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Show DADDY'S EVENING niRYTAIlll'Sftfl Mery Graham Bonner FIRST SCHOOL DAY Parent Natalie was a born cook. She said so herself. She even boasted R- -R "But I Don't ;,eaI'. tLat apron Like It" right nw.iy7 how could you have when you were just a little baby and not able to walk? You wore long clothes, didn't you? It seems to me I almost remember you." "Uemenibei' me! Nonsense child, children don't remember their parents when they were little. And get on with your breakfast now. This oatmeal oat-meal is good for you." "But I don't like it," Mother Fen-wick Fen-wick protested. "Never mind whether you like it or not, It's good for you and you must eat it." Slowly, little Mother Fenwick began eating again. "I think Old Man Slow Poke Is around this morning," Parent Natalie commented. "Daddy Fenwick !" she called. "Aren't you dressed yet?" Daddy Fenwick came in the door. He sat down and began his breakfast. "Parent Natalie," said Mother Fenwick, Fen-wick, "I hate this dress. Do I have to wear It? Brown isn't becoming to me." "My dear child," Parent Natalie answered, an-swered, "you should be very thankful that you've got a good, kind aunt to send you that dress. Really, I've never seen a dress I thought looked so well on you. It's far better than we could afford to buy. When your Aunt Chloe Sfnt it she wrote thnt her little Chloe hadn't worn it out by any manner of means, but that she didn't believe in sending clothes after they were all worn out. Some people wouldn't be so kind at that." "I guess Cousin Chloe didn't like It and wouldn't wear it. She said she never had to do what she didn't want." "Eat your oatmeal. You've got enough sugar on it now. Yes, I think I It's very becoming. I don't know when you've had so pretty a dress." "Daddy Fenwick I" exclaimed Parent Par-ent Robert. "Wiiat where are your socks?" "I couldn't And them," Daddy Fenwick Fen-wick answered. Parent Sally went off ' looking for the socks. At last breakfast was finished. They only had seven minutes In which to get to school. It took several of them to find Daddy Fenwick's cap, but at last they were off, walking down the street, trying to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk as they went along. All the other daddies and mothers were in school. They had been given their grades, but as Mother Fenwick and Daddy Fenwick were about the same age they were in the same class. It was so hard studying, and they really did feel ashamed when they couldn't answer questions. At one time Daddy Fenwick was told he would I have to stay after school If he didn't stop whittling away at the end of his I desk and Mother Fenwick fidgeted so I that she had to sit on the teacher's j platform and look down at the others ' ; and be looked nt through one whole j lesson. Dm at last came recess. Then the ! daddies drew up teams for different games and the m others went around w'th their arms around each other whispering secrets, or skipped ropes or played When they got back into their classes again they all felt they were given far too much work to do. for they had so many other plans of I what they would of it to Mother Fenwick as she urged her to eat her breakfast. But Mother Fenwick Fen-wick was not so much interested in the breakfast as in the fact that Parent Natalie called herself a born cook. "How were you a born cook?" she asked. "You didn't begin to cook the minute you were born, did vr.ii Did vou I do when school A Lot of Moneyi ! was out. particu- . larly the daddies. I The parents all felt that the first ' day of school had been somewhat ol I a strain on the little daddies and moth- i ers. For hardly any of them could eal any dinner. |