American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-11-16

s'Sam, Sam! come back, sir, Here
every salt-cellar empty, and | haven't be
, gun to dress. You'll have to finish tn
table by yourself, and for mercy's SAX
don't make any mistakes! There are 81,
small salt-cellars; take them and wasl
them nicely. and dry them well. TheI
take a small spoon and fill each one o
them carefully out of this caddy of fin,
salt - and she laid her hand impressively
upon certain caddy in row of severa
that ornamented shelf in the china clos
ct. Then put one by each plate. Dt
You understand. Sam?''
Yes, Miss Margery," said Sam, with
offended mein. ''uv course | understands
= salt in de cellars, an one at eacl
plate.''
ssThat's right,'' cried Margery encour-
1 agingly. Then she escaped to her OWL
room to make her toilet.
Thither MIR. Spotswood followed soon.
calm and placid; and wherefore not? He had
passed pleasant morning in town with
a party OF congenial spirits, had bOwled
home over fine roads behind a pair of fast
bays, bringing four of those congenial
spirits with him. all of them with appe-
tites sharpened from the six-mile drive,
as well as an appetizer or two taken be-
fore leaving town.
| DINNER ready, wife?'' Mr.. Spotswood's
voice was CHEEKY in the extreme. but no
answering cheer shOne upon Margery' s
flushed face.
"Heaven only knows, William, Ihave
had a terrible time of it to-day. just let
me tell you. That hateful Sylvie-''
''Spare me, spare me" 70 cried the phi
losOpher, whose nerves quivered at the
bare prospect of having to listen to the
recital of what Margery had to endure all
unpitied and alone. ''Telling me can do
no possible good, and it is my philosophy
to suffer as little as possible in the transit
fvprn prt vryhi nh t,., <1n
quick transit from his wife's troubled
presence back to the congenial spirits who
were awaiting him in the parlor.
Mrs. SpOtswOOd's toilet bore evidence
of her haste and furry when she emerged
from her room and entered the parlOr to
make her unwelcome guests welcome.
Only few moments she allowed herself
to play lady; then slipping from the par
Tor, she sped back to the kitchen TO see
how Aunt Betsey and the dinner came on.
She took the dining-room en- route. Sam
was all right. The six salt-cellars were
filled and marshaled into position. Then
she passed into the kitchen; slow is your
soup coming on, Aunt Betsy? ?"
Lord love you, chile! that plaguey
turkle amt never died YETI
"Hasn't died yet ~ echoed Margery in
wOnder. ''Why, where is it ?''
Don you hear him a.jumpin' roun' in
de pot dar, like Abednego in de fiery fur
Miss? He's mos gone now, do'-de wa
ter's jes' got to bilin' good"
With incredulous horror in her face
Margery timidly lifted the lid of pot
from which the mysterious humping
seemed to proceed. Diving, plunging,
splashing in its boiling bath, the turtle
was revealed to her shocked vision
"Aunt Betsy. you monster of cruelty?''
''Monster? Who, chile? Suppose dis mig
ger gwine fool all day wild a turkle wat
NM i. 10 ant To 1n- al, ofH1
Serve him right for bein' such Obstnit
varmint!''
"But there's no time for soup now.
And never, never will eat turtle soup
again.
A cynical grunt from Aunt Betsy, who
was not a disciple of Bergh, was all the
answer she got.
''What have we in the way of meat?
she next cautiously inquired for as the
turtle-soup was a failnre. and no time had
been granted her to kill a turkey, her
heart began to sink.
"a billed ham an three chickens, and
them that dom fin that enough may go
furder and fare wOrse.o
Aunt Betsy was evidently growing
caustic; so Margery wisely forbore to
prosecute her researches any farther and
returned to the parlor to await the
denouenaent in quiet despair.
With magnificent salaam from Sam,
dinner was fully announced.
mo soup, Mrs. SpOtswood 2" Mr..
SpOtswOod's philosophical brow was
slightly corrugated as he asked the ques-
ton.
''NOne, my dear. L shall have to throw
myself upon the mercy of our guests to-
day. There has been general strike in
the yard, and l have a novice in the
Kitchen
A chorus of polite asseverations was
fha , To,
looked wistfully into the stern face of her
spouse for some sympathy, some indica-
ton that he was going to help her through
this ordeal. But no help did she get in
that quarter.
But why linger over that dreadful din
ner? Why tell of the ham that made its
appearance with its thick greasy over
coat on, or of the three chickens with
their SIX coal-black legs kicking defiance
at space? Why tell how Sam mad. the
of potatoes rathera compulsory
thing with two of the guests, by dividing
the dishful imparti3lly between their two
laps? Why tell how he had filled the
salt-cellars with cooking-soda instead of
salt?
Suffice it to say that the close of that
meal, found Mrs. SpotswOod supremacy
her guests miseraoly hungry,
and MIR. SpotswOOd looking very little
like philosopher, but most uncommonly
like a very angry man.
The whole affair was a miserable failure,
and no one was more bitterly aware of the |
fact than the poor little woman who had |
borne the heat and burden of the day with |
out one word of sympathy or pity.
"Thank Heaven they'rc goner' sighed |
wearied Margery as the gate changed to |
upon the retreating forms of her half |
starved guests.
''Nor is it likely, madam said Mr..
5potswood severely, THAT they will |
trouble us soon again. At least not until |
most miserable of days.
"Oh, William, William, don't find
ault! 1t is utterly impossible for you
10 realize what have endured this day.
I'd rather be a dog and bay the moon
han keep house under the present
-egime.''
. 1t is pity you did not take all these
Kings into consideration before the neces-
'ity for keeping my house became inev-
table. Probably it would have been bet
er for us both"
This was the last ounce. In passion
If tears Margery fled from the presence of
he angry philosopher.
1t was a pity Mr.. Spotswood should
lave lost his temper on that mOmentous
occasion, for it shook Margery's faith in
Leno, and take it that was a great calam-
ty; for, after all, what were the mans doc
rine's worth if they made his disciples no
stronger and better than common folk
The spoiled dinner had made her misera-
de and William furious. Where was the
Inference? And as time wore on she
made the sad discovery that when it was
Ter head that ached William preached
it was his tooth that
iept him awake all night, philosophy
licked the beam. When marauding mules
1a6 an tad ha |