Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-06-01
WASHING ON SUNDAY.
n OvV the DeacOn's wife introduced
Deacon

Deacon Flint had decided to move;
had decided to commenced moving
at precisely five O'Clock, Monday
morning, July Is; and so on that
Identical Monday morning you
might, had you been an early riser,
have seen the deacon, Invested of
his coat and his Sunday dignity,
shaking the best room carpet in the
backyard.
There is no need of saying what
no did next, or what Mrs. Flint was
doing then. They went through
the tearing-up process very much as
other people do; and not being en-
doWed with an oVer-abundance of
this worlds goods, the last load of
furniture consisting of the deacon's
wife and baby, the twins; and the
best room looking-glass, was on its
way to the depot at five O'Clock P. NJ.
"Blessed be nothingl" exclaimed
the tired little woman, as the dea-
con helped her out of the wagon.
''If we had been Squire Ransom's
folks, Samuel, we shouldn't have
been more than n quarter through
now, would we? Myl how my poor
bones would have ached through
this time tomorrow night. Pm glad
that the Lord knows what's best for
from the deacon, and looked around
for the twins.
1t was but a few hours ride 10
c., aud just in the coolest dusk of
the July twilight they walked up
the street to their new home, very
tired, and thankful they were not
Squire Rrnsom's folks, but just
themselves, if they did have to
work late that night putting up the
kitchen stove and unpacking dishes
and bedding.
Tuesday was aday of many trou-
bles. The babies were tired and
fretful; daylight revealed a coating
OF dirt on doors and windows, the
the depth of which they knew not
before, and the heat was in
tense. But the deacon possessing
untiring energy, and his little wife
the sunnicst of tempers, they sue
ceeded so we'll that, by Thursday
night, as he came into the kitchen
with an armful of wood, where his
wife was washing dishes, she COM
menced singing:
'sThc deacon THINKS his work is almost
done,
But / feel as if mine had Just begun.D
''Did you hear that, Samuel?" she
said laughing and turning around to
look at him.
1t was prayer-mceting 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
their inquiries and present their let
ters. lie had the satisfaction of
feeling, on his way home, that he
had made a good impressions; it
pleased him; it would have pleased
US; and he told his little wife that
night, in his grave way, that he
chopped, coming as he did in the
midst of a strange people, there
might never be any occasion of re-
mark 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
her little brown head on his shoul-
der, 81 don't feel 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 certainly when l
shall be back; probably not till Mon
day noon; guess there's wood
enough split to last TO till then.
Good-bye,n he said, and was gone.
The wee woman went singing
back to her half-washed dinner
dishes, and with one foot on the
craddle-rocker, she secured the
knives, while she told the story of
''Jack and CLIP to 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 nest of a cradle-"bless her!"-
she washed the pretty twin faces
till they blushed like red peppers,
and settled them in their trundle-
bed for nap,
Dear little woman! she did look
so tired as she came out from the
bedroom, and stopped 10 brush q
| fly from under the mosquito-net
over the baby. 1t would have made
/ your back ache to look at Ter. But
the cherry heart in the weary body
asserted itself, and she smiled with
the thought of all she would do be-
fore the deacon came back.
81 must slick my hair over lit
tie, so if any one should come l
wouldn't spoil the deacon's reputa-
tion," she said to herself, going up
to little glass that hung between the
! kitchen windows. just then a gem
of a sunbeam flashed in at the win
! dow, and seemed TO tangle itself all