News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-11-22

| my pNC hiC thSy uoh huihiy Cfti
go on with what they are saying. So
1t just naturally follows that i don't
overhear things as l used to-.
Not that there's much to hear,
though. Really, there just isn't any
thing going on, and things aren't half
SO lively as they used to be when Mr..
Easterbrook was here, and all the
rest. They've all stopped coming now,
most. I've about given up ever having
a love story of Mothers TO put in.
And mine, too. Here I am fifteen
next month, going on sixteen. (Why,
that brook and river met long ago y
But Mother is getting to be almost as
ceiving proper attentions from young
men. Oh she lets me go to places, a
little, with the boys at school; but I
always have to be chaperoned. And
whenever are they going to have a
chance to say anything really thrilling
with Mother or Aunt Hattie right at
my elbow? Echo answers never! SO
I've about given up that's amounting
to anything, either.
or course, there's Father left, and
of course, when l go back to Ander-
sonville this summer, there may be
something doing there. But l doubt it.
l forgot to say haven't heard from
Father again. l answered his Christ
mas letter, as l said, and wrote just
as nice as l knew how, and told him
all he asked me to. But he never an
swered, nor wrote again. l am dis
| appointed, I'll own up. l thought he
would write. l think Mother did too
! She's asked me ever so many times If
| hadn't heard from him again. And
she always looks SO sort of funny
when l say no-sort of glad and sorry
together, all in one.
But, then, Mothers queer in lots of
ways now. For instance: One week
ago she gave me perfectly lovely
box Of chocolates whole two-pound
box all at once; and I've never had
more than half-pOund at once before.
But just as / was thinking how for
once l was going to have a real feast,
and all l wanted to eat-what do you
think she told me? She said | could
have three pieces, and only three
pieces day; and not one little tiny
one more. And when / asked her why
she gave me such big box for, then,
if that was all l could have, she said
1t was to teach me self-discipline. That
self-discipline was one of the most
wonderful things in the world. That
q oh . oh,
was a girl, her life would have been
very, very different. And so she was
giving me great big box Of choco-
lates for my very own, just so as to
teach me to deny myself and take only
three pieces every day.
Three pieces and all that whole
big box of them just making my mouth
water all the while; and all just to
teach me that horrid old self-disci-
pine! Why, you'd think 1t was Aunt
Jane doing it instead of Motherl
ONE WEEK LATER
It's come-Father's letter. 1t came
last night. Oh, Ii was short, and it
didn't say anything about what l
wrote. But was proud Of it, just the
same. l just guess l was! He didn't
get Aunt Jane to write to Mother, as
he did before. And then, besides, he
must have forgotten his stars long
enough to think of me little-for he
remembered about the school, and
that l couldn't go there in Anderson
villa anH ~ hn sold I hoH hattnr or
here till it finished.
And l was so glad to stay! 1t made
me very happy-that letter 1t made
Mother happy, too. She liked it, and
she thought it was very, very kind of
Father to be willing to give me up
almost three whole months of his six,
SO | could go TO school here And she
said SO. She said once to Aunt HaCtie
that she was almost tempted to write
and thank him. But Aunt Hattie said,
"Pooh," and it was no more than he
ought to do, and that she wouldn't be
seen writing to man who so care
fully avoided writing to her So
Mother didn't do it, l guess.
But | wrote. l had to write three
letters, though, before l got one that
Mother said would do to send. The
ii st one sounded so GLAD l was stay
ing that Mother said she was afraid
he would feel hurt, and that would be
too bad-when he'd been so kind. And
the second one sounded as If l was SO
sorry not 20 go to Andersonville the
first of April that Mother said that
would never do In the world He'd
think l didn't want to stay in Boston.
But the third letter / managed to
make just glad enough to stay, and
just sorry enough not to go. So that
Mother said 1t was all right And |
sent ii.
APRIL
Well, the last chocolate drop went
There were just seventy
,iy niapas I'm that fwO-nOund hoy