The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-21
COBLEIGH AND THE WATER BOARD.

The members of the Danbury Water
Board have unnecessarily imposed upon
themselves the most dreadful secresy as to
their official movements. Where there is
break to repair or an improvement to
make which is to disturb the pipes, they
cut off the water without any notice, and
the first intmation the housewife has of
the misfortune is when she turns the faucet
and receives in response the dubious groan-
| ing of escaping air. Then the head of the
house takes the pail and {" shins" out for
neighboring well, and if the remarks he
makes were put in book, it would take
pretty smart man to hold the book. But
this shutting off the water is a grievous
matter, and our people have become very
sensitive about it. Monday afternoon,
while Mr.. Cobleigh was cipherng out some
calculation in his store, he overheard some
one say that the water was to be shut off
for two days. AS the nearest we'll to Mr..
Coblegh's house is a quarter of a mile
away, that gentleman gave utterance to an
expression of earnest gratitude, coupled
with an observation intended to enliven
the Water Board, precipitated himself into
his coat, and started for home at rapid
speed. Arriving there all out of breath,
and in heat that made his flesh culver, he
threw his excellent wife into undue trepi-
dation by screaming for the tubs, pals and
! barrels. But when she learned, which she
| gradually did, that the water was to be
shut off at once, she entered heartily into
the excitement and earnestness. First the
tubs were snatched out of the cellar and
snatched up stairs with equal CELEBRITY, and
while Mr.. Cobleigh tended to their filling,
and glared ferociously at the running
stream, Mrs Cobleigh ransacked the house
for the available tinware. The good lady
was scarcely less unnerved than her man,
and under the inspiration of his constantly
recurring, "Hurry, hurry, Matildan' it
did seem, as she afterwards actually con-
fessed, as if her head would spin off and
lose itself. Once or twice she stopped to
exclaim, "Good Lord, Moses, l can't be
everywhere at -" but the I" Hurry, hur-
ry, Matilda" relentlessly cut her short and
sent her into the search again more dis
tracted than ever. Milk pals, pans and
basins were brought Then she got down
the bowls, and Mr.. Cobleigh was going to
call for the goblets when he was diverted
by thinking of the iron kettles, and they
were brought forth and all of them filled.
One of them tipped over, but Mr. Cobleigh
caught the contents in his shoes and thus
kettle and afterwards the dipper, and find
ing no fresh fields to conquer shut off the
water, and being in heavy perspiration
and exhausted as to breath, sat down and
rested. After the rest he put off his wet
clothes and put on some dry ones, and
exchanging the wet shoes for pair Of dry
boots which hurt his heel, he limped back
to the store. Once there he prepared to
renew his struggle with the problem he
was engaged on when electrified with the
intelligence that the water was to be cut
off, but the duplicity Of the Water Board
| filled his mind to the exclusion of all other
topics, and finally laying aside his pencil,
he started with the sore heel for the office.
Commissioner Starbuck was present.
"Oh, you are here, are you?' inquired
Mr.. Cobleigh, contemptuously. "Certain-
| w." said Mr.. Starbuck. % Well, you are
nice one, amt you - he observed as if in
continuance of his interest in the Commits
sioner's welfare. "Wby, what's the mat
ter, Mr.. Cobleigh - " Natter" asked
that gentleman, suddenly raising his voice,
and losing all the color about his mouth.
Matter, is it ~ he cried, his voice trem-
| bling with passion, and the strain put upon
it. What do you mean, want to know,
by shutting off the water supply of this
people without one word of warning, with
out the fantest notification of your base,
sneaking designs What do you mean by
putting the entire town into state of con-
fusion and suffering by the grossest piece
of carelessness-." "My dear SIR"
interrupted Mr.. Starbuck, "what can you
mean by this charge? The water is not
shut Oft" " What ." gasped Mr.. Cob
leigh. The water has not been shut
off, repeated Mr.. Starbuck. " But-ain't
it to be shut off this afternoon, and kept
off for two days9" asked Mr.. Cobleigh,
with visible faltering in his tone. "Cer-
tainly not" said Mr.. Starbuck. Mr.. Cob
leigh stared at the speaker with dreadful
intensity. "Who told you this" asked
the Commissioner. 81 don't know who it
was" said the unfortunate man, suddenly
recalling himself to a realizing sense of the
| horrid mistake, at was some all fired
| fool in the store. and was in such a hurry
| to get home that never stopped to look
or think. Here have been up to Nelson
| street on a dead run, turned over the entire
house, filled every vessel in it with water,
wet every thread of clothing on my body,
and almost made lunatic of my wife, and
| then had to get back to the store with
boot that ground the skin right off my
heel :" And ALL" gasped the miserable
man, "because of a black hearted, lying
idiot" Then as he limped away, and
thought on the appearance of his home,
and the array of amatuer lakes and ponds
within 1t, he incidentally mentioned: ''Con-
found the scalawag; if l can get hold
| of him before the thunderbolts of heaven
overtake him, will smash every bone in
his villainous carcass. '-Danbury Ne'cs.
WHAT DOES "CooKING MEAN?-Girls,
read Mr.. Ruskin's definition of cookery,
and then call it a servile employment, only
fit for menials-if you can. What does
cooking mean" 1t means the knowledge
of medea, and of Gree and of Helen, and
of Calypso, and of Rebecca, and of the
| Queen of Sheba. 1t means the knowledge
of all grains, and herbs, and fruits, and
balms, and spices; of all that is healing
and sweet in fields and groves, and savory
! in meats: it means carefulness, and inven-
| tiveness and watchfulness, and willingness
and readiness of appliance; it means the
economy of your grandmothers and great
grandmothers, and the science of modern
chemists; it means English thoroughness,
and French art. and Al aban hospitality;
and it means, in fine that you are to be
perfectly and always ladies-'loaf- givers;'