Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-09-29


moment struck twelve.
az certainly heard noise,' said a
voice I recognized as my aunt's.
"'So I thought responded another
voice, which I knew to be my uncle's.
"'The city is an horrible place for
thieves and burglars
Hezekiah, I'm sure something
dropped. Shall we alarm the house ?
81 wished she would drop into a
slumber, for I felt as if | were perish |
ing. My teeth ratified like castanets.
al guess twas a mouse, said my |
uncle, after a few moments of pro-
found silence.
"'Well, if anybody is here per-
sisted my aunt, stoutly, I'll let EN-
know that we've got arms handy
Scatr
II must have kept my crouching
attitude for at least half an hour, and.
by the time | had worked on my
hands and knees out of the room, my
feet felt like stones.
ut did not take me long to gain
the garret, when what was my con-
sternation to behold two extempora-
neous shake-downs beside the bed
and everything felt of human beings J!
II thought for the moment that
GRANVILLE had poured in upon our de-
voted heads; aud with language more
expressive than polite, | made for the
kitchen again, and began setting my
wits to work.
"The excitement had made me thirs-
ty, so | sought in The dark for some
milk, or the teapot, during which pc
riod | was not quite certain whether
| overturned anything or not.
"From thence my next expedition
was to the parlor. There turned a
lounging chair upside down, took the
various cushions from the easy chairs,
and disposed of myself in the best
way | could. | was very sure that |
should wake up early enough in the
morning to arrange matters, and make
my toilet in time to see my cousins
and all the other relations who had
accompanied them.
"The first thing that aroused me
from my dreams in which | had been
walking over the heads of compact
and crowded congregations all night,
or rather all the morning, was one of
the most CHEEKY and musical laughs |
had ever heard. Fancy my chagrin,
when opened my stupid eyes, to see
two or three, yes, four or five faces on
broad grin, at the parlor door. At
my bewildered stare they all vanish
ed, laughing wildly, with the excep-
tiOn of my mother
WIZ, J~L--,i el-~ -4..;l.d 1l,e.-. 49,
you in such a plight?
al couldn't find a bed | muttered.
"'But thought you were with your
father
"'With my father ?
ayes; he was sent for to set up
with Squire Hedge, who was taken
suddenly and dangerously i'll yester
day. He said he should probably
meet you on the road, and if he did,
as the house was full, he would take
you along. Here she began laughing
again, and it was some moments be-
fore she managed to say:
John what have you been doing
to yourself?'
al told you the beds were all full,
| repeated, feeling angry, and almost
ready to cry, old as | was. i didn't
get home till eleven, and then | came
in by the cellar and went all over the
house..
"'But, my mother interrupted me,
laughing again, you're all over molas-
ses-and-something else; | can't
exactly tell what
at was that wretched soft soap,
for | had dashed myself against it ;
for my jacket, being a dark blue cloth,
retained vivid impression. | never
was so humiliated in all my life when
| saw myself in a looking glass. My
beautiful cousin, whom | had never
met before, to see me in such plight
and first impressions are SO indelible
81 wonder if | can convey to you a
faint impression of my appearance on
that eventful morning, daubed with
molasses from my ears to my chin.
had spilled something the night before
: when | felt the impression that things
, were lying around loose generally
The molasses had run in streams
: down my clothes; and, as | had laid
the rug over myself, had worked the
sweet stuff into my hair and over my
face. You may imagine how | look
, ed. 1t took me all day to get my
hair straight, and then took myself
out of the way. | would not have
faced my cousin for the best farm IN
Frederick.
II should not wonder if to this day
(and l am thirty,) beautiful Eta new
er thinks of me but as the bedaubed
; scare crow | appeared on that memo
rable morning. AS to baked pears,
have never touched them since. That
!. mouthful of soap utterly sickened me
; | shudder when | hear them called
: for, if, through misfortune, | find my
! self in an eating house. Never dc
: : they appear upon my own table. A
home, after that, Sunday dinners be
came dread, for everybody looked
if they did not say unutterable things
"This lesson, however, did effec
. one good result. l have very seldom
/ been away from home, since then, al
: ter ten o'clock at night" ."-Oly