Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-05-04

self, going up to the little glass that hung
between the kitchen windows.
Just then a gem Of sunbeam flashed 10
at the window, and seemed to tangle itself
all up 10 the wavy brown hair.
"Oh, how pretty" she said with blush
and laugh like child's. "Guess if
somebody'd been at home I'd have kiss,
then!" and off she few 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 pol
ishisg and the old daguerreotype of
Samuel in bis best days." never shone
through so clean surface as it did that
day. So tho time few, bringing the Dea-
cons return nearer.
One morning she wakened early entirely
free from a headache she had had the
day before. "Now for the Washing" she
said to herself. II want to have it all
done, the kitchen cleaned up and my dress
changed before Samuel comes at noon."
Quietly dressing so as not to waken the
children, she slipped out into the kitchen,
built a FIRE, aud commenced operations
How she did work every step told of
something done, and at half-past ten, spite
of all her hiudrauces from baby, who was
cross, she was hanging out the clothes so
snowy white they dazzled her eyes as the
sun shown on them. One end of the
clothes line ran nearly out to tho front
fence through the side-yard, and the
whitest, incest clothes were hung there, of
course.
"How many people are passing" she
thought to herself, "aud how they all
stare at me; guess it must be the clothes
though, instead of me-" and she teuderly
pinned the rear of one of the Dcacon's
shirts to the line. Hark! was that tho
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 !" he ex.
claimed, "what in the world are you do
ing? Come straight into the House!"
With look that de6es description, the
little body Strengthened itself up as high
as it would 60, as she said, "Not till you
speak different from that and tell me why"
her lip quivering.
"Don't you see the people all goiu'
to meeting, and you haugin' out shirts ?
It's Sunday morniug"
Such laugh as rang out then on the
Sunday air I'm sure the good people of G.
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" aud she sank
down on the grass in a convulsion of
laugter.
The poor Deacon was scandalized.
" Martial" he said, in such sadly anx.
ious tone as 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 aud walked into
the house with him.
The door closed behind them, she went
up to him with little caress, aud said,
"Ssmuel, kiss and forgive me, and I'll go
to work and ravel it all out. I 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.
"To think, Samuel" she broken iu.
"after that dreadful trial, you should walk
into your front gate and end your wife
calmly hanging out clothes in your
front yard, and you . deacon Of good
standing in the church Dear dear
"What do you suppose tho Lord will do to
me for thinking this was wa.h.day? I
don't think" she added, "he'll be very
hard on me, because yesterday was my
Sunday, though I had such sick head
ache it seems I didn't know much about
the day. I'll tell you what, Samuel, I'll
stay at home with the babies tonight and
you can 60 to meeting, and then pieco out
your Sunday tomorrow won't that do"
But the Deacon couldn't get over it
his heart was heavy; aud while his wife
was busy in the kitchen he put on his hat,
and with his hands clasped revereutly be.
hind him (his Sunday walk) slowly and
solemnly he walked out to the clothes line.
Most Of the clothes were dry, for the
sun was very hot, aud one by one he
dropped the snowy things into tho basket,