The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17
Slcepytirne
 Tales For The
 LittleStOneS
Her Just Deserts-After Dessert.

N NCE upon time, when I was a
 little girl" said Mamma as she
 tucked Dorothy beneath the
 V covers and drew up a chair be- side the bed for the nightly Sleepy time tale, T was really glad that ] had been punished. Little girls, some- how, never can see that punishment Is good for them, even though their elders tell them it is. But, on the oc- casion to which I refer, even I was glad I had been reprimanded
 Like many little girls, I some times became contrary and mis-be- haved. And it was all about very simple matter. One day at dinner I imagine l was not very hungry--I asked, Mamma, what have we for dessert?' And Mamma promptly and rightly told me that little girls should not ask questions of that sort, but should wait and see.
 T was in a bad humor, however, and insisted upon knowing. Indeed. if I remember rightly, I banged my spoon up and down upon the table and demanded to know what it was. Whereupon Mamma, without further ado, took me by the hand, led me into the library, sat me down at hen desk and told me to write the sentence I will never again ask what we have for dessert twenty-five times.
 After I had completed the task, she told me I might come back to the table and see for myself - also eat some of it, if I behaved myself. As you can imagine, Dorothy, long before had finished writing that sentence I wished I had not been so impatient. My poor little fingers became, oh, so cramped-and that sentence was so dreadfully long!
 But wanted some of the dessert; so I realized I must write it twenty five times before I could have any. At last the task was completed and, subdued and really ashamed of my self I again took my seat at the table.
 Several evenings afterwards, we had company for dinner an old friend of Fathers who, having no children of his own, had always been very, very fond of me. And I liked him, too, oh so much! In fact, the only thing I did not like about him was that he invariably insisted upon knowing how I was getting along at school and what my last report had been. He had a most embarrassing habit, too, of asking me to spell, every now and then Sometimes l think he would purposely look up long, hard words, just before he came, to see If he could stump me with them.
 "Well on the evening in question, we had finished the dinner proper and the dessert had just been served. Now he said, with smile, perhaps my little girl Che always called me that) can tell me how to spell des- sert?' Could I? Goodness me, yes! Hadn't I written it twenty-five times only a night or two beforel So I answered promptly. D-e-s-s-e-r-t- dessertl'
 Wrong!' he exclaimed joyfully, I'm surprised, little girl. It is d-e- s-e-r-t. Well, well--'
 "I beg your pardon interrupted. simply overjoyed that I had at last caught him, T know it has two 'esses.' and I can prove it!
 "Ha! Hal laughed Father. She has you this time. Bob. The joke Is on your And then he explained how. only a night or so before I had been made to write the sentence, I will never again ask what we have for des- sert'
 But he was not satisfied and, in fact, he and father argued good-na- turedly about 1t for quite while. After dinner they looked it up in the electromagnetic I was right! Good ness me. wasn't I proud of myself!
 'The very next afternoon the door, bell rang and Bridget returned with a small package-addressed to me! My, but I was excitedi What could it be? I hesitated for what seemed to be ages before l finally united the string-and my fingers seemed to be all thumbs. But at last had it open.
 And what do you suppose it was? A small silver spoon! A beautiful one, too, with my initial engraved on the handle. Accompanying 1t was Uncle Bob's card q always called him Uncle Bob, though he really wasn't an uncle). And on the card he had writ ten: I should go into the desert and study until I learn how to spell. l shall never again eat dessert without thinking of my dear little girl-to whom I send this dessert spoon as her just deserts. Affectionately. Uncle Bob.'
 Now wasn't that a funny sentence: Indeed, Dorothy. I had to open Fa- ther's big dictionary to find out pre- cisely what he meant. And from then on. whenever felt that l must ask what we were to have for dessert, l always remembered writing that aw- ful sentence twenty-five times. Uncle Bob and my dessert spoon"