Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-19
When Work Was
Play

Maize was sitting on stool in front
of an open fire. In her hand she held
a little broom, as she had been sweep
ing up the hearth, and had sat down
to consider whether she would take
the corner of the dining room which
was next to the parlor or let Lucille
have it when she came over to play
paper dolls. THIS was the favorite cor
ner, as the parlor door opened into
the dining room in such a way as to
make that corner little room.
AS she sat there thinking the matter
over, her mother came in with her
wraps all on. oh" she said, you are
brushing up. That's good! When you
finish you can dust and then set the
table I'm going up street. l won't
be gone very long"
Maize was well-trained child and
did not argue with her mother. Yes,
mother" she said, but there was a look
OF disappointment on her face that
made her mother think, "Ill stop at
Kuntz's and bring her some candy"
She kissed her daughter and hurried
out.
Well, no paper dolls, that was clear,
unless the work was finished before
mother got back. For after. she came
Maize would have to help in the kitch-
en- and Lucille would have to 60 home
/, to her dinner.
| Just then a tap was heard on the
window and a face framed in red
leap looked in. Maize jumped up and
opened the side door.
20 Lucile!" she exclaimed, II was
just fixing up to play paper dolls, and
mother came in and told me to dust
the dining room and set the table.
/ She's gone out"
Lets play while first" suggested
Lucille.
II guess we'd better do the work
first. Maybe there will be some time
left if we hurry as fast as ever we
can
Tap. tap-another face at the win
dow, framed by two blue mittens and
fur can There's Maud" exclaimed
both children at once, as they rushed
to open the side door.
i Again the woful tale was told-work
instead Of play.
"well,' said Maud. Il know what
let's do. There's a game learned at
Cousin Clara's that you can do work
by
| N"A gamer" said Maize. How can
you play and work at the same time?"
"Just get me sheet OF paper and
a pencil and I'll show you" She tore
the paper into halves, quarters,
eighths, sixteenths. On each piece she
wrote the name of an article of furni-
ture-mothet's chair, fathers chair,
high chair, mantelpiece, sideboard, and
so on. Then she put these pieces into
box, saying, We'll draw these first"
Maize and Lucille watched with great
interest. On other pieces shesWrote
the named OF things to go on the table
asbestos cloth. white cloth, plates.
knives, and so forth. These she put
| into separate box.
Taking up the first box she held it
out to Maize and said, Draw one"
Maize put her hand in and pulled out a
piece on which was written "side
table" THAT means" said Maud,
"that you must dust the side table,"
It was not long before all three were
as busy as bees, running to the box,
drawing the slips, and busting the
furniture Soon the first box was
empty. and they started on the sec
ond. These slips told how to set the
table. Everything was on but the
carving knife and fork, and Lucille and
Maize were both hurrying back for the
last slip when the door opened, and
there stood rMazie's mother. They had
been so lively they had not heard the
front door open. What is this?" she
said. "You haven't put ybur friends to
work. have you. Mazie?"
"Oh, it isn't work." they all cried.
| 'sIt'e NAV We've had lots of fun"
| Perhaps, then, you don't want this,
said her mother, as she handed Maize
box of marshmallows.
Eyes. we do, too" said Maize. "and
we'll sit right down and toast them"
MARY Elizabeth Thompson, in the
Churchman.