Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-31

Penrod, gazing fondly upon his knife
and eating cookies rapidly, answered
as a matter of course and absently,
"Yes'm."
"Certainlyr said Mrs. Grim "Once
you accept a thing about yourself as
established and settled it's all right
Nobody minds. Boys are Just like
people really"
"No, no." Mrs. Schofleld cried invol'
UNFAIRLY.
"Yes, they are" returned Aunt
Sarah. "Only they're not quite 30 aw-
full. because they haven't learned to
cover themselves all over with little
pretences. When Penrod grows up
he'll be Just the same as he Is now.
except that whenever he does what he
wants to do he'll tell himself and 9TH
er people q little story about It to
make his reason for doing 1t seem
nice and pretty and noble"
"No, won'tw said Penrod suddenly.
There's one cookie left" observed
Aunt Sarah. "Are you going to eat
itT
"Well," said her great nephew
thoughtfully, II guess better"
"WhyT asked the old lady. "Why
do you guess you'd betterr"
"Well," said Penrod. with full
mouth, 1T might get all dried up If
nobody took It and get thrown out and
wasted"
You're beginning finely" Mrs. Grim
remarked. "a year ago you'd have
taken the cookie without the same
sense of thrift"
"Ma'am"
Nothing. I see that you're twelve
years old, that's all. There are more
cookies, Penrod." She went away, re-
turning with fresh supply and the
observation: "Of course you'll be sick
before the days over. You might as
we'll get a good start"
Mrs. Schofeld looked thoughtful.
Aunt Sarah," she ventured, don't
you really think we improve as We get
Older?"
Meaning" said the old lady, that
Penrod hasn't much chance to escape
the penitentiary If he doesn't? Well.
we do learn to restrain ourselves In
some things, and there are people who
really want some one else to take the
last cookie, though they aren't very
common. But It's all right The
World seems to be getting on" She
gazed whimsically upon her great
nephew and added, "Of course when
You watch a boy and think about him
It doesn't seem to be getting on very
fast"
Penrod moved uneasily in his chair
He was conscious that he was her top
ic, but unable to make out whether or
not her observations were compli-
mentary. he inclined to think they
were not. Mrs. Grim settled the ques-
ton for him.
II suppose Penrod is regarded as the
neighborhOod curse"
"Oh, mol" cried Mrs. Schofeld.
"He''-
II daresay ahe neighbors are right"
continued the old lady placidly. Hes
had to repeat the history Of the race
and go through all the stages from the
primordial to barbarism. You don't
expect boys to be civilized, do your
"Well, u
"You might as well expect eggs to
crow. No; you've got to take boys as
they are and learn to know them as
they are"
Naturally, Aunt Sarah" said Mrs.
Schofield, II know Penrod."
Aunt Sarah laughed heartily. DO
you think his father knows him tooT
"Of course men are different" Mrs.
Schofeld returned apologetically. "But
| a mother knows
"Penrod," said Aunt Sarah solemnly,
"does your father understand you"
"Ma'amT
about as much as he'd understand
Sitting Bull" she laughed. "And Ill
tell you what your mother thinks you
are, Penrod. Her real belief Is that
you're a novice in convent"
"Ma'amT
Aunt Sarah!"
81 know she thinks that, because
whenever you don't behave like q
novice she's disappointed In you. And
your father really believes that you're
q decorous, well trained young busi-
ness man, and whenever you don't live
up to that standard you get on his
nerves, and he thinks you need wal
Looping. I'm sure day very seldom
passes without their both saying they
don't know what on earth to do with
you. Does whipping do you any good,
Penrodw
"Ma'amw
"Go on and finish the lemonade.
There's about glassful left oh, take
II, take 1t, and don't say why! OF
course you're little pig"
Penrod laughed gratefully, his eyes
fixed upon her over the rim Of his up,
tilted glass.
"Fill yourself up uncomfortably,'
said the old lady. You're twelve years
old, and you ought to be happy-if you
aren't anything else. It's taken over
1900 years Of Christianity and some
hundreds Of thousands Of years OF
other things to produce you, and there
you STIR
"Ma'amT
It'll he your turn to struggle and
muss things up for the betterment OF
posterity soon enough" said Aunt Sar
ah Grim. Drink your lemonadev
"Aunt Sarah's funny old lady," Pen
rod observed ON the. way back to the
town. whats she want me to give
papa this old sling forf Last thing she
said was to be sure not to forget t.
give 1t to him. He don't want It, ant
she said herself 1t ain't any good. She's
older than you or papa, Isn't She"
about fifty years Older" answered
Mrs. Schofield, turning upon him
stare Of perplexity. Don't cut into
the leather with your new knife, dear
The liveryman might ask US to pay
If No, wouldn't scrape the paint
of either-nor whittle your shoe Will
II. Couldn't you put 1t up until We ge
homer
1--WE goin' straight homer