Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-01-25
TAKEN AT HIS WORD.

A wide cook kitchen, after the airy
\ fashion of New England, with the
breath of grape-blossoms coming in at
3 the open windows, and a glistening tin
pan on the table full of dewy, scarlet
strawberries waiting TO be culled-this
is our scene, and our 6rGnldttS E7ersOnCg
I consist Of Mrs. Perkins, whose drowsily
! clicking knitting needles keep time to
the purF of the oVergTown Maltese cat,
and pretty young girl, with a rather
flushed face, who has just entered from
doorway leading to the hall.
j WELL said Mrs. Perkins, looking up
with that ineffably wise expression
which is impaired to the human counte-
nance by round silver spectaeles perch
ed obliQuely on the bridge of the nose,
he amt asleep, is heH
Yes, he is was the answer. -
1 GLORY be thanked for that, at least 2
said Mrs. Perkins, apparently imPaling
! herself on a long knitting needle, which,
1 however, entered haFmlessly into the
horn sheath that she wore at her side,
incased in a scallOped red flannel
There will be five minutes of peace, al
last. You're tired, Amt you, Dora|
tTes,' said Theodore White, I am
rather tiredi
7 But her languid voice spoke plainly
have been .Uery tird. -
Theadora White was q slender, soft.
eyed girl of eighteen, with complex
ion peaTiy clearness, and a rose apiece
on her cheeks-a girl with pure
straight nose, and dimple on her chin,
and pretty, pleading way of looking al
you when she spoke. She sat down be-
side the window, where the mignOnette.
scented grape blooms were swaying in
the Summer air, and leaned her fore
head against the easement. 3.
Mrs. Perkins eyed her with an owl,
I like glance of sympathy. ,E
'It's shame, so it is, said Mrs. Per.
kius, emphatically. "a man. hasn't nc
business to be so tryin'-nO, not if he
was sick forty times over LScold, snap
snarl-this amt right and t'other thing
is wroBgl That's the way he keeps il
up. I'd as soon wait on the old boy
himself'
Theodore smiled family, and archel
her eyebrows. - -.
Why, Mrs. Perkins, you don't NEAR
to compare my Uncle Joseph with 81
I obnoxious parsonage as you aHude to?
she said, demurely. ...--
We'll, said Mrs. Perkins, reflective
IIy, they amt so unlike, after all. I de
clare, sometimes, when he gets in his
tantrums, I've two minds and 3 half tC
give him good shakin'. There ainjt
no sense in a mans bein' so unreason
able. You canitplease him no way yOI
can fiXit.' - #
We can at least try, Mrs. Perkins,
4. Yes, aud that's jest what's spilin
hipl. He knows very well that if ht
was to want the moon, you'd hunt III
the longest step-iadder and try to reacl
it down. It allays did spoil children tt
let 'em have all they want, and you
Uncle Joseph amt nothin' but q grow
ed up ehildu
But I don't let him have all he wants
Mrs. Perkins,i
And pretty kettle o,fsh there'd b,
if you did. Humphp and the old house
keeper pounced upon her ball as if sht
: had, for moment, identified it Will
the parsonage under discussion. -
Tt mightn'tbe such q bad idea, salt
Fbeodora, after a moments thoughtfu
silence. r5
BE you crazy? p demanded Mrs. Per
kins, tartly.
Hush p Theodore started from he
seat with unified finger. He is awake
, The wants me-
And she was gone, swift, noiseless q
y " hAA4LGFh 4uGCu AgNCs ubtOI6 HIBs E6F
tS1nS could volunteer to 20 in her stead
yes, said Mrs. Perkins to herself. i
is a shame. He seems to think she,
made of cast iron and India rubber-th,
old tormentp
With this rather illogical expression
of her opinion, Mrs. Perkins resumed
her knitting more vigorously than ever
Meanwhile Theodore fastened III
! stairs into closely eurtained sick-room
where a querulous old gentleman lay
tortured with a great deal Of 'hypo' ant
very little actual illness. But Unel
= Joseph White chose to believe that b.
was very III; and who, pray, was bette
judge Of the state Of his bodily healtl
than himself?
He screwed his face up into the sem
blanee Of a nut-eracker as his niece hur
riedly entered the apartment, and cam,
/ to his bedside.
tive been humping on the floor til
my arms are ready to drop out of thei
sockets 2 he groaned. tAre you all dea
down stairs or has old Perkins forgot
ten there's any one in the world but her
self and her snuft-box%
: I'm very sorry, unclet -
i factions speak louder than words!
snaFled Uncle Joseph ungraciously.
How do you feel now, Uncle Josephi
asked Theodora, sOothingly. - 'ai.
I'm worse = HaL 1i1 1H1 -.t9 O..
= Are your a4e.ld snG
Pulse higheT--slIin hot--face flushed
of course I'm worse. This confOunde
hot room is enough to throw any one in
: to'a feverl Open every door and win
dOw-quick = slr.
i Without an instant's hesitation, The
! OdOra unbarred the blinds, and threN
open four large windows and two doors