The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-12-02
A Danburian's Saturday Night.

tossing, struggling, restless week
Tomorrow is the Sabbath-when all la
Dor and care are held in allegiance. Sat
urday night stands like a rock before the
day of rest, and says to toll and worry
"Thus far shalt thou come, and no
farther" Blessed Saturday nj ght. The
wearied husband and father approaches
his home. He looks ahead and sees the
light streaming in cheerful radiance from
the windows, and wonders if that boy has
got in the kindlings He steps upon the
stoop and opens the door. His faithful
wife meets him at the entrance and greets
him with: "Why on earth don't you clean
your feet, and not lug the house full of
mud? Don't you know I've been scrub
bling all day." And thus he steps into
the room of his family, grateful for the
mercies he has received, and thankful that
he has home to come to when the worry
and care and toll of the week are done.
Yes, he is home now, and has set his din:
ner-pail on one chair and laid his hat
and coat on another, and with his eyes
full of soap from the wash is shouting
impetuously for the towel. Saturday
night in the household! What beauti-
full sight! The bright light, the cheerful
figured carpet, the radiant stove, the
neatly-laid table, with the steaming tea
pot, the pictures on the walls, the spot
less curtains, the purring cat, and the
brigAteyed children rubbing the plates
with their fingers and looking hungrily at
the canned cherries. Even the wearicd
wife is visibly affected, and as she steps
to closet with his hat and coat she un-
consciously observes to her husband:
"Will you never learn to hang your
things up, or do you think Ive got moth
in else to do but chase after you all the
while you are in the house?"
He makes no reply, but as he drops
into his seat at the table with sigh of re-
lief he says:
"What's the matter with that internal
lamp? Is the oil all out, or amt the
chimney been cleaned? 1t don't give no
more light than fire bug
"Turn it up, then," she retorts. at
was right enough when l put it on the
table, but I suppose the children have
been fooling with it. They never can
keep their hands out of mischief for an
instant"
"I'll fool them," he growls, if they
don't keep their fingers otf'n things"
After this sally silence reigns, broken
only by subdued rustic of plates and
cutlery. Then comes whisper from one
of the youths, which ispromptly met in a
loud key by the mother:
"Not another mouthful, l tell you.
You have had one dish already and that's
enough. I amt going to be up all night
wrastling around with you, young woman
and the quicker you straighten that face
the better it'll be for you.''
The offender looks with abashed in
quiry into the faces of her brothers and
sisters and gradually steals glance into
the face of her father; but finding no SYM
pathy there falls to making surreptitious
grimaces at the mother, to the relief of
herself and the intense edification of the
other children.
The tea is finally over, that delightful
Saturday nights meal, and as the ap-
peased father stretches back IN his chair
and looks dreamily at the fame dancing
in the stove he says to his first-born:
Is them kindlings cut, young man ~
Of course they have not been, and the
youth replies:
"I'm going right out to do it now," and
steps about lively for his hat.
"You'd better; and if l come home
again and find them kindlings not cut I
won't leave whole bone in your body.
Do you hear me?'
Eyes, pa.'' ,.-..,.~. .--... ..o.~Ds
"Well, then, start your boots"
They are started, and the relieved ia
Their comes back with his eyes to the glad
flame, and watches it abstractedly, while
his thoughts are busy with the bright an
ticipations of the coming day OF rest.
"Ain't you going down street, or are
you going to sit there all night?" asks his
wife. He turns around and looks at her.
It's q sort of mechanical movement with
out any apparent expression. 'There's
got to be something got for dinner to-
morrow, and want you to go to Adams
an see if my hat is done, an Thomas
must have pair of shoes, an there amt
bit of backing in the house." resumes
the mother. "You can tell Burroughs
that that last butter he sent up amt fit for
hog to eat, an if he amt got ANYTHING
better than that we don't want it. You'd
better get small piece Of pork while you
when he's coming here to fix that wall.
He has got the plaster of, an there it
stands, an there's no use of trying to put
the room to rights until the wall is fixed.
/ don't see what the old fool is thinking
of to leave room like that
Hereupon the head of the house gets
upon hisfeet, takes brief, longing glance
at the pleasant stove, and wants to know
where in thunder his coat and hat are and
if nothing can be left where it is put.
Then she tells him that if he looks where
he ought to he'd find the things fast
enough. He does find them and then goes