The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-01-01
MRS. wHITTIKER's RAG.CARPET,
BY JULIA FORD.


My dear" said Mrs. W., don't yol
My dear" said Mr.. W., II DON
think
Mr.. and Mrs. W. were as harmonious
pair as you would be likely to meet on
summers day. True. they did not reflec
each other back and forth into infinite de
grees of nothing, like couple of looking
glasses placed opposite. but they had man
aged to adjust most of the important mat
tiers OF life without friction. I'm politics
Lofty never thought it necessary TO men
ton her own opinion, but always said
/" NV husband thinks" Through the
mysteries of etiquette Richard was guided
by his wife. and concerning the merits OF
Smith and Jones's new washing-machnt
and OF the developmcnttheory they agreed
to disagree. BUT there was one bone OF
discord between them; one TO K on which
they split one cloud that slOw-unrolling
obscured the domestic sky. That bone.
that rock. that cloud. was a rag-carpet. To
Mrs. w. the reasonableness ola rag-carpet
was seif-eyldent proposition; 10 MIR. w.
reason and rag-carpet were contradictory
terms. To Lofty rag-carpet was a return
of the golden age: 10 Richard il was a
relic of barbarism. She regarded house
wife who made her own soft-soap and rag
carpets as the modern representative of
Solomon's virtuous woman; but her hus-
band begged leave TO differ. Said Mrs.
Whitaker: A rag-carpet is economical.
neat and pretty enough for any one who
looks al comfort rather than show" said
Mr.. Whitaker: THE article in question
is wasteful, dirty. and-why, of course,
regard comfort rather than show. but a
rag-carpet isn't comfortable-it looks so.'
IL happened, however. that the solid argu-
ments, both positive and negative, were on
Mrs. WIS side.
The positive argument was an unflr-
nished room. The negative arguments
were the contents-if | NAV so speak-of
an empty purse. so Mr.. Whitaker. being
fairly talked out of the field. yielded after
this fashion: "Well, make forty rag-car-
pets if you like; woman wouldn't be a
woman il she didn't have 10 have her awn
way"
80 Lofty. taking advantage of this gra-
cious permission, dumped the baby on his
knee and ran upstairs TO get those scraps
that would work up so nicely for the hit
or-miss stripe" A. time went on. Lotty's
bump of destructiveness became rather
alarmingly developed.
Richard wa delighted: he would most
cheerfully have sacrificed any OF his pos
sessions in the dry goods line if he might
be sarcastic about The economy of the mat
ter: he affected melancholy interest in
every thing, from his best hat to the dish
cloth, regarding them a victims destined
to the altar: but Lofty laughed with him
and at him, and went on with hercarpet.
BY and by the little woman grew scien-
tific. and the chemical formation of colors
became deeply interesting TO her. The
habits, food, disposition. and price of the
cochineal insect were matters concerning
which the smallest information was thank
fully received. About this time. also, pa
pers containing advertisements Of .'pnre
family dycstuffs-perfect fast colors, p" had
peculiar value in her eyes.
The opening of back-dOors sometimes
conveyed TO Mr.. WIS nostrils unpleasant
hints Of something very warm and steam
ing, but which wouldn't be at all good TO
eat.
Mrs. Whitaker had pretty hands. soft.
white. and dmpled. Her husband thought
them very pretty hands. and liked to watch
them when busy with the tea-things;
therefore he was somewhat surprised to
see his cup manipulated one evening by
what seemed to be pair Of young HOLSTERS
boiled into an excess of redness and shape
lessness. my DEAR said he in his mild
est tones. do you think you could have
enough confidence In me to tell me can
didly what you have been doing this morn
ming? Allow me 10 hope that you have
only bought out a theater and been play
ing Lady Macbeth. for perhaps you don't
know it-not 10 blame. I'm sure, being a
woman-but murder Is against the law
and will subject YOU to the unpleasant
penalty Of being declared insane by the en-
lightened jury, to say nothing Of the ex-
pense."
You have evidently been reading sem
sational novels, !" replied Lofty, folding her
blushing hands rs she spoke. Don't be
at all alarmed; have only been dyeing my
carpet rags TINS morning.
knew there had been some dyeing 20
ing on" growled Richard. .and
wouldn't care, but know the old things
won't stay dead
That Mr.. Whitaker had made a pun Is
evident; that II was a pun. I" FIAT. stale
and consequently "unprofitable," Is also
plain; but lat us not condemn Mr.. w. T: in |
spite OF all we say against them. we all
make puns II we can think of them.l Just
then gasp and Sfrangle from baby at
tracted thcir attention. That innocent hay-
ing appropriated one OF Lotty's balls of
carpet rags. had proceeded to roll and |
twist and tangle himself in Il until he