The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-06-02

"Why, Mother Burton" cried the
young mother incredulousiy. That g
just impossible. What did you do
when they didn't mind, when they
acted as Elsie did just now: She was
so naughty. You see that lovely set
Of Stevenson? told her three sep
arate times not to touch It, but she
persisted in handling the backs of the
books with her sticky little fingers.
What else could anybody do but pun
ish herr"
"Well," said the grandmother,
Lets consider the case. I always
tried to put myself in the children's
place and tried to imagine why it was
they wanted to do what seemed
naughty, what there was in it that
attracted them. Let's look at that
Stevenson set. Yes,isn't it beauty,
al! red leather and gold lettering?
Why, believe it's the bright color
ing that fascinated Elsie. There's
nothing wicked in liking pretty,
bright things. She'd be little Ounce
if she didn't. Why, if that had hap
pened to me, believe I'd have tried
giving her something bright and
shiny that she could play with"
"No, you don't understand Elsie,"
said the young mother, "that
wouldn't work with her. It's stub
borness. You ought to have seen how
angry she looked
"Well, perhaps you got her mad
up" suggested the grandmother:
gently.
The young mother gave skeptical,
impatient gesture. "You can try it,
and see for yourself"
The grandmother went quickly into
the kitchen while the mother was un-
locking the closet door, and by the
time the sobbing, excited child had
come out, she was back with an egg
beaten and bowl of soapy water,
Elsie looked blackly at her mother
and marched straight toward the for
hidden books. "Yon see," breathed
her mother triumphantly.
"Elsie,'' called the grandma her
brightly, "just see here what I've got.
Mother says we may play with it, you
and /. See, when you whirl the egg
beaten around, how it makes the wa
ter all froth up. It's as good as beat
III CSSo. julio OVcI dIlu LIy ~.
The egg-beater's shiny blades shone
clearly as they whisked about thru
the glistening, foaming suds. Elsie
was too little to contain more than
one idea at a time especially when
one of the ideas was such beautiful
one. She ran to the bowl and began
to try to turn the beaten.
At first Grannie had to hold the
bowl steady, but in moment the
deft little fingers caught the trick,
and whisk! how the suds foamed up!
She beamed as she beat, absorbed,
radiant, the little eyes blurred with
tears frightening, the little sullen,
angry face softened to a smile.
otis lovely" she pronounced SOL
EMMY.
Grannie and Mother began to talk
about the weather and a new recipe
for cookies! The crisis was past.
When Grannie stood up to go, half
an hour later, she remarked casually
to Elsie, "Oh, say, dear, Mother just
loves those pretty red and gold books
down there. And we are afraid that
if you touch them, You'll get them
dirty. You'll try to remember about
that won't you? You wouldn't Ii!
Mother to spoil your things"
Elsie's small mind had gone long
distance since that episode of the
books. To her it seemed as though
long time had passed. And she GER
tainly cared nothing about them, now.
She nodded, peacefully, her eyes on
the shining water. ooh, l don't care
anything about the books" she said,
"when I've got this"