The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-08-04
~ FRANCES sHAFFER.

I suppose Il 10 nothing but foolish
little story. but It has so happy a way
Of showing the ugliness Of the meal
time Crouch" and the delightful con-
trast in the spirit Of love and good ma
ture that II ID worth while II II is Just
q story.
Maybe you are In happy ignorance of
that distemper and do not even know
what It means. It covers-or, every
thing. There are complaints about the
food. miserable little criticisms and COM
ments, tales OF physical woe and Just
sulkiness. Some folk say II is worse at
breakfast time than at any other period
Of the day, and that II requires the
tonic Of a good meal and q few hours
Of sunshine and activity to clear away
the mental disorder.
But this Is the way the story makes
II 90 in one home:
shocked Upon Return Home.
A young woman. fresh from the years
in college, full Of enthusiasm. plans and
hopes. was shocked to ind. upon re-
turning home, that everybody but
with the ugly infection Of grouchiness
and sometimes even father" fell from
grace, when his coffee was too hot.
steak overbroiled, or eggs not quite to
his liking.
And with the college background Of
a lot Of merry. laughing girls, easy.
good-natured and companionable, she de-
termined to try to smooth out the FAM
lily wrinkles, to drive out the complaints
and to substitute the magic Of pleasan-
tries for the familiar grouchiness
So. first Of all. she got a queer little
jar. with its sides poppy adorned as
IL chasing one another about from pure
happiness, and its cover just 4 single
poppy, upon which sat in grinning sauci-
ness the liveliest, funniest little Billiken
that ever smiled folk into good humor
through a grin that would not down.
Then she put the jolly little jar in the
center Of the dining-room table-and
waited.
Created Curiosity.
There 1t stood for days, srinning.
winkins in mysterious silence and max
Ing everybody wonder what Billken's
mission possibly could be. Meanwhile
one forgot that the soup was too salt.
another omitted the singing remark that
usually came SO readily. and all knew
that something was in the air.
And then one night. as they gathered
about the corner-table. Bilnken revealed
the secret From his post as guardian
of the Jar a series Of white threads ran
to each plate. and at a signal from the
young woman conspirator the threads
were eagerly wound up, and from the
heart Of the Jar yellow peoples danced
across the table to the expectant little
group. Tucked down in the golden pet
ais Of each flower was a message telling
Of some treat ahead.
Treat for Mother.
For mother Il was such a modest
little treat. Just a ticket to a nearby
town-only twenty miles away. But the
getting away was the trouble. for there
was q family OF little ones and big ones
to be looked after every day in the
year. and 1t was not easy to slip out OF
the daily tasks. But the daughter prom
ised to take her place. and that was
Bniken's first happy message.
Then he ordered the music lover in
the family to go at once to the piano
and play her very best. But the
piano had been so out of sorts with
itself, so out OF tune and a-tangle that
the young musician shuddered with
the rest. But the first strains came,
and then she stopped, for instead Of
discordant sounds the chords rolled
out clear and perfect-the plano had
been tuned, And nobody knows what
a treat that is unless she has tried
to play with a key out OF commission.
a squeak here, a discord there, and
not dollars enough in her pocket to
make all right again.
To the brother there was message
telling that the favorite La Prince
rose bush was just ready TO open Its
buds in beautiful splendor, and he might
have them all In the morning-for any
one to whom he wanted to give them.
And that would mean nothing at all II
roses and dollars had not been equally
scarce and II there was not just one