Ruggleses pointed the finger of shame at her and Peter GRUNTED
expressively, that their meaning might not be mistaken.

"You just stop your gruntin', Peter Ruggles; that was all right.
I wish I could git it inter your heads that it ain't so much what
yer say, as the way yer say it. Eily, you an' Larry's too little
to train, so you just look at the rest, an' do 's they do, an'
the Lord have mercy on ye an' help ye to act decent! Now, is
there anything more ye'd like to practice?"

"If yer tell me one more thing I can't set up an' eat," said
Peter, gloomily; "I'm so cram full o' manners now I'm ready ter
bust 'thout no dinner at all."

"Me too," chimed in Cornelius.

"Well, I'm sorry for yer both," rejoined Mrs. Ruggles,
sarcastically; "if the 'mount o' manners yer've got on hand now,
troubles ye, you're dreadful easy hurt! Now, Sarah Maud, after
dinner, about once in so often, you must say, 'I guess we'd
better be goin';' an' if they say, 'Oh, no, set a while longer,'
yer can stay; but if they don't say nothin' you've got ter get up
an' go. Can you remember?"

"ABOUT ONCE IN SO OFTEN!" Could any words in the language be
fraught with more terrible and wearing uncertainty?

"Well," answered Sarah Maud, mournfully, "seems as if this whole
dinner party set right square on top o' me! Maybe I could manage
my own manners, but ter manage nine mannerses is worse 'n staying