THE COMPROMISE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144084, 1 May 1913, Page 3

THE COMPROMISE.

(Time, midnight. Scene, a bedroom. Persons: Mother, Father, and Son, aged three.) * “What is it, mother’s pet?” “Mnmmie! Mummiel Wants to come into yore bed, wants to come into ” “No, no, dear, you must stay in your cot,; mother ’ “I don’t like my cot, I’se not comfy; wants to come into yore bed, wants to ;Come ——” ; _ “Lie down, Jackie, at once, and go to • sleep! You shall come into mother’s bed in the morning.” _ - “It is morning, Mnmmie, Pse been ,sleep! TVants to come into yore bed, ■ boo-00-00, wants to ■” “Oh, Harry, what are we to do with ■■the child?” ■ v

(Voice from neighbouring bed); “L should give the little, beggar: a sound thrashing.” 1 “Don’t be absurd, dear. You know bo’s got a cold, and that’s why ho is.eo Jretty. It would be : cruel to thrash him.”

“All right, then, have him in your bed,”

“But I thought we agreed that, wo mustn’t give in to him ?” . . .. “Don’t want Daddy! 80-00-oo,,wants, come into yore bed, Mnmmie, ■■ Mummie!”

> “Oh,.Harry,'.what shall we do? W'hat j will the Simpsons think?” 5 ■) 4 “Oh, well, hang it all, what about j their piano ?’’ : “Yen know quite well that never' dis-,1 iurbed us really. Do be serious, ands! ■think of the child’s future. We must* 1 control him.”

“Try working on his better feelings. I ' read, about that somewhere.” j. “Jackie., dear, listen ’to mother ” j “Don’ want to listen, wants to-! 'come—” - ... ,

“Listen, dear; it’s not morning yet, ; and mother’s very tired and sleepy,,. won’t Jackie be an unselfish little boy-, and lie down in his nice warm cot -ana? let mother tuck him..up nice and comfy aud go sfeopy-sleepys-r—” “No! No! No!!' Wants to come intoyore bed, wants, to go sleepy-sleepys in < yore bed, w-ants ” -•• . 1 “Oh, J-——n! Two nights like this running'is a bit thick’., Stop that noise, Jackie, or I’ll ” “You needn’t swear before the child, Harry, and if you like you know you can. go; and sleep on the drawing-room sofa.” ' ■ ; “I’ve had some of that before, it’s full of lumps. Look hero, Jackie, didn’t you tell me yesterday you were a real taxi-man? Well taxi-men never cry, they always kiss-their mummies and go straight to sleep in their cots and ’ “Don’t Want to be a taxi-man,’ wants to be a Hoo-sar, wants to come into Mummie’s bed, don’t like my cot, boo-ooo-000 1”

“Harry, you’d much better not talk to him, it only makes- him worse. Jackie,, dear, you love father and mother, don’t you; and father and mother love you; but no one can love a little boy who screams like that because be' doesn’t get what he wants; there, there, it’s all right, darling, you’re going to lie down in your cot and be mother’s own good little man and come into mother’s bed in the morning——” “No, no, wants to come in yore bed now, Mummie, wants to hold yore hand-—” ' ,

“Harry, do you' think I should offer to give liim some C-h-o-c-o-I-a-t-e if he promises to be good?” “Oh, good Lord, yes! Give him chocolate or anything else you’ve got——” “Oh, why didn’t you spell it, stupid; he’s sure-to have heard'you—there! Listen. Now you’ve done it!” “Wants some choklot, Mummie, wants to come into yore bed. I don’t want you,- Daddy; wants Mummie,wants choklot; wants- ” “Try a ‘small wants ad.,’ old man, in the Daily Mail ” - “Don’t try to be funny, Harry, at this time of night. I’m so tired, -and I really don’t think the child’s well.. He has got a cold, you know.” “There’s nothing wrong with him, old girl, but temper. My cold’s, much .worse than his, and as I’ve got a lot to do to-morrow I really think I’ll have to risk those lumps on that beastly, sofa.” “Mummie, wants to come into yore bed ”

“No, Harry; I won’t have you going to the drawing-room. Very well, Jackie, come into mother’s bed, but,, remember, this is onlv for to-night, because father mi , have' some sleep if he is to make an --'ad and butter for Jackie to-morro. hit Jackie must learn to sleep in K;-i own cot, and be a good wee man, and always do as mother tells him ” “Wants choklot in yore bed, Mummio; wants ——”

“Choklot” duly supplied and peace reigns once more—broken only by heavy snoring.