The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-11-18

mo. nor Mrs. SchofeId cried invol
unfairly.
"Yes. they are" returned Aun
Sarah. "Only they're not quite SO aw
full. because they haven't learned t
cover themselves al over with littl,
pretences. When Penrod grows VI
he'll be Just the same as he is now
except that whenever he does what BIZ
wants to do he'll tell himself and 9th
er people little story about IT t.
make his reason for doing it seen
nice and pretty and noble"
NO. | won'tw said Penrod suddenly
There's one cookie left" observed
Aunt. Sarah. Are you going to eat
tit"
WELL" said her great nephew
thoughtfully, 81 guess better"
"Why?" asked the old lady. why
do you guess you'd 'betterY"
"Well," said Penrod. with a full
mouth. at might get all dried up II
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. 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
well get a good start"
| Mrs Schofield looked thoughtful
AUNT Sarah." she ventured. don't
you really think we improve as we get
OlderT'
Meaning" said the old lady. THAT
| PenrOd hasn't eluch 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 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 tney
were not Mrs. Grim settled the Ques-
ton for him.
IL suppose Penrod is regarded as the
neighborhood cursor
"Oh. no!' cried Mrs. Schofield
He
II daresay the 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, ~
"You might as we'll 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.
SchOtield, II know Penrod."
Aunt Sarah laughed heartily. do
you think his father knows him too?"
"Of course men are different" Mrs.
Schofleld returned alphabetically. But
a mother knows
"Penrod." said Aunt Sarah solemnly,
docs your father understand your
"Ma'amI'
about as much as he'd understand
Sitting BULL" she laughed. And III
tell you what your mother thinks you
are, Penrod. Her real belief is that
you're novice In a convent"
"Ma'amT'
/ Aunt Sarah!'
II know she thinks that. because
| whenever you don't behave like a
novice she's disappointed In you. And
your father really believes that you're
decorOus. well trained young bust
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 a 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,
Penrod?'
"Ma'am?"
Go on and finish the lemonade
There's about a glassful left. Oh, take
II, take it. and don't say why! OF
course you're a little pig"
| Penrod laughed gratefully, his eyes
fixed upon her over the rim of his up
tilted glass.
Fiji 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 sit"
! "Ma'amY
It'll be your turn to struggle and
muss things up for the betterment OF
posterity soon enough said Aunt Sar
ah Grim. Drink your Lemonade"
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 for? Last thing she
said was to be sure not to forget t.
give II to him. He don't want 1t. and
she said herself 1t amt any good She's
older than you or papa. isn't she?"
About fifty years older" answered
Mrs. Schofield, turning upon him q
stare of perplexity. Don't cut into
the leather with your new knife. dear