The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-07-03
NRs. HUbnARD,s -TRREE WlRN.

H.ma ANUs9s'+ 'T'A 'f s
Fal ,b1lEl ---- tr. ra
? IT was in the daysof.o grandmothers,
when there were brick ovens ia the land,
that Mr. Hubbard bought his house, and
bought it very much against his wife's
will. It'wss lonely house, and reported
to be haunted. 1t was next to a grave
yard, which, though unused, was not
cheerful, ana which had likewise the repu-
tation of aghost However, Mr.. Hubbard
did not believe in ghosts, and was too
cheerful to be depressed by warnings, and
never intended to he lonely. N. g.0.,.t
Mrs Hubbard" be said, when his wife
shook her head over the purchase, Il got
it cheap, and it is a good one. You will
like It when you get there. If you don't,
why then talk" U.t 47trts-a
So the house was bought, and into it
the Hubbard family went There was
scarcely chance for ghost to show his
face amid such family Of boys and girls.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hubbard counted ten of
them, all noisY ones ss1
Having once expostulated and, spoken
out her mind as to the house, Mrs. Hubbard
gave up the point. She scrubbed and
secured, tackled down carpets and put up
curtains, and owned that the place was
pretty. As not ghost appeared for a
week, she made up. her mind that there
were no such inhabitants; she even
began not to mind the tombstones. So
the house got to rights at last, and baking
day came about. In the press Of business
they had great deal of bakers bread,
and were now tired of it. ,...a...r x.
Mrs. Hubbard never enjoyed setting a
batch of bread to rise as she did that
which was to be eaten for the first time in
the new house. It ta
"For Icannot get up an appetite for
stuff. that nobody knows who has the
making of" said Mrs. Hubbard; "and all
puffy and alumy besides"
So into the oven went the bread, and
out Ii came at the proper time, even and
brown and beautiful as loaves could be-
Mrs Hubbard turned them up on theiI
sides as she drew them forth, and they
stood in the long bread-tray, glorious
proofs Of her skill and the excellence o.
the oven, when Tommy Hubbard bounded
in. Tommy was four, and when at thai
age we are prone to believe that anything
will bear our weight. Tommy therefore
anxious to inspect the newly-made bread
swung himself off his feet by clutchinl
the edge Of the bread tray, and over i
came, loaves and Tommy and all. .-.
Mrs. Hubbard few to the rescue anC
picked up the loayes. All were dustet
and put in the tray again but one. Tha
lay bottom upward under the table.
A bothering child, to give me so mucl
troubler' she said as she crawled undei
the table TO get it. " A-oh-ah-dear
dear, dear--oh-oh my"
And there on the floor sat Mrs Hub
bard, screaming, wringing her hands ant
shaking her head The children screamed
in concert. Mr.. Hubbard rushed in from
the garden, where he was at work,
whats the matter, mother ?" h
gasped.
Mrs. Hubbard pointed to the bottom Q
the loaf lying in her lap.
"Look there and see !" she said. sit /
a warning, William; am going to b
taken from them sll.P
And he looked and saw deaths hesi
and cross-bones as plainly engraved a
they possibly could be.
at is accident" said Mr.. Hubbard
"Such queer cranks do come, you know.
But Mrs. Hubbard was in trouble
state of mind, as was but natural,
"The stories about the haunted hous
were true, she said, and the spirits hav
marked the loaf ] am afraid 1t is
warming"
And the loaf was put aside, for eve
Mr.. Hubbard did not dare to eat any OF !
Mrs Hubbard got over her trlgt
at last, but the news of the aV
fully marked loaf spread throug
R, and the people came
Hubbard's all the week to look at it.
was deaths head and cross bones certail
"; every one saw that at glance, but
to its meaning people differed. Some b
lieved that it was warning OF approac
ing death some thought that the spiri
wanted to frighten the Hubbards avs
} and get possesson Of the house again s
to themselves. This latter suppositiC
inspired Mrs. Hubbard with courag
finally, being a brave woman, she adopt
the belief, and when another baking-di
arrived, put her loaVes into the oven on
more, prepared for eross.bones and not
I be frightened by them. Theloaves bak
! as before. They came out brown o.
crusty as Mrs Hubbard turned each
her hands. There were no cross.bon
visible, but on the last were sundry chars
ters or letters. What no one could ;
until there dropped in for a chat certs
printer Of the neighborhood, accustom
r to reading things backward.
"By George I" said he, "that is curiot
That Is 5curious-r.e-s gam, resuTgal
b that is what is on the loaf-resurgam
l. at is what they put on tombs, isn't il
y asked poor Mrs. Hubbard, family.
J, "Well, yes" said Mr.. Hubbard, bel
It Obliged to admit it. "but it is not 80 b
as cross bones and skulls"
J, Mrs. Hubbard shook her head.
ats even solemner,"" said the Iii
Q woman, who was not as &c
. a linguist IS bread.maker " feel COZ
+" dent, William, that shall soon be res
> gained, and what will these dear childi
't do then ?" a7i Fgl g. bus ,
g And now that the second loaf was
fore her eyes, marked even more awfu
than the first, Mrs. Hubbard grew rea
y pale and thin, and lost her cheerfulness
3 a"Ihaye presentiment, she said o.
4 and over again, 'that the third baking '
q decide who the warning belongs to. /
lieVe 1t is meant, for me, and time J
:, show. Don't you see how thin |
y groWing?" ..4.s-I,L ia.
And though Mr., Hubbard laughed,
81 also began 10 be troubled. The th
as baking-day was one Of gloom. Solemn
g as at a funeral, the family assembled
assist in the drawing,
Five loayes came out marHless
one remained.
20 Mrs. Hubbard's hand trembled but
VI drew it forth; she laid it on the tray
u turned softly about At last she expo
~ the lower surface, On it were lett
~ printed backward, plain enough TO r
,s this time, and arranged thus;
y 'sDied April I'd,
- lamented BY NeSNse1 Il.
Ae her large family
o. o. i''It is me n cried Mrs, Hubbard. 81
Il to 20 tomorrow. This Is the Lat.
NJ feel faint, Yes, do, IL Is awful, and
NJ mddenp
l1 y, And Mrs Hubbard tainted away in
~ arms Of the most terrified Of men
~ husbands hAs hE NJ
~ ~ The children screamed, the
~ mewed, the dog barked. The Oldest