The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-06-11
PLAYING AT HOUSEKEEPING.

LIN AANW Al HOOSE-hEEBlNOfs
Mrs. Slipperkin is eight years old
Just eight, too, although, when she is
asked, she takes pains to say that she
Will be nine her next birthday. 1t is a
harmless delusiOn of Mrs. Slipperkins,
that such statement makes her seem
considerably older, while it has the adj
vantage OF being strictly true.
MIR. Slipperkin is said to be travelling
IN Europe, and his wife sometimes re-
ceives small letters, bearing foreign
post mark, which she says are from her
husband. Button examining these letters
closely, we were of the opinion that the
only part which has seen the post. Office
is the stamp; and we have frequently
remarked to Mrs. Slipperkin that her
husband writes hand resembling her
own IN most surprising degree; we
think, but do not say, that the letters
are lat, and the It's and is neglected.
she lives with her dear friend,-her
sister, in fact, though she does not usu-
attic.
This latter lady is ski beg her
pardon, will be seven her next birthday,
and she also has n husband travelling
In foreign lands. Mr.. Coppertip. how
ever, does not attend to his family as he
should, for his wife has received but
one letter from him, and that was writ
ten on a piece of old writing book, in
hand strongly resembling Mrs. Slip
perkins and not written In her best
style.
Mrs. Coppertip is one of the gentlest of
human beings. She has little, soft hands
winch are often cool and kind, on aching
heaGs she has gentle brown eyes, and
soft brown hair, very nice TO brush. and
very easy to care for. I believe she
loves everybody, and I am quite sure
that everybody loves her, because 1
know they cannot help it.
Mrs. Slipperkin's eyes are likewise
brown, but they have more snap in
them than Mrs. Coppertip's. Her hair,
TOO, Is brown, and and very pretty, be-
ing full of snarly curls, which she loves.
but which are quite dreadful to brush.
know she doesn't love everybody, for
she goes TO school, and 1 have heard her
say that she "hates" Laura Brown, and
desplses' Amelia Lake, and " can't
endure somebody else and so we Judge
from this that Laura and Amelia and
somebody else, do not love Mrs. Slip
perkin either.
Mrs. Coppertip has three children, all
OF whom have been extremely unfor-
tunate.
One has lost an arm, another both
legs, and the youngest, shocking to say,
once lost her head, which was afterS ards
round, and is now very insecurity fast
ened on with white wax.
In spite of their misfortunes, they
are very still and well-behaved. and
their mother loves them dearly, She
does not believe in dressing them toe
hnely she does not think it is good foI
children to be so much interested il
fashion and then, besides-this is be
tween ourselves-she is not much of s
sewer, and really finds it impossible tc
put many stitches in their dresses 81
they are made of calico, and all the EN-
broldery is done with the scissors.
When her youngest child, Evelina
was baptized, she attempted a little
more, and actually hemmed the skirt OF
her dress all around but every stitch
was marked by drop of blood, where
the cruel, sharp needle pricked the pa.
tlent little finger, and l counted three
great big stains on il, caused by the fall
OF three great big tears.
The Sipperkin children, on the con.
trary, are always decked out in the
finest of clothes.
l clnnot positively state that Mrs,
Slipperkin is fond of sewing, for We
have to quote the old saying, "a stitch
IN tune, saves nine, great many times
IN the course of a year. But, though
she can endure rents in her own dresses
with perfect calmness vet she must
dress her children well, or be wretched.
III the sewing will not bear inspection.
can Affirm positively that the long
STITCHES are all on the under side.
Sne says, with great pride, My chit
dren haven't got one calico dress 70
their nRmes-sop
How many children have You, Mrs.
Slipperkin ?" said a particular friend OF
hers to her one day.
Three, and a baby" was the an.
swer; but why the baby, poor innocent
IS not called child, have been unable
to discover.
The only difference can perceive be-
tween IT and the remainder Of the fami-
ly, is that 1t wears long clothes and,
as 1t has lost both legs, / always sum-
posed that long clothes were necessity.
Mrs. Slipperkin has a brother. Joe. a
big boy, who wears cowhide boots.
which make a perfectly fearful noise (:
and he has no conception of the sort of
thing headache Is, never having had
one himself.
The two ladies wanted Joe to take
the house next to them Ia the attic.
adopt a family, which they offered to
give him for nothing" and call him
self Mr.. st. Clair, whose wife had re-
Gently died.
Bat Joe said it was girls play, "
aud he wouldn't try it after the first
day. Then he took the plaster of Paris
children, poor infants and fed them to
his chickens. Some of the boys heard
of his name, and he was greeted with a
perfect yell the next morning when he
went into the sohool-yard. At first he
Did not know what they were saying,
but when he realized that they we're
calling him Mr.. st. Clair he laid about
nm with his fists TO the right and left,
thouSa without any signal success. He
received seven notes that day, ad-
dressed, IN large, crooked, boys letters,
Mr. Joe st. Clair" and the next dav
the number increased to twelve. and
then, having stood it as long as he
could, Joe though it quite time that
something was done.
So, during the geography class, he
printed on piece of paper the word
Attention in the largest letters he
could make, not at all sparing the ink
Then, at recess-time, when there was
little lull in tag-playing, he mounted
high bench, and pinned this paper
across his breast.
At first there was lots of laughing and
considerable hooting of Mr.. 81. Clair,
but, as Joe did not move, the boys stop
ped aud listened to what he had to say.
His address was not long, neither was it
marked 10y any flowers OF speech, but il
was delivered in an easy MAJ n3r, and
was very decisive.
See here, fellers," he said, you've