Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-12-16

over Jne unWelcOme possibility.
Theodore brought in neat little china
bowl with silver spoon lying on the
snowy, folded napkin that flanked 1t on
the tray.
Uncle Joseph took one taste, and threw
down the spoon with petulant sound not
unlike bark.
"Trash, trash Insipid as dish-water.
Throw it to the pigsp
Theodore took up the bowl and started
obedently for the door
Here, herep roared Uncle Joseph.
where are you going tot"
60 To the pig-pen, uncle"
Are you crazy, girl? The gruel's well
enough, only Mrs. Perkins forgot the nut
megn F~
But uncle" said Theodore, tasting
daintily of the contents Of the bowl, "it's
insipid rs dish-water."
"Will you allow me to have an opinion
of my ownp" sparled Uncle Joseph. Its
very good, if that old crone down stairs
will add the nutmeg and give il another
boil. Quick, now I'm getting hungry
A man must eat, even it he's at deaths
doorW
A minute afterwards Mrs. Perkins was
surprised by Theodora's entrance.
"Well," said the housekeeper, "what's
awantin' now?"
" A little grated nutmeg in this Cruel
and uncle would like it warmed up once
more"
"What are you smiling about, Dora2"
"Was l smiling?'
"Your eyes was, if your mouth wasn't"
said Mrs Perkins, keenly.
"Will you be as quick as you can, Mrs.
Perkins ?" said Theodore. "He says he is
hungry"
But when Theodore re-entered her
uncle's room, the invalid had taken another
tack
'"Why didn't you stay all dayg' he
growled.
"Indeed, uncle, hurried all l could"
pleaded Dora Here's the cruel all smok-
ing"
But Uncle Joseph shook his head.
ITS too late; I've lost. all my appetite y
he moaned.
Won't you have the cruel, uncleY7
mo, l WON'T"
SaAnd Uncle Joseph closed his eyes, as if
to signify he was too weak to debate the
question further He waited anxiously for
Theodore to press the question further, but
she did not, and presently he opened his
eyes the least little bit in the world.
'TheOdora!n
"Sir?"
"I'll try just one spoonful of that Cruel
before it gets cold"
"Why, uncle, threw it away"
Threw my gguel = away gasped
the sick man, breathlessly.
"You told me you did not want it, uncle"
Il told you so. Furies and fiddle -stringsr
You might know by this time that l don't
mean what say. Get me some more
quick! If hadn't been bedridden for
year, l could go twice as fast as you do"
he added, grtlmblingly. Il never saw such
a snail in my life. Oh, dear! to think |
shall never walk again"
Uncle Joseph lay counting the seconds
until his niece brought in a second bowl of
Cruel, this time so deliciously made that
even he could not find fault with it!
"Uncle," said Theodore, as she set it on
the table at the bedside, 1.-The doctor said
yesterday, that he really thought, if you
were to try, you could walk as well as any
bodyw
"The doctors a fool" said Uncle Jo-
seph, ''and you may tell him so with my
compliments"
II will, uncle, the next time he comes"
"TheOdora"
"Siry"
of you do, I'll disinherit you"
Very well, uncle!
"Theodora, you'll have to feed me. This
annoyance has weakened me terribly"
Yes, uncle"
Stop-stop-it's hot-you're choking
me-" But Theodore kept resolutely on.
"Sto-op" spluttered Uncle Joseph,
nimbly scrambling to the other side Of the
bed What do you mean, Theodore !
Didn't tell you to stop? l don't believe
there's an inch of skin left on my throat =
You told me yourself, uncle, that you
don't mean what you say. How was | to
know that this was an exception"
An irate reioinder trembled on Uncle
Joseph's tongue, when suddenly he caught
sight of blue column of smoke wreath
ing up under his window.
whats that smoker he calculated.
Il think it's Mrs. Perkins, sir, putting
fresh kindlings on the kitchen fire.
"No, it isn't" yelled Uncle Joseph.
THE house is on fire
Theodore dropped the spoon and bowl,
and rushed out of the room, shrieking,
"The house is on fire help! murder
thieves"
The servants below the stairs caught up
the cry and echoed it in shrill dismay.
Uncle Joseph listened with bristled hair
and dilated eyes.
"Here! heipg" lie bawled, but no one
responded. Louder still he yelled, but yet
in vain.
Am to stay here in my bed to be
burned to death?" he asked himself, and
scrambled out with agility that fairly sur
prised himself.
The servants were arrayed on the lawn
staring in all directions to find the exact
locality of the fire, when the gardener ut
tered shrek.
If there amt master, as hasn't left his
bed for years, runnin' as if tiger was
arter himp
Where-where's the fireg' painted
Uncle Joseph, gazing wildly around him
Mrs Perkins rushed to- the front door
her cap-strings streaming
81 never saw such pack of born idiots
in my life p she gasped, There amt nc
| fire-Only a few pieces of green wood | put
on the kitchen fret One would think
you'd never seen smoke atore, and-why
| if there amt masterH
Theodora," said Mr.. White, looking
somewhat sheepish, "where did you see q
| fire."
a didn't see it, uncle, but you said the
/ house was on fire" Theodore made an
swer, demurely, "and of course l thought
! you must know. Please, uncle, go back
! to bed again"
81 won't" said uncle Joseph, gathering
the skirts of his wrapper closer about him
But, uncle, you're sick
"No, I'm nOtp
"Uncle, do you really mean it2'
"Of course l do, Theo"
And he did mean it, The cure had beer
| effected and Theodore mentally congratu
lated herself on the success of her plan o
treatment And Uncle Joseph never al
luded to the day on which his niece haC
taken him so implicitly at his word.
Pleasures Of Memory.