Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-01-04

man inquired from dark corner OF
the room.
"Oh, no; 1t hits me just as hard as
anybody else, as Martin Luther said.
But I've got proposition to make:
II you'll take these things you brought
back with you, and wear cm for
week just as they are, and play you're
the missionaries, I'll take back all
I've said"
AS, however, there was no response
to this challenge, the box was packed,
and the cover nailed down.
ut is perhaps no proper part of this
story to add, that its opening on the
other side of the world was attended
by the welcome and surprising fra
GRANGE of patchouli, emanating from
. little silk satchet secreted among
the more workaday gifts.)
The ladies then adjourned to the
front piazza, where the supper was
served.
When the dishes had been cleared
away, the guests adjusted their chairs
and assumed attitudes of expected at.
tention while Virginia stood up and
shyly unrolled her manuscript, with
placid self conscious smile on her
countenance. She apologizcd for her
youth and ineXper.ence, with NOV.
Ing glance towards her pastor, and
then got down TO business. She be.
gan with the original and striking IT
mark that it was the chief glory and
function of woman to be a home max.
or. She continued with something o.
the effect that the woman who forms
the character Of her children in the
sanctity Of the home life rules the
cestinies of the world. Then she made
. fetching allusion to the Mother Of
Gracchi," and said something about
jewels. Nobody knew who the "Grac-
chi" were, but they supposed that they
must be some relatives OF virginia's
who lived in Boston.
She asserted that the modern meth
DDS Of bringing up children were all
wrong. She drew striking picture
Of the ideal home in which children
always stood modestly and reverently
by their parents chairs, consumed
with anxiety to be sure of some ser.
vice to their elders. They were al
ways to be Immediately neat in their
attire, and gentle in their ways. The
use of slang was quite beneath them.
These ideal children were always
to spend their evenings at home in the
perusal of instructive books and the
pursuit of useful knowledge. Then,
when half past seven arrived they
were to rise spontaneously and
promptly and bid their parents an af-
fectionate goodnight, and retire {"
their rooms, where, having said their
prayers and recited the golden text.
they were to get into bed.
Portions of Nirginia's essay were
quite moving. Speaking Of the re-
wards which good mothers reap, N
the virtues and graces of their duti-
ful offspring, she said:
"What mother does not feel thrill
gazes into the depths of her baby's
eyes and sees there the budding prom
ise of glorious womanhood. What
mother does not watch the develop
ment of her little son with wondering
pride as she notes his manly, simple
ways, his gentle reverence, his ten
der modest behavior. What moth
er-"
Here Virginia came to an abrupt
stop, for there was terrible racket
somewhere over head on the piazza
roof; rope was suddenly dropped
over the edge of the caves, and almost
Immediately a pair of bare legs were
lowered into view, followed by the
rest of Mickey Burke's person, attir-
ed in his nightshirt. 1t was the work
of a moment for The nimble boy to
slide down the rorr onto the ground.
But, as he landed on his feet, finding
himself in the august presence of the
missionary circle, he remarked Gee
Whitaker bees waX!" and prudently
took to his heels, and sped around
the house as if he had been shot ont
of a gun.
Several segments of the circle gig,
gled violently. The essayist, though
very red, made a brave effort to ig
more the highly indecorous interrup
tion, and SO continued with trembling
tones:
"What more beautiful and touching
thing is there. than the innocent. un-
sullied modesty of childhoodr One
might almost say"
But she never said 1t, for here again
she was forced to pause while another
pair Of immodest legs appeared over
the caves, much fatter and shorter
than the preceding pair. These be-
longed to Nickey's boon companion,
the gentle Oliver Wendell Jones. Tie
rest of o. w. ]. followed in due time:
and, quite ignorant of what awaited
him, he began his wriggling descent.
Most unfortunately for him, the hem
Of his nightshirt caught on large
nail in the caves of the roof; and af-
ter a frantic fruitless, and fearful ef-
fort to discOnnect himself he hung