The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-04-15
SBURG. PA, FRIDAY, APRIL Is. 1870.

and duck them in the cistern; fell into
the "pig's den," one Sunday Just after
she was dressed for church; insisted
upon sitting in my lap all the time
when Philip, who had just returned,
was calling; and the first time DIR. All.
ston, the elder, visited us, informed
him he wasn't so nice as the man
Auntie Maud kissed"
One hen, particular pet of mine, OBJ.
stinately refused to lay her eggs any
where save In our new carryall. One
week day we succumbed to this idiosyn-
Grassy, but on Sunday we banished her
to a dark barrel. And as Rosie had
made all the fowls so tame they would
oven at distance descry her bonny face
and run to meet her, saluting her with
all sorts of accompaniments, they also
were captivated on the seventh day and
thus prevented from displaying their
secular enjoyment on the Sabbath.
George behaved we'll at church; but
as nothing could induce Sue to "sit still
and not speak out loud," we decided,
after one severe trial to leave her at
home with the servants, but "Let us
have pcaceW being our motto, allowed
the wilful young lady to accompany us
in the carriage and return home with
the driver, coming for us at the close of
the services.
One particular Sunday, mamma had
extended an invitation to rising young
clergyman, who preached for us, to ac.
company us home. Our party were up.
on the church steps with DR.. Allston,
Phil. and Murray, when our pretty
bay span was drought to" in style.
Murray opened the carriage door, and
was helping mamma in, when, "with
many flirt and flutter," and a good
deal of squawking, out came my pet
hen, directly into the rising young cler-
gyman's face, and silvery little laugh
from the coachman's box indicated the
perpetrator of the mischief
The hen was caught and returned to
her favorite nest, where she continued
to tax her musical powers so strongly
that none Ofus would ride. We sent
the carriage back with Dennis, the hen
and chagrined Miss Sue, preferring for
ourselves quiet walk.
| was very glad Frank was not with
us. fear, had he been, the hen would
have left much Of her psalm of life un.
sung.
We had a pleasant walk until close to
the house, when, with loud "kutcher,
kutcher, cav, cav, caw," down bore
our Brahma upon us, followed by the
hens, ducks, geese, and two peacCcks,
the property of Phil, but retainers of
ours, with a dreadful Kissing, quacking
and screeching. Sue had released them.
We We're obliged to submit to the
feathered escort and their mellfiuous
serenade until we reached the door.
The next day we dined on that Brah-
ma rooster. And Rosie, learning wis
dom by experience, was more distant to
the fowls.
The country would have ceased to be
America had we experienced no trouble
with our domestics. Trial after trial
we endured, embracing spinsters, wild
ows, and even whole families, each one
proving more impertinent and inde-
pendent than the predecessor.
Georgia and Sues mamma sent us
from Washington acontraband of "most
exemplary character."
Mamma sent him to help Dennis get
in the hay, and as he was reported to be
"peyJectly reliable regarding the 0chH-
drea," "Georgie and Sue were allowed to
ride on the load.
Louis, the 'sable exemplary" put the
children on the load, got himself up af-
ter them, and then perceiving that he
reached after them with a pitchfork,
which stuck into the horse.
The spirited creature sprang forward,
overturning and smashing the hay-cart,
breaking Georges collar-bone, and lit
tie Sues wrist, and badly injuring him
selfagainst the stone wall.
All three of the Drs. Allston were in
upon us for a month.
At the end of that time, Louis acci.
dentally discharged Murray's fowling
piece at Frank, badly wounding him in
the face; and on the evening of the same
day, when mamma, in accents of terror
had declared that he should start in the
for the District of Columbia,
he set the house on fire by falling upon
a lighted kerosene lamp, as he sought
his couch.
Either terror or common sense made
him shout "Fire! fire ~ and Murray,
who was fortunately in the house, eX.
the flames with water from
The children's bath, oppOrtunely at
hand.
TO do Louis justice, he did amuse the
capitally; but his exploits
with pitchforks, firearms, and combus-
Lible fluid served to ALLEVIATE him from
our ten acres. We returned him "with
thanks" to our sister, who has not since
been heard to laud him so highly.
GeOrgie's broken collar bone did not
Keep him out of mischief In Dennis's
absence one day, he surreptitiously pos
sessed himself of one of the horses, and
in some ingenious way to
mount the animal, rode forth, in his
own Imagination very Don QuiX-
lte.
1t was some time before we missed
he child, and when we did, Dennis in
ormed us that one of the horses was
llso missing.
We sent to DIR. Alston's, thinking
ieorgie might have gone there, but no
me had seen him. Home again we
went, searching thoroughly house, sta
Die, garden and grounds, but no roguish
title lad did we find hidden away, AS
We had hoped to find him. Then we
Ill went forth, and at a neighbor's
earned that half an hour before George
mad ridden by, politely touching his
nat To her. Our amaZement Was only