American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-06-07

Friend Robinson's house was not a very
large one, and it was not long before l
heard, distinctly enough, the opening and
shutting of doors, not over and above gent
ly. The street door was opened, too, and
shut, but no Mr. Robinson. Soon after
wards, from the regions below, fancied
heard the sounds of fizzing and frying, or
something akin to it. Then in the dining
room, adjoining the parlor in which, sat
not on couch of roses by any means-I
heard the creaking ofan uplifted table-fap,
the rattling of plates, the Gathering of
knives. forks and spoons and the jingling
of glasses. ..
Come, thought 1, 'it will be all rightat
last. But that Robinson-where can the
man be got TOP
Thanks be praised the. .doorbell rang
at last loud, sharp ring, which none but
the master of house is privileged to give
and enter Mr.. Robinson.
'Ha, you are here before me, l see, said
he, trying, as it struch me, to look uncon
cerned; 4 have been hindered, but better
late than never and he applied his hand
to the bell.
Tell your mistress am come in, Sa-
rah, said he, when the girl entered, fiery
red in the face. Dinner is ready, sup
pose?'
Mistress says l am to tell that it will be
ready in quarter of an hour, sir, said the
damsel
Bless me! Does your mistress knowwhat
time it is?' exclaimed Robinson, looking at
his watch, which, as well as the dial, point
ed to aquarter to three.
Mistress wants to see you, sir, for q
minute, if you pleaste' continued the girl
evading the masters question, as alto
gether beside the mark.
'Mr. Robinson was obedient to the sam
mons, and disappeared.
1tis no use-if people will talk loud, it
is absurd for them to expect that other
: people will put their fingers to their ears.
= told you Just now that friend Robinson s
house was not a large one. And it was a
very sonorous one. Now, these two cir
cumstances will exonerate me from the
charge oflistening-whichI did not. The
fact is, L could not help hearing.
:. First, gentle murmuring, in female
voice, from some place below stairs
! sounding very much like remonstrance,
! but the import of which could not, and
did not particularly wish to make out tho
l might possibly guess att.
, TO this succeeded an impatient 'pshaw,
= nonsensel in the gruff, though subdued
7 tones of friend Robinson--'an old friend,
! ! too; how was to help it?'
! Then again came the murmuring, in
somewhat louder and more emphatic ac-
cents in which l could distinguish the
!, words--nothing but that cold shoulder
n very thoughtlessly and provokingP
Presently Mr.. Robinson returned, pre-
. tending to look mighty unconcerned, but
. plainly enough rffled and i'll at ease--the
y sinner; and, desperate as had become, |
: could but be amused with his blank and
e woful countenance. Happily the longest
lane has turning; and, just as the hand
> :. of the dial pointed to quarter past three,
the lady once moro made her appearance,
! ! with the welcome intelligence that dinner
was on the table.
Now, then, Tor Mr.. Robinson's family
e dinner thought I,-'ahem!'
/ But really, after all, it was a good ex-
. tempore sort of a dinner; and if Mrs, Rob.
inson had only taken it easy, and splced il
# with good temper, it would have been an
:, enjoyable one. twas evidently hurried
i make-up--a dish ofslices of cold shoulder
y = of mutton-the cold shoulder, a dish Of
: veal outlets, which, no doubt were hang.
- ing in the butchers shop an hour previous
j ly--but how nicely cooked, a dish o
4 smatched potatoes, beautifully Drowned; q
=, - fruit tart, probably from the nearest pas
~ try-cook's shop--but no harm in that,
should hope; a new crusty loaf, and a goot
- Cheshire cheese, bottle of ale, from the
a tavern round the corner, perhaps, and ;
- bottle of wine from Mr.. Robinson's cellar.
But what availedit that put on acheer
- full countenance--and determinately Sc
~ about the business of the table with gooc
- appetite; asking no questions. for con
&c sciences sake, and exerting my powers o
70 conversation to charm away the frigid pc
!, liteness of Mrs Robinson, and the dark
n gloomy, foggy silence of her lord and mas
7 ter?
. 1T was plain, even then, that I had of
ne Tended the lady beyond hope of remedy
OF Inever knew the mystery of that famil,
N dinner exactly; but had reason to suspec
t. that, on my arrival, the lady had alread,
D. dined at any rate, she took good care t.
n eat no part of the family dinner, but sa
,e like dummy the while it was being de
IL voured by her husband and his friend
Probably she was in the middle of hous
as cleaning, or an ironing, or an exchange o
a servants; or she had fixed on that day 70
at shopping excursion, and did not like to b.
i'll put off from it. She might have expectet
as her husband to dine at an eating-house, a
= should have been too happy to have din
Sc ed. In short, it was evident enough tina
in my intrusion was eminently inconvenient
it. and that was looked upon as an incum
re brance, and as spy upon the 'nakednes
of the land.' . f-fI.a '-c%3f5
ty so, after losing all powers of pleasinj
n, Intellectually, l succumbed to the force
rs circumstances, subsided into sullen silence
all and so the dinner concluded; and the lady
ite with much ceremonious politeness, whic
At might have been spared, withdrew.