Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-05-31
pARLoR ORNAMENTS.
BY KATE W. HAMILTON.

There were David, Sgd, Bob,
Mark, and Jimmy five of them.
"Half a dozen, lacking one," Mrs.
Gurney used to say almost despair
ingly. They were real boys, too,
with a genius for whiting, mend
ing skatc-straps owning dogs, and
tearing their clothes; and, as if
these accomplishments were not
enough, David had lately attempted
music. An old violin had been
purchased by the sacrifice of some
other valuable possessions, and now
it groaned and squeaked necessarily
in season and out of season.
"Thcre's tunes in the thing some
where, and Pm bound to get 'em
ou.," remarked David with cheer
ful perseverance; but as nothing
that resmbled Que had been coaxed
out as yet, Mrs. Gusney's faith was
weak.
Mrs. Gurncy was tired that night,
and heartily glad when the last of
the five pairs of feet had disappear
ed up the stairway, and she was
left with no music but the monot-
onous crcaking Of her low rocking
chair, that had learned its tone
through the hushing to sleep of so
many babies. The old round table
stood beside her, drawn up in front
of the fire, with lamp, scissors, and
the inevitable spool of black silk
upon it. She had 4 jacket, to mend
always a jacket, orpants, OF stock
ings-and she gave her thread Il
sharp twitch as she thought of it.
"What else can it ever be when
there's so many of them?" she said.
Nancy Styres dropped her chop
ping-knife into the mincemeat, and
looked up brightly. OF course any
remark made in her hearing was
addressed exclusively to her, and if
she did not understand this one, she
could guess what was meant by the
"many of them," and that was 4
sufficient peg to hang az answer on.
"Hey? Pears like when there's
so many of 'em, it's most a pity
some on 'em wasn't girls, amt it,
now?" :
"No," said Mrs. Gurney, shortly.
But her eyes wandered off from her
work to the opposite side of the
room, where stood long row of
boots deposited carelessly in the
easiest place. Five pairs! She
found herself wondering just for a
moment, how it would seem ifsome
of them were shoes = not boys
shoes-instead.
"He, he!" giggled Nancy, follow
ing her glance. "Guess if any
thieves broke in here at night they
wouldn't 60 further'n the chamber
door. They'd think we'd got a
whole regiment slowed away up
stairs"
Mrs. Gurncy looked persistently
down at her jacket again, a little
vcxcd at such watchfulncss. Then
she discovered another button off,
and after plunging through mix.
turc of snail-shells, steel pens, bits
of rosin, string, end broken slate
pencils, found that the grip in the
pocket" which had been commend
ed to her attention, was no rip al
all, but a hole Of respectable size
pinned shut with nail to prevent
the escape of the above mentioned
treasures. There were other in
direct damages not mentioned in
the contract, and she cut out patel
grimly, and settled herself to ar
evenings task oft.
/ Always something Of this sort tt
do! How could she have rooms a.
quiet, pretty, and orderly as those
she had seen to-day, where ther,
was no one to bring confusion, ant
| SO many to arrange and beautify,
That neighboring house on the bill
side was 4 very Mordecai at th,
kings gate to Mrs. Gnrney some
times, and because of II her owl
! az '3a \