Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-05-16

down on the grass III convulslon OF
/ laughter
The poor deacon was scandalized,
/ Martha !" 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 a little caress, and said,
Samuel, kiss and forgive me, and I'll
| go to work and ravel it out | truly
Will, ana 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 walk
ed to the window and looked ont
You're not going to let them clothes
hang out there all day, are You Martha
Flint Z"
/ "Of course L am you don't suppose
now I've got them out, Gods going to
/ grudge me the sunshine to dry them
with, because its Sunday do sou
Why 1t would be wicked to bring them
in before shutdown. But see here, Mr.
Deacon, it's about time / called you to
account, | think. How came You to be
travelling to-day Guess there's lit
tie Sunday-breaking on both sides, isn't
+. there2"
The deacon turned slowly around and
sat down. Then perching herself on
his knee, she took his honest brown face
in her hands, and said, BE good
I boy, now, and tell me all the truth re-
member George Washington, dear. y
The deacon smiled, Just a trace of trou-
BILE in his smile, and taking the hands
that held him captive in his own. said,
. Well, little woman, / had everything
up last night, ready to start FOR home
on the five O'Clock train. Somehow
must have been uncommon tired, or
else it was the heat, leastways | drop
ped asleep in the depot, and missed the
train. Then | thought I'd take the
nine o'clock train and get home at mid
night, so you wouldn't be lonesome
Sunday, but we broke down, and got
here half an hour ago. Then to think,
after walking through town from the
cars, and folks looking at me on their
way to church"
"Io think, Samuel she broke in,
latter that dreadful trial, you should
wife hanging ont clothes in your front
yard, and you deacon of good stand
ing in the church dear dear. what
do you suppose the Lord will do to me
for thinking it was washing day? |
don't think" she added, ''hell be
very hard with me, because yesterday
was my Sunday, though | had such IA
sick headache, it seems [ didn't know
much about the day. III tell you what
Samuel, I'll stay at home with the
babies tonight, and you can go to
meeting, and then piece out your Sun
tomorrow; 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 rever
entity behind him (his Sunday way)
slowly and solemnly he walked out to
the clothes lines. Most Of the clothes
were dry, fer the sun was very hot, and
one by one he dropped the snowy
things INTO the basket, unconsciously
humming 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
clean clothes, Il could not stand it
Martha, he said in explanation.
"Guess [ must sprinkle and iron
them, to-day, Samuel-would you
she said archly.
The deacon merely calculated a dis
approving NY dear y and went into
the other room to read his Sunday pa
per.
BY and by the people began to come
from church. What sudden, surprls-
ed interest they seemed to have taken
in his household premises; they gazed,
and stared, and looked back, and gaaed
again, but the deacon was an humble
man, it did not Aatter him: he read his
paper and sighed, opened his Bible to
read and sighed again, and then fell to
I thinking. A little while after two arms
1 stole softly around his neck, and a dear
voice said Forget all about it, dear,
/ and III" knock at the door inter
rupted, and she went TO open 1t.
She had brushed her brown, wavy
hair, and dressed III cool white mus
4 lin dress, with far between dottings OF
pink, and looked not a bit like the
guilty little washer-woman she was.
4 She opened the door, and Deacon Frost
and Elder Cummins introduced them
selves and walked in with stately bows.
/ Deacon Flint rose from his open Bible
aud more iutroductions followed, when
/ Elder Cummins cleared his throat, and
III . piping voice said:
"lou must excuse, Deacon Flint,
our coming on such day, but We
thought 1t best that some explanations
should be made before our people again
gather for evening service