Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-05-10

washed the pretty twin faces till
they blushed like red peppers, and
then settled them in their trundle-
bed for nap.
Dear little woman! she did look
so tired as she came out from the
bedroom, and stopped 10 brush a
| fly from under the musketo-net over
the baby: it would have made your
back ache to look at her. But the
CHEEKY heart in the weary body
asserted itself, and she smiled with
the thought Of all she would do be
fore the deacon came back.
IL must slick my hair over little
SO if any one should come l wouldn'd
spoil the deacon's reputation" she
said to herself, going up to a little
glass that hung between the kitchen
windows. Just then gem Of a
sunbeam fl shed in at the window,
and seemed to tangle itself all up
in her wavy brown hair. "Oh,
how pretty" she said, with a blush
and laugh like chiId's. "Guess
if somebody had been at home I'd
had Il kiss, then!' and off she flew
to her work.
How like magic the white cur
tains went up and the cobwebs came
down; how the best room looking
glass shone after its polishing, and
the old daguerreotypc of Samuel
in his best days" never shone
through so clean surface as it did
that day. So the time flew, bring
ing the deacon's return nearer.
One morning she awakened
early, entirely free from a wretched
headache she had the day before,
81 want it all done; the kitchen
cleaned up and my dress changed
before Samuel comes home at noon. .
Quietly dressing SO as not to awak-
en- the children, she slipped out into
the kitchen, bnilta FIRE and com
menced operations. How she did
work! every step told of something
done, and at half.past 10, despite ali
her hindrances from baby, who was
cross, she was hanging out the
clothes, SO snowy white they dazzled
her eyes as the sun shonG on them.
One end Of the clothes-line ran
nearly out to the front fence through
the side yard, and the whitest,
incest clothes were hung there, Of
course. elbow many people are
passing" she thought to herself,
''and how they all stare at me;
guess it must be the clothes though
instead OF me-" and she tcnderly
pinned the rear Of one Of the dea-
cons shirts to the line. Hark! was
that the front gate? Before she had
time to turn round, the deacon's
energetic strides had brought him
close to her; but what was the
matter?
"Martha-Pendleton-Flint!" he
exclaimed, "w hat in the world are
You doing? Come straight into the
housed"
With look that de6es descrip-
ton, the little boby Strengthened
itself up as high as it would go, as
she said, sNot until you speak to
me different from that, Samuel, and
tell me Why" her lip quivering.
"Don't you see the people all 60
ing to meeting, and You a hanging
out shirts? It's Sunday morning!"
Such laugh as rang out then on
the Sunday air, I'm sure the good
people never heard before. "Oh,
Samuel" she said, holding her
sides, ''it's SO funny! no wonder
the folks stared at me and my
clothes. Oh, oh, oh!' and she sank
down on the grass in convulsion
of laughter.
The poor deacon was scandalized.
"Martha!" he said, in such sadly
anxious tone she only laughed the
more, and it was not until she look
ed up in his face that she realized
how he was touched; then she stood
up soberly and walked into the
house. The door closed behind
them, she went up to him with a
little caress, and said, Samuel, kiss
and forgive me, and I'll 60 to work
and ravel it out. l truly WILL" and
she laughed again with the thought
of what she had been guilty of, till
the deacon kissed her, and laughed,
too, in spite of himself. Then he
walked to the window and looked
out.
"You're not going to let them
clothes hang out there all day, are
you, Martha Flint?"
"Of course 1 am; you don't sup
pose, now I've got them out, Gods
going to grudge me the sunshine to
dry them with, because it's Sunday,
do you? Why, it would be wicked
to bring them in before sundown.
But see here, Mr.. Deacon, it's
about time l called you to account,
l think. How came you to be
travelling to-day? Guess there's q
little Sunday-breaking on both sides
isn't there?"
The deacon turned slowly around
and sat down. Then perching her.
self on his knee, she took his honest
brown face in her hands, and said,
"Be good boy, now, and tell me
all the truth; remember George
Washington, dear. The deacon
smiled, just trace of trouble in his
smile, and taking the hands that
held him captive in his own, said,
swell, little woman, l had every
thing up last night, ready to start
for home on the 5 o'clock train.
Somehow / must have been uncom-
mon tired, or else it was the heat,
leastways I dropped asleep in the
depot and missed the train. Then
thought I'd take the 9 o'clock
train and get home at midnight, SO
you wouldn't be lonesome Sunday,
but we broke down, and just got
here about half an hour ago. Then
to think, after walking through town
from the cars, and folks a-looking
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