Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-07
The Sturp Teller.
WASHING ON SUNDAY.

o'clock, Monday morning, July 10; auu W
on that identical Monday morning you might,
had you been an early riser, have seen the
deacon divested of his coat and his Sunday
dignity, shaking the best room carpet IN the
back yard. -,
There is no need of saying what he did
next, or what Mrs. Flint was doing then.
They went through the tearing-np process
very much as other people do; and not being
endowed with an over-abundance OF this
worlds goods, the last load of furniture, con-
sisting Of the deacon's wife and baby, and the
best room looking-glass, was on its way to the
depot at o'clock, p. M:
"Blessed be nothing !" exclaimed the tired
little woman as the deacon helped her out OF
the wagon. "If we had been Squire Ransom 8
folks, Samuel, we shouldn't have been more
than a quarter throug h now, would we? MY!
how my poor bones would have ached through
this time tomorrow night! I'm glad the
Lord knows what's best for me" she added,
taking the baby from the deacon and looking
around. - ...
It was but few hours ride to c., and just
in the coolest dusk of the July twilight they
walked up the street to their new home, very
tired, and thankful they we're not Squire
Ransoms folks, but just themselves, if they
did have to work late that night, putting up
the kitchen stove and unpacking dishes and
bedding.
Tuesday was day of many troubles. The
babies we're tired and fretful; daylight re-
vealed coating of dirt on doors and win
dows, the depth of which they knew not be-
fore; and the heat was intense. But the
deacon possessing antiring energy, and his
little wife the sunniest of tempers, they sue
ceeded so well that, by Thursday night as he
came into the kitchen with an armful of
wood. where his wife was washing dishes, she
commenced singing: "'
taThe deacon thinks his work is almost done,
But feel as if mine had just begun"
"Did YOU hear that, Samuel?" she said, laugh
ing and turning round to look at him.
II was prayer-meeting night, and the dea-
con went to prayer-meeting for the trst time
in c., took an active part, and after meeting
waited to shake hands with the minister and
some of the brethren, answer their inquiries
and present his letters He had the satistac-
ton Of feeling, on his way home, that he had
made a good impression; it pleased him it
would have pleased us and he told his little
wife that nj ght, in his grave way, that he
"hoped, coming as he did, in the midst of
strange people, there might never be any oc-
casion Of remark against him while he re-
mained among them"
"I'm sure I hope not, Samuel" she said,
looking innocently up in his face, and adding,
as she nestled up her little brown head on his :,
shoulder, II don't feel much alarmed about it. ="
The next day, Friday, the deacon went
back to the old home, having some business
settlements to make there. "Can't tell ex-
actly when I shall be back; probably not till
Monday noon !; guess there's enough wood
split to last till then. Good.by," he said, and
was gone.
The wee woman went back singing to her
halfwashed dinner-dishes, and with one foot
on the cradle-rocker, she secured the knives,
while she told the story of "Jack and Jill"
When the last kettle was washed, the kitchen
stove and table brushed and secured to the
usual shade of black and white, the baby
asleep in her nest of a cradle-bless her !-she
washed the pretty 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
to brush fly from under the mosquito-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 before the deacon came back.
II must slick my hair up little, so if any
one should come wouldn't 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 sun beam
flashed in at the window, and seemed to tan
gle itself all up in her wsvy brown hair
"Oh, how pretty" she said, with blush and
q laugh like q child's. "Guess if somebody
had been at home I'd had kiss, then |" and
she few to her work.
How like magic the white curtains went
up and the cob-webs came down; how the
best room looking-glass shone after its polish
ing, and the old daguerreotype Of Samuel in
his best days" never shown through so clean
surface as it did that day. So the time flew,
bringing the deacon's return nearer.
One morning she awakened early, entirely
free from the wretched headache she had the
day before 81 want it all done; the kitchen
cleaned up and my dress changed before
Samuel comes at noon" Quietly dressing, so
as not to awaken the children, she slipped out
into the kitchen, built fire and commenced
operations. How she did work! Every step
told of something done, and at halfpast ten,
despite all her hindrances from baby, who
was cross, she was hanging out the clothes, so
snowy white they dazzled her eyes as the sun
shone on them. One end of the clothes-line
ran nearly out to the front fence, through the
side-yard, and the incest whitest clothes were
hung there, of course "How 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 ten
derly pinned the rear Of one Of the deacon 8
shirts to the line. Hark! was that the front
gate? Before she had time to turn around,
the deacon's energetic strides had brought
him close to her; but what was the matter ?
martha -Pendleton-Flint !' he exclaim-
ed "what in the world are you doing? Come
right straight into the house!'
With a look that de6es description, the
little body Strengthened itself up as high as it
would 20, as she said, "Not until you speak
to me different from that, Samuel, and tell
me Why" her lip quivering.
:: "Don't you see the people all going to
meeting, and you a hanging out shirts? It's
Sunday morningw 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 Nc
wonder the people stared at me and my
clothes. Oh, oh, OH" and she sank down on
the grass in a convulsion of laughter.
The poor deacon was scandalized. "Mar
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