The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1920-02-26
BUTTERMILK
Pa Loses Out on Important Errand for Ma
Reedy's Mirror

Ia, GrT1L just PuolICu III. Cllcy got
to come in for twine, and they'll all be
here for dinner. guess you'll have to get
some buttermilk The bread wunt hold
out"
"Whyn't you say so sooner? 2" mumbled
Pa. He was secretly overjoyed at the COM
mission. He got tired of doing nothing. He
was like a child with penny to spend.
These two old people were like long-har-
messed team; they pulled amicably together,
but occasionally, by way of diversion, one
strained to his side of the road.
"Now pa, don't you say one word
never meant you to 60 on no errants today.
It's hot; and you aint scurcely able. l
could "a sent by Harvey Lewis, but he'd al
ready went on his Wheel"
"I could a ben and back!" grumbled
the childishly elated old man. He followed
his little dark, domineering wife into the
kitchen. His stiff, old bent, straw hat hung
behind the door. He took up the tin pail,
dulled to dingy pewter, and smelling faint
ly of milk, from its summing in the pantry
window. He stuck his old straw hat on
rakishly askew.
"Now mind you don't get to talkin'
and keep Laury waitin! She's aiming to
make sody biscuit"
"I wunt hurry. It's too hot to hurry.
I'm a goin' to take my time!" threw back
the old man. He swung the tin pail jerhly,
and set off at sort of stiff amble. He was
so tall and spare and angular that his limbs
moved as though they were held by rivets
81 mistrust we hadn't ought to of sent
him down there to the creamery. Mebbe
we could've borried the milk" fretted the
little dark wife.
"There you go-worryin' some more, !"
observed the middle-aged daughter, in the
manner of one stating plain fact, without
rancor or reproof. She went heavily about,
assembling materials.
"Well, we got SWEEP but goodness
knows how long it'll look like anything.
Company even own folks, does upset things
so."
"Own folks is worst" deposed the mid
dle-aged daughter.
"We'll have to put the leaf in, too, "
scolded her mother; "apd that means an
other cloth. Well put down papers at Jen-
MES and Horaces places they do gaum so. y
"If Is Efie I'd teach them children
table manners"
"I guess Efie finds enough to do with
out bothering about manners. Manners
comes. Did you notice last time, how pretty
Horace crossd his knife and fork when he
was through? Couldn't no grown person
done it any nicer"
Crossing knife and fork pretty amt
all. They's other things"
"Well, they's compensations. l guess
Arch and Efie think their children is COM
pensation enough, for all their bother
"I'd like to know where my compensa-
ton comes in! got no children, and got
to put up with other folkses'."
Laury was fond of her sisters children
but sometimes the thought of her single har-
ness CALLED her.
"You got no men-folks to put up with, .
reminded her mother. "Men-folks is aw-
full trial. You may we'll be thankful you
never married"
'I dunno as my day of grace is passed,
Laury said smartly. She stifened resent
fully. She hated allusion to her single state
Sometimes she felt strange, alien Jealousy
of her darkly shrivelled little mother.
81 wonder if Horace has been up to any
of his tricks sence he shut the school-ma' an
down suller?"
Horace had ought to come to town tt
school. He's outgrown those country grades
1t gives him too much time for mischief"
"Horace is mighty smart boy!'
Sos Jenny smart"
eyes. But not like Horace. Arch ane
Efie has two awful smart children"
They worked for time in silence.
"Well, it's bout time Pa was gettini
here with that buttermilk Everything
ready"
"IIl look if I can see him. =. (. HI
amt nowhere to be seen. hadn't ought t