The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-02-22

THE HISTORY OF A DAY.
SKETCH FOR HUSH NDS
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

| pelIln1 ready lOr breakfast. 90 ne crepI Out
of bed and commenced dressing himself.
Il wish you would get me some hot water,
Agny,' he said TO his wife. Il must shave my
self this morning.
Mrs. Lundy was engaged in dressing a
little resisting urchin
Yes, DEAR she replied, in moment
kept on with her work, intending to finish
dressingthe child before she went down stairs
for the hot water.
Mr.. Lnndy waited about minute, and then
said little impatiently,
i wish you would get it for me now, Ag-
mes. l cannot finish dressing myself until
shave.
The wife put down the child and went for
the hot water, while her husband seated him.
self and waited for her return. On receiving
what he had asked for, Mr.. Lundy commenced
shaving himself. When about half done, he
turned to his wife who was leaving the room,
and said
Il wish You would tell Bill to clean the old
boots My new ones hurt me-
After shaving and dressing himself, Mr..
Lundy went down stairs TO read his newspaper
until breakfast time. Eight o'clock was the
hour, although the fact and the time did not
always agree together, circumstance that
fretted Mr.. Lundy, who was very punctual
man.
Meanwhile Mrs. Lundy had herself and five
children to get ready for the morning meal, &
she was working diligently, in order to ac-
cOmplish her task. But Maggy's hair was
stubborn, and took twice as long as usual to
come into proper order, and WHY'S temper
was in a worse condition than Maggy's hair.
and worried the mother great deal more
And then, to help the matter, the baby would
mt sit quietly with the nurse, and cried all the
time.
There, have broken my shoe string says
Willy, as the tie at which he had been jerking
J gave way with snap.
Give me pin, MOTHER calls out Maggy,
who Is dressing herself
Five minutes are consumed, in rummaging
drawers und boxes, for a shoe-string, which
must be had, as Immediately after breakfast
the children must all start for school, and
there would be no time then to look for shoe
strings.
At last, after an exciting scene of about
threc-quarters of an hour, in which Mrs. Lun-
,!y is worried almost to death, the children are
put in order to meet their father at the break
fast table. And now, Mrs. Lundy, in momen-
tary expectation of hearing the bell, common
ces putting herself in right trim.-IIer head
|
put on. for her husband cannot bear to see his
wife at the breakfast table in dishabille- Her
hair is all over her face, when ting ling a
ing ling. sounds mp the stairs. For full ten
minutes has she heard her husbands heavy
tread, as he paced the parlor floor, to her the
unmistakable evidence that the cook was be-
ind her time. With nervous haste, she drive.
the comb into her long hair. Crack! 1t wa:
| broken.
Agnes, amt YOU dressed yet" exclaims hel
husband, coming 10 the chamber door, with hi:
watch in his hand. 1T is ten minutes past
now. I've been ready and waiting for more
than half an hour
I'll be down in minute. I've only got m,
hair TO put up, and dress to slip on replied
Mrs Lundy.
a minute, yes, know what your minutes
are. I'm sure you've been up long enough t.
have dressed for breakfast dozen times o
YER
You forget that had the children to ge
ready replied Mrs. Lundy.
Siienced, but not convinced, the husband
goes grumbling down stairs and recommence
walking the floor, but with heavier and mor'
rapid tread.
Go up and sec if your mother isn't mos
ready: i am I'M hurry this morning. Mr. Lun
dy says to one of the children, after lapse Of
two minutes, which seem to the impatient mar
at least five.
f Pm coming he hears on the stairs, from hi,
wife
I'm glad of it, he rather gruffly responds, 9
: knew your minutes wouldn't be much less thar
half an hour. wish you would try to be more
punctual; this ever being behind time annoyl
me terribly.
There meek words said. about thu
! time it takes to dress and see after so many
Children, but they made nc impression whatev
err upon the mind of Mr.. Lundy. They wer,
b uttered as a kind of excuse, and he regard
them as of no more account.
o The sausages are done to death'-said Mr.
: Lundy.
: The wife remained silent, but looked wor
ried.
Mere dish waterr Mr. Lundy set his sau
! Ger down, with an expression of disgust on hi
+ face. The coffee was not to his liking.
II Il wish, Agnes, that you would see a littl
e after Sarah in the morning. We haven
+ had anything fit to eat at breakfast time for
y month.
e i don't know how l can do more than nov
/ do, Mr.. Lundy. Pm sure I've not had a me
ment to breathe since got up
n Still think you might spare a moment Q
pr two to see II things were gong right IN th
kitchen. Comfortable meals are half the con
10 fort man has at home
Mt Mrs. Lundy sighed, but answered nothing t
ID this ungenerous remark.
Your head looks like perfect mop, Agnes
said her husband as he leaned back to pick h
teeth, after having finished his breakfast, an
made more careful observation of his wife
appearance. You are getting downright cart
less about your person.
Mr.. Lundy did not expect any reply to thi'
e and was not disappointed.
Is Four children to wait upon at the table keT
j. Mrs. Lundy too busy to cat more than moutl
he full or two herself 1t was time to get read
a. the three oldest for school, when they had e;
ten their meal, and she left the table, whe1
er she had been a mere waiter. and not partic
~ pant in the good cheer; to put on Maggy's Dor
RS net and gloves, tos hunt up WHY'S books an
le cap, and change Mary's dress, she having spi