The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-08-19
MAS SLANG CURE
BY EDNA M. FoRDE.

way?7' shrieked freckle-faced Freddie
to his sister.
"Sittin' on stone wall" she re-
torted ronchalantly, IAN don't you get
too fresh or I'll spill the beans to ma
that you gave the cat our gold fish !"
Jaw, whadda / carel If you squeal
about the gold fish I'll tell teacher
where you hide your chewing gum.
Seer 4
"Well, awright. If you won't tell,
then won't. Huh?"
But Freddie's answer was lost as
they disappeared through the hole in
the back yard fence.
Now ell the while there had been
an eavesdropper who had heard this
slangy conversation. Mrs. Hapgood,
mother of these two scallywags, stood
listening behind pile of wood which
Freddie should have chopped long
ago.
"It's q problem" she sighed, as she
emerged and trudged her way through
the deep snow to the chicken coop.
Its problem to know how to man.
age children nowadays"
Sarah and Freddie, 10 and IA re-
spectively, We're at the age when they
should have been a help and a joy
to their mother.
While Mrs. Hapgood was in the act
of collecting eggs, brilliant thought
m 70 hn .sorhk
then and there and wondered if her
idea, carried out, would cure those
little imps of their slang and lazy
habits. "He who hesitates is lost"
she quoted. So putting the eggs back
in the nests, she trudged the short
space from the chicken coop to the
house.
mo harm in trying, anyway" she
unused.
"Yoo-hoo Oh, ma-a-a-a-a" shouted
voices from the back yard SIS sup
per ready? Gee, we're starvin'!" And
then followed general slamming of
doors, kicking of rubbers, shifting
from the cold and plenty of impa-
tience.
"How do you get that way" greeted
voice from the next room-and they
entered to find Mrs. Hapgood seated
snugly before the fireplace with a
magazine. "Why don't you two have
hearth" she continued 81 don't feel
like getting supper. 1t can go hang
for all carer
Freddie and Sarah, round-eyed and
speechless, stood staring at her from
the doorway.
The voice continued: "The eggs
aren't in, the store is closed, the woods
not in, and there's no fire in the
range How do you expect me to get
supper"
At this point Freddie ventured to
say timidly: "Now, ma, quit yer kid
din; we're awful hungry, honest :"
And Sarah, encouraged, ran to her
mother, threw her arms around her
neck and pleaded: please hurry, ma !;
we're goin' slidin' tonight up to
Browns hill, and it's nearly time we
were leavin'! Isn't it, Freddie?" turn
ing to her brother, who burst forth
with a torrent of pleadings.
Right here Mrs. Hapgood's courage
nearly failed her. but she pulled her.
self together and forcing laugh ex-
claimed: swell, if it's time to leave,
let's CO."
"But ma-the supper"
Never mind the supper. Slidin's
more important than eatin' anyway
let's go!" !.
"Oh, whatever is the matter with
MAJ" walled Sarah. "She talks like
that bold woman on Alden street, who
never cleans her home"
'I'm waitin'," called voice like
the woman's on Alden street. "Aren't
you ready YETI"
Freddie ambled into the kitchen,
and with penitent eye and dropping lip
he toed the mat and mumbled: Jaw,
I guess won't go slidin' tonight, and
l wish you wouldn't go either, ma"
Eyes, let's stay home and We'll all
cook supper together chimed in
Sarah.
"And Wen play dominoes, . suggested
Fred.
mo- declared ma, firmly. SIN sick
of stayin' home, DOM all the work an
cookin' meals, an talkin' like nice
motherl From now on I'm goin to
talk slang and do no work. Get me?"
Mother dear, pleasew begged Sa-
rah. II don't know what has hap
pened to you, nor how you got that
I mean how you changed, but some.
how / feel it is my fault and Freddie's,
and if you win only say you are fool
ing, and promise you will be our own
darling sweet mother once again, I'll
do anything you want, and we won't
talk slang or be lazy any more, will
we, FreddieT
please, ma-a-a-al We've been too
fresh, guess, and anyway I was just
thinkin could chop half that wood
on such nice moonlight night as to-
night'-pause you'll cook us some
scrambled eggs first"
Then Mrs. Hapgood knew she had
won. Enough was said, and nobody
could doubt her children's sincerity.
Soon they were all hustling about
getting supper, and not until the pud-
ding dish was emptied did Mrs. Hap
good fess up. Then they all laughed,
and Sarah said she would do the
dishes.
II never knew it was such fun to
help" she declared, cor that you were
such good fun, mother, dear, and I'm
glad you taught us a lesson!r
And as Freddie slung the ak over
b;s chandler and oDened fhe door he