National Republican., 1873-12-02
DOMESTIC EXPERIENCES.
Mr.. Covllle Pats Up the stove.

From the Dsnbury NewsI
1t was some time last spring that Mrs. Co
Vile read In apaper that Idle stove pipe nigh:
be kept from rustlng by filling the lengths
with bits Of carpet, rags, &c. After the par
lor stove was taken down In May she made
trial Of the recipe by filling ono OF the
lengths as advised. On Thursday, she being
away from home, Mr.. Coyille conceived the
idea, and great deal Of credit II reflected
upon him, of putting up the stove aud start
Ing fire In II so rs to surprise her when she
came home. lie went to work ct once. He
got the stove out Of the closet, and put It on
the right spot. Then he got down the pipe
where II had been carefully laid away, and
after much tribuiatlon succeeded In getting II
together and up IN place. With this much
accomplished he devoted some ten minutes 10
fondling his fingers and specializing on the
astonlshment and qualification Mrs Coyllle
would experience on her arrival. After this
indulgence, aud very pardonable II was Mr..
Coville arranged bis kindling, put on a hod
Of coal, aud applied match. The paper
blazed up at once and then died out again,
and volume Of smoke pulled into the room.
Mr.. Coville was surprised, he got down on
his knees, aud putting his mouth up very
close 70 the CRATE, was preparing to establish
powerful current OF air, and was Just on
the verge Of doing II when another puff of
smoke shot out, filling his eyes and penetrat-
Ing his throat and nearly binding and strang-
ling him. Mr.. Coyille rolled over once or
twice to get out OF the way, and reaching bis
hands and knees, coughed and expostulated
for some Ave minutes In that position; then,
feeling somewhat revived and refreshed, he
made q close examination Of the dampers and
the Pipe where II connected with the stove
and the chimney, but could find no solution
nf the uliarhIRf Hn annliah fhar p.a f.l,
but the smoke again rolled ont In the room,
and It was only by an almost supernatural
jump backwards that he saved himself from
another strangulation.
He next took all the coal ont Of the stove
and made a thorough examination of Its
appearance. Puzzled, annoyed aud angered
by his III luck, he put In more kindllngs, re-
placed The coal, aud again applied the match.
There was another blaze-str0nger than be-
fore, and an increased volume OF smoke shot
Into the room. And 1t continued To come In
spite Of the violent protestations he made,
and he was obliged to beat an inglorious
retreat, stopping In the hall to cough and
wheeze aud swear. When he opened the
door again the room was full of smoke, and
1t was In the midst Of 1t, feeling his way to
tho stove and coughing and screaming, Mrs.
Covllle found him on her arrival.
The presence Of the smoke, with the actions
upon Mrs Coville, and she promptly shouted
',hfe" and started for the street, but, fortu.
nately. was overtaken BY her apgercd hus-
band and dragged back In time TO prevent
scene for the neighbors. OF course Mrs. Co.
Vile did not know what was the matter with
the ,tovc, 80 she said 1t was the way the fire
was made, but seeing her husband grow
white about the mouth, and observing him
Jump up and down, she prudently amended
this opinion by substituting the pipe, and on
the symptoms before mentioned continuing,
she hastily abandoned the pipe theory, and
was aboutto confess that she didnt know
what was the trouble, when q sudden thought
struck her.
"Ohl" said she; "dld you take the rags out
Of tho pipel" "RagsS" said he. "Why, yes
put some rags In one Of the lengths 10 see
II It would prevent i from rustlng, as the pa
per SAID '"You dldi" he gasped, showing
very plainly by his looks that he knew one or
the other of them was bereft OF reason but
was not quite confident which one. "Yes,"
faltsred Mrs. Coyille, ipstinctively moving to-
ward the stairs, Mr.. Covills stared at her
for full minute, while Mrs. Covills carefully
sxaminsd apy ever the dsori and thss, With