Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-06-01

to her work.
How like magic the white curtains
went up and the cobwebs came
down; how the best room looking
glass shone after its polishing, and
the old daguerreotype of "Samuel
in his best days" never shone thro'
so clean surface as it did that day.
So the time flew, bringing the dea-
cons return nearer.
| One morning she awakened early,
entirely free from a wretched head
ache she had the day before. 4 want
it all done; the kitchen cleaned mp
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 a fire and commenced
operations. How she did work;
every step told of something done,
and at half-past ten, despite all her
hindrances from baby, who was
cross, she was hanging out the
clothes, so snowy white they daz-
zled her eyes as the sun shone on
| them. One end of the clOthes-line
ran nearly out to the fren fence
through the side yard, and the
| Whitest, incest clothes were hung
there, of course. How many peO-
pie are passing, she thought to her
self, "and how they all stare at me;
guess il must be the clothes though,
| instead of me-" and she tenderly
pinned the rear of one of the dea-
| cons shirt to the line. Hark was
that the front gate2 Before she had
| time to turn around, the deacon's
energetic strides had brought him
close to her; but what was the mat
| ter?
'Marthy-Pendlsto he
exclaimed, "what in the world are
you doing? Come straight into the
housep
With a look that defies descrip-
ton, the little body Strengthened it
self up as high as it would go, 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 go
ing to meeting, and you hanging
out shirts? It's Sunday morning"
Such laugh as rang out then on the
Sunday air, Pm sure the good peO-
pie never heard before. ooh, Sam
uel," 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 a conYulsion of laughter.
The poor deacon was scandaliZed.
'tMartha!" he said, in such sadly
anxious tone she only laughed the
more, and it was not till she looked
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 little caress,
and said, "Samuel, kiss and forgive
me, and TIl 90 to work and ravel it
out. L truly WILL" aud 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 / am; you don't sup
pose, now I'Ye 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, think.
How came you to be travelling to-
day? Guess there's 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 hon
est brown face in her hands, and
said, "Be a 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 hand that held
him captive in his own, said. We'll,
little woman, 1 had everything up
last night, ready to start home on
the O'Clock train. Somehow /
must have been uncommon tired, or
else it was the heat, leastways |
dropped asleep in the depot, and
missed train. Then L thought I'd
take the o'clock train and get
home at midnight, so you wouldn't
be lonesome Sunday; but we broke
down, and just got here half an
hour ago. Then, to think, after
walking through town from the
cars, and folks n looking at me on
their way to church!'
"To think, Samuel" she broke In,
"after that dreadful trial, you
should walk in at your front gate
and find your wife hanging out
clothes in your front yard, and you
a deacon of good standing III the
church! dear! dear! what do you
suppose the Lord will do to me for
thinking 1t was washing-dayp l
don't think" she added ''he'l be
very hard with me, because yester-
day was my Sunday, though l had
such a sick headache, it seems /
didn't know much about the
day. I'll tell you what, Samuel, I'll
stay at home with the babies to-
night, and you can go to meeting,
and then piece out your Sunday to-
morrow; won't that dO?"
But the deacon couldn't get over
it; his heart was heavy; and while
his wife was busy in the kitchen he
put on his hat, and with his hands
clasped reVerRntly behind him (his
Sunday way) slowly and sOlemny
he walked out to the clothes-line.
Most of the clothes were dry, for
the sun was very hot, and one by
one he dropped the snowy things
into the basket, uncOnsciously hum
ming to himself, 'HaVe pity, Lord
o, Lord, forgive"
Mrs. Flint was washing dishes,
and nearly dropped her best glass
dish, when the deacon walked in
with the clothes. 81 could not stand
it, MARTHA" he said in explanation.
"Guess L must sprinkle and iron
them, to-day, Samuel-would you?"
she said archly. III
The deacon merely calculated
disappearing ''AIy deari" and went
into the other room to read his Sun
day paper.
By and by the people began to
come from church. What a sudden,
surprised interest they seemed to
have taken in his household prem
ises; they gazed, they stared, and
looked back, and gaZed again, but
the deacon was an humble man, it
did not tiatter him, he read his pa
per and sighed, opened his Bible to
read, and sighed again, and then
fell to thinking. y little while af-
ter two arms stole softly around his
neck, and a dear voice said, Forget
all about it, my dear, and I'll-'5 a
knock at the door interrupted, and
she went to open it.
She had brushed her brown, wavy
hair, and dressed in a cool white
muslin dress, with far-between dot
tings of pink, and looked not a bit
like the guilty little washer-woman
she was. She opened the door, and
Deacon Frost and Elder CuRmins
introduced themselves and walked
in with stately bows. Deacon Flint
rose from his open Bible, and more
introductions followed, whereupon
Elder Cummins cleared his throat,
and in q mining voice. said: