The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-10-10

lied yiands to his visitor. "My wife
don't Ike to be bothered with cooking
hot things"
GLOW long does house cleaning last ?"
asked Mr. Pellet, grating his teeth against
bony sandwich.
"Oh, two or three weeks"
"Six times three" mentally computed
Mr.. Pellet Eighteen weeks out of the
ffty.two, spent in this dreary ceremonial!
I'm glad I'm not a married man ]"
Cold and dim, through falling rain
and driving wind, the night gathered
over the old farm house.
GOOD p thought Mr.. Pellet, ~ can
at least 60 to bed !"
IL haven't done things as thoroughly
as expected to-" said Mrs. Corney, as
she 5miHngly handed Mr. Pellet bed
room candle. "When Violet is here, we
have what [ call a real house cleaning.
Violet is so fond of cleanliness"
"Ahem !" coughed Mr.. Pellet.
As he opened the door, the sepulehral
dampuess of the floor struck him with
shuddering chill.
~ shall catch my death of cold," he
thought. "Well, it serves me right for
ever thinking of getting married"
The next day he took the cars for New
York, having previously taken heavy
cold IN bis head, in a rain tina. penetrated
to his very skin. What did be care for
rain ? The ueuge itself wouldn't have
kept him day longer in William Corney's
house
"Tm glad I went there, however, "he
unused, as he sat sneeziug aud coughing
in front of the bright sea-coal fire in the
warm parlor of his hotel. "T'm glad [
got peep behind the domestic curtain
before l yrs irrevocably committed
Suppose, just for an instant, that was
married to a woman who cleaned house
six times a year y
The cold drops oozed out upon his
forehead, and he drew a sigh of blessed
relief, such as a man experiences who
wakes from frightful dream and says to
/ himself:
''After all, it was only dream !"
He had intended to devote the first
evening of his return to Miss Violet
Powers society. Instead of this, howev-
er, he went to the club, and put his name
down on the lists of an uncompromlsing
society, known as the "Alliance of Per-
patual Bachelors"
And Mr.. and Mrs. Power vainiy mar
veIed why the little parlor with the rose
geraniums knew Elijah Pellets presence
no more. Marvled, and then resented it,
and finally came to the conclusion that it
was just as we'll as it was, and that they
wouldn't have Elijah Pellet for son in
law under any circumstances whatever.
When the wild grapes were touched
with the purple glow of Indian aummer
sunshine, and the hazy mists dropped
softly over the valleys around William
Corney's house, Violet come to Introduce
a tall, straight young Lieutenant of Ar
tillery whom she called her husband with
bushes and shy pride.
II thought Mr. Pellet wouldn't pro-
pose" said Aunt Dolly, looking very wiso
at her pretty niece.
Darling auniy !" exclaimed Violet,
throwing her arms round the elder mat
ron's neck. ''Ten me how you manage.
ed it p
only dear" whispered Mrs. Corney,
while unutterable things sparkled out of
her hazel eyes : "my dear, had house
cleaning while he was here p
Aunt Dolly looked at Violet. Violet
looked at Aunt Dolly, and both the ladies
burst into the merriest peals of laughter
in the world
The Lieutenant Of Artillery could not
understand what amused them so much.
But he was, as yet, an unsophisticated
man.