up, so I"
Il was asleep"
Perhaps you were, but the sigh Of
satisfaction you gave as | started to
climb out of bed sounded mighty real
istic."
We'll, l didn't start to talk about
that"
Forgive me for mentioning it."
where were WEI"
"You were just giving a sigh of re-
lief and l was Just starting through
the chilly night to the bathroom to
get drink for Dorothy"
"Oh, yes. Well, you gave her the
drink and put the glass on the dress
er and came back to bed"
Funny you know all that-you be-
ing fast asleep all the time"
We'll, you did"
Il know it. but l fail to see why
such actions on my part should be
cause for comment, adverse or other
wise. Now, If | had given her the
dresser and put the glass oh the bed
and gone to sleep in the bathroom or
If l had given her the bathroom and
put the dresser to bed and curled up
In front of the CRATE, or"
When you returned to bed the poor
child was lonesome and nervous in the
dark and she wanted to be sure that
her daddy was awake and keeping her
company, so she thought she would
say something to assure herself that
he had not gone to sleep, so she said:
Bessie's going to have birthday to-
day"
81 believe I remember something of
the sort"
II don't remember-I know ! was
frightfully sleepy"
You growled: I don't care if she
is going to have pink monkey with
wooden shoes. | want to go to sleep"
did l say that?"
yes; then she was silent for a lit
tie while until the dark began to
make her more nervous. and she
called: Daddy! and you said What!
and she said, Are you awake and
you said, No, am fast asleep don't
you hear me snoring Home, Sweet
Home?"'"
We'll, well! I'd make hit in
vaudeville, wouldn't II"
you might, but you are not making
q hit around here with that sort of
humor, and l hope you will stop It,
When the child wakes up in the night
she is nervous and needs comforting
and the right sort of parents would
not be cross with her, but would talk
to and comfort her and keep her mind
occupied until she went to sleep"
"Yes?"
Then this morning" pursued Mrs.
Prinster, "she asked you what you
had in your mouth, and you told her
that you had pair of rubber over
shoes and box of matches"
II did,"
Yes, you did. Now, what have you
got to say to that"
only that am sorry l have been
so thoughtless. / deserve your scold-
Ing. l promise never to do 1t again.
Now, let's forget all about it and go
down to the moying-picture show. You
believe that parent should be always
ready to respond to the child?"
Il certainly do"
That a parent ought to talk to the
child at midnight and never be cross
or short with her, no matter how
sleepy the parent may happen to be-"
Indeed, do. Now, what are you
grinning about?"
Il was just thinking how unfor-
tunate 1t was for Dorothy that you
were fast asleep while l was perpe-
trating all those unkndnesses last
night. Now If you had"
II will have the children ready in
just moment. Which picture show
are we going to-"