The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-08-29
HOW THE DEAcON'S WIFE INTRO.
DUCED THE DEACON.
BY NEIL MACGREGGOR.

Aio hou ucCluCU 10 NOV Z
had decided to move to G. had de
cided to commence moving at pre-
cisely 5 O'Clock, Monday morning
Jnly 18th and SO, on that identica
Monday morning, you might, hat
you been an early riser, have see,
the Deacon, Invested Of his coat ant
Sunday dignity, shaking the bes
room carpet in the back yard.
There is no need of saying wha
he did next, or what Mrs. Flint wa
doing then
Iney went through the tearing NJ
process. very much as other peopl.
do; and not being endowed with any
over-abundance Of this worlds goods
the last load of furniture, consisting
OF the Deacon's wife and baby, tie
twins and the best room looking
glass; was on its way to the depot a.
5 O'Clock p. m.
BLESSED be nothing = said the
tired little woman, as the Deacon
helped her out of the wagon.
five had been Squire Ransom's
folks, Samuel, we wouldn't have
been more than a quarter through
now, would we? My /! how m,
poor bones would have ached tho
this time tomorrow night. Pm glad
the Lord knows what's best for me,
she added, taking the baby from the
Deacon and looking around for the
twins.
1t 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 thankful they were
not Squire Ransom's folks but just
themselves, if they did have to work
late that night putting up the kitchen
stove and unpacking dishes and bed.
ding.
| Tuesday was day of many trou.
bles. The babies were tired and fret
tul daylight revealed a coating OF
dirt on doors and windows, the depth
OF which they knew not before and
the heat was intense.
But the Deacon possessing untirlng
energies, and his little wife the sun.
niest of tempers, they succeeded SC
well, that by Thursday night, as he
came into the kitchen with an arm.
full of wood, where his wife was wash
ing dishes, she commenced singing
1.-THE Deacon thinks his work most done,
| But feel mine has just begun
Did you hear that, Samuel p she
said, laughing, and turning around
to look at him.
1t was prayer meeting night, and
the Deacon went to prayer meeting
for the first time in c., took an active
part, and after meeting waited to
shake hands with the minister and
some of the brethren, answer inquir.
les, and present their letters.
He had the satisfaction 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 night, in his
grave way, that he hoped, coming,
as he did, into the midst of strange
people, there might never be any oc
casion of remark against him while
he remained among Them
I'm sure hope not, Samuel she
said, looking innocently up in his
face and adding, as she nestled heI
little brown head on his shoulder,
Il don't feel very much alarmed
about it.
The next day, Friday, the Deacon
went back to the old home, having
some business settlements to make
there.
Cant tell for certain when l shall
be back probably not till Monday
noon !; guess there's enough wood
split to last till then. Goodbye he
said, and was gone.
The wee woman went singing back
to her half-washed dinner dishes, and
with one foot on the cradle-rocker
she secured the knives, while she
told the story of Jack and Gill; tc
the twins.
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 little nest of a cradle, bless her |!
she washed the pretty twin faces till
they blushed like red peppers, ther
settled them in their trundle bed fol
a nap.
Dear little woman ! she did look
so tired as she came out from the bed
room, and stopped to brush fly from
under the mosquito net over the ba,
by, it would have made your back
ache to look at her. But the CHEEKY
heart in the weary body asserted it
self, and she smiled with the thought
of all she would do before the Dea
con should come back.
Il must slick my hair over little
SO if any one should come wouldn't
spoil the Deaeon's reputation she
said to herself, going up to the little
glass that hung between the kitchen
windows.
Just then gem Of sunbeam
flashed through the window anc
seemed to tangle itself all up in tn,
wavy brown hair.
ooh, how pretty she said with
blush and laugh like a child's.-
Guess if somebody'd been at HON,
I'd had kiss then ? and off sh,
flew to her work.
| How like magic the white curtain
went up and the cobwebs cam,
down; how the best room looking
glass shone after its polishing, ant
the old daguerreotype of Samuel il
his best days. never shone through
SO clean a surface as it did that day
So the time flew, bringing the Dea
cons return nearer.
One morning she wakened early
entirely free from wretched head
ache she had the day before. Nov
for the washing,' she said to herself
Il want to have it all done, the kitch
en- cleaned up and my dress changed
before Samuel comes at noon.'
Quietly dressing so as not to walker
the children, she slipped out into thu
kitchen, built fire, and commenced
operations. How she did work ev
cry step told of something done, ant
at half-past ten, spite of all her hin
drance from baby, who was cross
she was hanging out her clothes Sc
snowy white they dazzled her eyes
as the sun shone on them. One enc
of the clothes line ran nearly out te
the front fence through the side yard
and the whitest, incest clothes were