CHAPTER XI

THE ILL-MANNERED CHILD

  O wad some power the giftie gie us
  To see oursel’s as ithers see us.
          —­Burns.

  There lived of yore a saintly dame,
  Whose wont it was with sweet accord
  To do the bidding of her Lord
  In quaintly fashioned bonnet
  With simplest ribbons on it.

“I won’t have ribbon loops, I tell you,” exclaimed the child.  “I want an owl’s head and I’m going to have it.”

“Why, my dear, the ribbon is ever so much prettier,” urged the mother soothingly.  “An owl’s head is too old a trimming for your hat, dear.  It wouldn’t do at all.  Here, select some of this nice ribbon.”

“Didn’t I say I wouldn’t have it?” answered “dear” pettishly, as she reached into another box containing an assortment of wings, quails, tails, and parts of various birds jumbled up together.  Picking out a pair of blackbird’s wings she placed them jauntily against the rim of an untrimmed hat which her mother held.

“There, that looks nice,” was her comment.  “If I can’t have an owl’s head I’m going to have these wings.”

Her mother mildly assured her that the ribbon was more suitable only to be met with the reply:  “You can wear it yourself then, for I sha’n’t wear it.”

This shocking disrespect caused two old ladies who were pricing hat pins to turn quickly and view the offender.

“Goodness gracious!” ejaculated one of them, drawing a deep breath.  “If that youngster belonged to me for about twenty minutes, wouldn’t I give her something wholesome that she’d remember?  I’d take the tantrums out of her in short order.”

“She deserves it, sure,” said her companion.  “But the mother is more to blame than the child for letting it grow up with such abominable manners.  I dare say the woman at first thought it was cute and smart in the little thing, and now she can’t help herself.  La, sakes! just listen to that.”  She re-adjusted her spectacles and gazed with added interest at the pair in altercation.

With the hat poised on her finger the milliner was bending smilingly toward the little girl who was giving her order in a very peremptory tone.

“I want those wings put on my hat.  I won’t wear it if you trim it only in ribbon.”

The mother seemed a little embarrassed as she told the milliner that she supposed the hat would have to be trimmed in the way Elsie wanted it.

“Humph!  I knew the child would get what she wanted,” observed the old lady who had first spoken.  “I felt all the time that the mother would have to give in.  What on earth did she let her take those big black wings for?  Two of those little yellow sugar birds would have been better for a child’s hat.  The idea of letting a youngster rule you that way!  My!” and then she took another deep breath.  “She needs a trouncing, if ever a child did,” and with that she and her friend resumed their shopping.