Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-06-04
sPARRoweRAss GETS A DuMB-wA1rER


enough to state that dumb-water is sliding
cupboard, which is raised and lowered on pull
leys from kitchen in the basement to the di-
ning-room on the floor above.l
''We have putt says Mr.. Sparrowgrass, ssa
dumb-waiter in our house. A dumb-waiter is
a good thing to have in the country, on ac-
count of its convenience. If you have COM
pany, every thing can be sent up from the kit
chen without any trouble and if the baby gets
to be unbearable, on account of his teeth, you
can dismiss the complainant by stuffing him in
one of the shelves, and letting him down upon
the help. To provide for contingencies, We
had all our floors deafened. In consequence
you cannot hear anything that is going on in
the story below; and, when you are in an up
per room of the house, there might be a DEM
ocratic ratification meeting in the cellar, and
you would not know it.. Therefore, if any one
should break into the basement, it would not
| disturb us; E; but to please Mrs. Sparrowgrass,
l put stout iron bars in all the lower windows.
| Beside, Mrs. Sparrowgrass had bought rattle
when she was in Philadelphia; such rattle as
watchmen carry there. This is to alarm our
neighbor, who, upon the signal, is to come to
the rescue with his revolver. He is a rash
man, prone to pull trigger first, and make in
| quires afterward.
seOne evening, Mrs. S. had retired, and l
was busy writing, when it struck me glass of
| ice-water would be palatable. SO took the
candle and pitcher, and went down to the
pump. Our pump is in the kitchen. a coun-
try pump, in the kitchen, is more convenient;
| but well with buckets is certainty most pic
! turesque. Unfortunately, our well-water has
| not been sweet since it was cleaned out. First
| had to open bolted door that lets YOU into
| the basement-hall and then 1 went to the kit
chen-door, which proved to be locked. Then
| l remembered that our girl always carried the
key to bed with her, and slept with it under
her pillow. Then retraced my steps; bolted
the basement door, and went up in the dining
| room. AS is always the case, found, when
could not get any water, was thrstier than
l supposed l was. Then 1 thought l would
wake our girl up. Then L concluded not to do
! it. Then l thought of the well, but 1 gave
that up on account of its flavor. Then open
ed the closet-doors, there was no water there;
and then thought of the dumb-waiteri The
novelty of the idea made me smle took
out two of the movable shelves, stood the pit
cher on the bottom of the dumb-waiter, got in
myself with the lamp let myself down, until
l supposed 1 was within foot of the floor be-
| low, and then let go!
s'We came down so suddenly that was shot
out of the apparatus as if it had been q cata-
pult; it broke the pitcher, extinguished the
lamp, and landed me in the middle of the kit
chen, at midnight, with no fire, and the air not
| much above the zero point. The truth is, l
had miscalculated the distance of the descent
instead of falling one foot, had fallen five
| Ny first impulse was, to ascend by the way
came down, but 1 found that impracticable
Then tried the kitchen door, it was loeked
tried to force it open; it was made of two
| inch stuff, and held its own. Then | hoistcd a
window, and there were the rigid iron bars.
If ever felt angry at any body, it was at my
self, for putting up those bars to please Mrs.
| Sparrowgrass. put them up, not to keep
! people in, but to keep people out.
| 81 laid my cheek on the ice-cold barriers
and looked out at the sky; not a star was yis-
| ible; it was black ink overhead. Then
| thought of Baron Trenck and the Prisoner of
| Chillon. Then 1 made noise shouted un-
tie with the poker. That brought our dogs
| out in full bark, and between us we made night
| hideous. Then thought heard voice, and
| listened l. it was Mrs. Sparrowgrass calling to
me from the top of the staircase. ] tried to
make her hear me, but the internal dogs uni
| ted with howl, and growl, and bark, so as to
| drown my voice, which is naturally plaintive
and tender. Beside, there were two bolted
| doors and double deafened floors between us
how could she recognize my voice, even if she
| did hear it Mrs. Sparrowgrass called once
or twice, and then got frightened: the next
| thing heard was sound as if the roof had
| fallen in, by which understood that Mrs. S.
was sprnging the rattle That called out our
| neighbor, already wide awake he came to the
rescue with bull-terrier, Newfoundland
pup, lantern, and aleyolyer. The moment
he saw me at the window, he shot at me, but
| fortunately just missed me. L threw myself
under the kitchen table and ventured to ex-
| postulate with him, but he would not listen to
reason. In the excitement had forgotten his
name, and that made matters worse. 1t was
not until he had reused up every body around,
| broken in the basement door with an axe,
| gotten into the kitchen with his cursed savage
dogs and shooting-iron, and seized me by the
collar, that he recognized me-and then, he
wanted me to explain it! But what kind of
| an explanation could l make to him ? l told
him he would have to wait until my mind was
composed, and then l would let him under
stand the whole matter fully. But he never