Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-07-22

and while under this indictment be
said: "Now, Ira Josephus Barnabee
you know very well that you are the
viciousest mortal that ever lived. but
something must be done. You DOM
want to be set adrift and be compelled
to try the realities of a cruel world that
always was hard on orphans and poor
folks u
Ira often dwelt with pathos on the
fact of his being an orphan. He was
not very tender orphan, being in his
forty seventh year but that is the way
with some people, they will howl over
one old-time, by gone sorrow all through
their lives.
Ira knew that Madame Wilkins, de.
ceased, had been a very pink of q
housekeeper, and the bereft Squire
thought this requirement the one thing
needful in wife. She must mop all
the floors every Saturday, sweep down
the cobwebs. polish the tinware, and
do all the little things that his mother
must be all she had been.
After Betsey had been gone an hour
or two, Ira walked leisurely over to the
new story -and-a-half frame house OF
Squire Wilkins, and seated himself on
the workbench and commenced playing
with the little curly shavings.
The Squire came in and began sho~-
ing him round through the house very
courteously. When they were upstairs
Ira said: "You ought to have your
rooms divided off like my sister Betsey
has think hers are very convenient. u
81 wish had the plan of her rooms,
said the Squire, frightening up as
though the idea tantalized him.
SECT your rule and come night over
along with me there's nobody at home
to-day, and we'll have full possession
ourselves"
So the two men trudged off together
to Widow Betsey Bobbett's little rose
colored cottage in the edge of the vii
lage.
Now, 1 don't wish to insinuate, but /
verify believe that Ira Josephus, the
selfish old bachelor brother, had been
all through Rose Cottage, just trying
how badly he could tumble together
the contents, and what suspicion he
could cast upon that little housekeeper,
Betsey Bobbett. In the pantry, the
doors of the cupboard stood staring
wide open, showing a heterogeneous
mess of cold boiled cabbage. pork, fish,
turnip, pickles, buttermilk, and meat
fryings. with nut-cakes, broken pies,
dry bread, etc, etc. The doors of the
clOthes-press stood sjsr, and bonnets,
hats, hose, CATERS, gowns and slippers
were thrown promiscuously together in
tumbled heaps-dirty and clean, broken
and whole, all just as though tumbled
out of rag peddlers wagon in Il hurri-
cane The sitting room was in prime
disorder; basket of walnuts and a
plate of apples with peelings and cores
among them, occupied place In the
middle of the floor. But her bedroom
Was the worst. The bed was not made;
On one post hung night cap (it WASH t
ners Ira must have put his there) it
was made of red flannel, without a hem
,r binding the back part of it was
puckered all up by string run round
IN it. On another post hung an old
nOop-skirt that looked as if it had come
nut of Noah's ark after good service for
Noah's wife and his sons wives. Stock
ings lay scattered about, and shoes Just
as they had been kicked off, corsets,
bustles, underclothing, and all the ct
coterd of bedroom, in dIlapitaded
condition. Ira acted very naturally,
Just as if everything was right and not
unusual.
"Now, Squire, this bedroom is good
size-'bout square 1 should think, "
said the unimpressible Ira, taking the
rule and beginning to measure from
the wall right opposite the bed "take
the measure and see for yourself ;" and
he handed it to the bereft widower.
He took it and continued on with the
same measurement that Ira had COM
menced. OF course it ran right under
the bed. Now beds will get dirty under
them. / don't know what's the reason,
but the first sign of disorder in a bed
room begins with huffness on the car
pet under it. Then We women all know
what glorious receptacle ''under yon
bed" is for shoes, boxes, dirty clothes,
cast-off duds, and anything one wants to
put out of sight ''just for little while. !"
Good housekeepers, sometimes, so far
depart from their integrity as to let
things get in muss in their bedrooms.
Il is not for us to say whether Betsey
Bobbett's bedroom was generally tidy
or not.
Dreadful, wasn't it ? that Just while
the immaculate Squire was down on all
fours. away back under the bed, among
feathers, and straw, and boxes, and
bundles, and other things, patting
little trip was heard running up the
stairs as light as a kittens springy step I;
and who should come bounding into
the room, curls a-fying, and eyes spark
ling, and cheeks aglow, but Betsey
Bobbett herself
"Oh, good heavens |" she screamed,
as one glance of her eye took In the
whole scene.
Ira was standing leaning over, an1i-
ously watching the Squire, who was
under the bed, save that his legs We're
visible, or as much of them as wore
boots.
"What does this mean? I'd like to
know" she said, in shrill voice, hold
ing up both trembling hands as though
aghast with horror.
The Squire came hustling out, crab
style, from among the debris, with his
hair all pushed the wrong way, and the
tails of his coat turned up over his
back. lie made great clang and clat-
ter and noise, and disarranged the hid
den things generally; but he got out
at last and tried to look like man who
had been following legitimate calling.
"Now, say no gentleman will enter
lady's private room under such cir
cumstances," said she, looking at the
measuring rule; ''and especially in her
absence ! It's horrible It's awful J.
and the poor little thing clapped her
hands up to her face and sobbed hyste-
rically.
HE only wanted to measure the
rooms afore he planned his'n," said the
brother, in cringing voice, looking at
his sister, and feeling really sorry that
matters had taken such an unfavorable
turn. His plan had worked well, but
hadn't stopped there it had gone on
working and he couldn't see, as he