St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-07-16
Mrs. Hu6Gdrd's Three UarRings.

Mrs. Hubbdrd's Three U0rR{,tUs.
1t was in the days of our grandmoth-
ers, when there were brick ovens in the
land. that Mr.. Hubbard bought his
house, and bought it very much against
his wite's will. 1t was a lonely house.
and reported to be haunted. 1t was next
to graveyard, which, though unused,
was not cheerful, and which had likewise
the reputation of a ghost. However, Mr..
Hubbard did not believe in ghosts, and
was too cheerful to be depressed by warn
ings, and never intended to be lonely.
Mrs. Hubbard" he said, when his
wife shook her head over the purchase,
Il got it cheap, and it is good one.
You will like it when you get there. Ii
you don't, why then talk
SO the house was bought, and into it
the Hubbard family went. There was
scarcely Il chance for ghost to show his
face amid such a family of boys and Girls
Mr.. and Mrs. Hubbard counted ten of
them, all noisy ones.
Having once eXpostulated and spoken
out her mind as TO the house, Mrs. Hub
bard 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 APP
peared for Il week, she made mp her mind
that there were no such inhabitants she
even began not TO mind the tembstoncs.
50 the house GOT TO rights at last, and
baking day came about. In the press of
business they had a great deal OF bakers
bread, and were now tired OF it.
Mrs. Hubbard never enjoyed setting IL
batch of bread to rise as she did that
which was to be eaten for the first time
in the new house.
''tor | cannot yet up an appetite for
stuff that nobody knows who has had the
making OF" SAID Mrs. Hubbard; '.;,nd
all puffy and alumy besidcs''
50 into the oven went the bread. and
out it ea"lc al The proper time, even and
Drown and beautiful as loave> could be-
Mrs. Hubbard turned them up on their
sides rs 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 bound
ed IN. Tommy was four, and when at
that age we are prone 10 believe that
anything will bear our weight. Tommy
therefore, anxious to inspect the newly
made bread, swung himself Oft his feet
by clutching the edge of the brcad-tray.
and over 1t came, loavcs and Tommy and
all.
Mrs. Hubbard flew to the rescue and
picked up the loaves. All were busted
and put III the tray again but one That
lay bottom upward under the table.
a bothering child, TO give me So
much trouble :" she SAID is she crawled
under 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 and
shaking her head. The children scream
cd in concert. Mr.. Hubbard rushed in
from the garden where he was at work
Nv hats the matter, mother 2 he
gasped.
Mrs. Hubbard pointed to the bottom
of the Loaf lying IN her lap.
Look there and see - she said. 1T
is Il warning, William am going TO
be taken from them all"
And he looked, and he saw IL DEATHS
head and cross-boncs us plainly engraved
as they possibly could be.
1T is ACCIDENT SAID Mr. Hubbard
Such queer cranks do come, you know"
But Mrs. Hubbard was in a troubled
state of mind, as was but natural.
'The stories about the haunted house
were true she said, land the spirits
have marked the loaf | am afraid it Is
:, warning"
And the loaf was put aside, for ever
MIR. Hubbard did not dare to eat any OF
it.
Mrs. Hubbard got over her fright at
last, but the news of the awfully marked
loaf spread through Il, and the peo-
pie came to Hubbard's all the week to
look at it. 1t was death 's-head and
cross-bones certainly every one saw
that at Z lance, but as to it's meaning
people differed. Some believed that it
was a warning of approaching death
some thought that the spirits wanted to
irighten the lIabbards away and get pos
session Of the house again all TO them
selves. This latter supposition inspired
Mrs. Hubbard with courage finally,
being "a brave woman, she adopted the
belief, and when another baking day ar
rived, put her loaves into the oven once
more, prepared for cross-bones and not
to be frightened by them. The loaves
baked us before. They came out brown
and crusty as Mrs. Hubbard turned each
IN her hands. There were no cross-bones
visable, but OH the last were sundry char
acters or letters. What no one could tell
until there dropped in for chat Ger
tain printer OF the neighborhood, accus-
toned to reading thugs backward.
''By George ~ said he, 'that is curl
Gus. That IS curious-r-e-s-u-r-g-a-m,
resurgam ; that is what is on tue Loaf
resurgam."
sit is what they put on tombs, isn't
it % asked poor Mrs. Hubbard, family.
''Well, yes" said Mr.. Hubbard, being
obliged to admit it. "But it is not So
bad as cross-bones and skulls"
Mrs. Hubbard shook her head
'sIt's even solemner," said the little
woman, who was not as good O Gngulst