Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-23
Busby's Barrels.

Mr. Busby has been married five years,
and all that time he and his wife have
boarded 1t was on the lst of October
that he firmly made up his mind to keep
house. A neat cottage was secured, the
furniture bought and the two settled down
like pair of sixtecn-d dollar doves. Last
Thursday afternoon the farmer Of whom
Busby had engaged his potatoes for the
winter brought him two barrels OF these
excellent Vegetables and also n barrel of
apples. He knew Busby was new at the
business, and chat he was IA good-natured
man, so he told Mrs. Busby that he had a
sore finger and was in a hurry and would
not be able to take the barrels down cellar.
And he left them by the hatchway. Here
BLsby found them when he came home
in the evening, Aiming his wife with the
lamp, he proceeded in no pleasant frame
of mind to bring the stuff in She held
the light in the cellar way while he tus-
seled with the barrels, and rs the wind
came through the door she was obliged to
screen the light by shading it from that
side. Whenever he got barrel in par
ticularly critical position an extra gust of
wind would come down the stairway and
up would 20 her hand TO the flame, throw
ing both him and the barrel into the
shade. Then he would look over his
shoulder AT her and say:
"What in mercy's name are you about,
Mary Janeg''
1t was a tough Job for Mr. Busby. His
hands were tender from indoor employ
ment, and in their contact with the barrel
were sadly worsted. The lower chimes of
the barrel would catch on the step as he
was sliding il down, and when he let 20
20 see what was the trouble ii would sud
denly come along of its own accord and
butt HIM in the stomach with such force
rs to nearly deprive Kim of his breath, or
it would slip on his foot and cause HIM to
howl dreadfully with pain Then he
took hold of the apples. They came
dreadtully hard, He pushed and pulled
and turned them to the left and then to
the right and pulled and perspired and
swore and screamed, but couldn't get the
apples down from the top step. He was
struggling with all his might with that
barrel His hat had fallen otf his eyes
were almost bursting from their sockets,
his breath came fast and heavy. He was
below the barrel He had both arms
around II and was Straining with all his
might to move it, lie only spoke once.
Then he said:
why don't you come up here with
that lamp, 50 can see something, and
not be standing down there grinning like
an idIotg"
Il is but justice to explain that Mrs,
Busby was not grinuing at all; on the
contrary 1t would be difficult to have
crowded Us much gravity into the same
space rs was expressed in her counte-
nance, She stepped up the stair promptly.
Then Mr.. BuShy gave a desperate,
maddeniug pull and the barrel came
The transformation from dOgged,
obstinate barrel TO a headstrong, impetu.
Gus barrel was remarkable. Mr. Bushy
tried TO save himself 10y yelling" WoOsht'
but he was too late; and the next instant,
himself, his wife, the lamp. the barrel and
the apples, in confused mass, went re
volving down TIE stairway and sprawl.
ing across the cellar Fortunately the
light was eNtinguished at the first move,
but the lamp was broken and its contents
pretty evenly distributed over the other
objects. MIR. Bushy was driven under a
whcelbarruw, and Mrs, Bu>bv,. after be
ing buCkod twice in the head by the bar.
rel brought up with vrhymcnce against
an old stove, knocking il compI ely of
its legs and smashing in The oven door
Mrs. Busby scrambled TO her feet at
once.
john" She exclaimed, where are
youy are YOU hurty'
None OF your business" came in
halfsupprcsscd voice out of the dark
ness
Why, John, wha. is the matter with
yoUN
What did you come. up them steps
or9"Lc demanded, in intense passion.
Why. Won told me to.~
NhSt.fl did>' cried the unhappy