Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-06-12
The Tablet Habit" {"


The telephone-bell rang sharply, and
Toms mother answered if.
80 Mrs. Hobart" came her neighbor's
troubled voice, "do you happen TO know
whether my boy went off anywhere with
your boy? think perhaps he went
fishing, and he's not home yet, and this
thunder storm has been so terrible-and
Pm so anxious"
"The boys are all right, both of them, "
said Mrs. Hobart, cheerfully breaking
into the sentence. "Tom just telephoned
from over by White Bridge. Your boy
and the Rogers boys are with him.
They're pretty wet, but they're all right,
and hurrying straight home. Pm sorry
| didn't think oftelephoning you, but l."
then she stopped. She really could not
go on and finisli-"but supposed your
son was as thoughtful as mine"
Yet as she hung up the receiver, she
remembered the years of training that
had made her own boys action in tele-
phoning to her inevitable. The moment
the storm had ceased, his message had
come.
"All right, mother. We're here at
Rays farmhouse on the pike-over by
White Bridge, you know. Say, that was
a real thunder-shower, wasn't it? We're
not very wet. You needn't worry.
We're going TO start right back now.
Teddy and the twins are with me. got
three bass"
Toms mother lifted the writing-t tablet
that hung beside the telephone, and tore
off its last scribbled page. On it were
several OF the hurried but tranquiIizing
messages that il was the family habit TO
jot down for the common convenience.
Committee meeting called for five
o'clock. May be little late," in her
husbands rapid scrawl, "out will meet
you at Harry's."
This and the others below il had all
been jotted down while she had been
taking her nap, and she smiled happily
now at the thought of the pleasure the
notes had given her when she found
them.
"Going fishing with Teddy over by
White Bridge. Will get some fish for
breakfast. T. H."
"Uncle Harry has telephoned for me
TO help aunty get ready for this evening,
so Pm flying"
That was Betty's cheerful scrawl. And
even Joan, whose afternoon out it was,
had added her contribution: "The fruit
did not come yet, but will see about il
when | 90 uptown, so you needn't to
worry, Mrs. Hobart"
How much of intimate comradeship, of
happy family fellowship, had been fost-
cred by the use OF that little tablet-how
much saving of stairs, and callings to and
fro, and long discussions as TO when and
where and why, it had spared them all !
Once Tom had rebelled at the "bother"
of it.
"Lots of families are not particular
about letting one another know all their
plans and doings," his mother had told
him then. "But perhaps they are not so
intimate, and so fond of one another as
we are. It's really family safeguard.
Suppose you met with some accident on
one of your hikes, or Betty didn't come
home from the city on the train she ex-
pected to take, and none of us knew
where to hunt for you, or when to begin
to worry2 It's not because we don't
trust you, Tom. Father and are sure
you have il in you TO be careful, thought
full, responsible man. This is one way
of training man of responsibility"
The door banged open, and flushed
and radiant Tom, proudly dangling a
string of silvery fish, burst into the hall.
"Wasn't that an awful storm, moth
er ?" he exclaimed. "Struck two barns
out on the pike. Ray says it's the worsi
in forty years. was mighty glad you
knew where was, and telephoned YOU
the first minute could"
EYES," thought Mrs. HobaIt, "the
tablet habit has certainly paid"