Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-15
Mr.. Isusby,s housekeeping.

Mr.. Bnsby has been married five
years. and all thai time he and his
wife have boarded. Ii was on the Ist
of October that he firmly made up his
mind TO keep house. A neat cottage
was secured, furniture bought. and
the two settled downlike a pair Of SIG
doves. Last Thursday afternoon. the
farmer of whom Busby had engaged
his potatoes for the winter brought
him TWO barrels of those excellent
vegetables and also barrel ofapples.
He knew Busby was new al the bust
ness. and that he WAS a good-naiured
man. so he told Ms. Bnsby that he
had sore finger, and was in hurry
and would moi be able to take the bar
rcls down cellar. And he left them
by the hatchway. Here Bnsbv found
them when he came home in he even
ing. 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 cellarway while he
tnssled with the barrels, and, as The
wind came through thc door, she was
obliged 10 screen the light by shading
il from that side. Whenever he cot
a barrel in a particularly critical po-
Siiion, an extra gust of wind would
come down The stairway, and up
would 90 her hand 10 the flame.
throwing both him and The barrel in
10 the shade, Then lie would look
over his shoulder at her, and say
w hat in niercN's name are YOU
abont, Mary Jane n
II was Il tough Job for MIR. Bnsby.
His hands were fender from in~lool
employment. and in their contact with
the barrel We're sadly worsied The
lower chimes of'tlie barrel wonld catch
on The step rs he was sliding il down.
and when he let 80 To see what WAS
the trouble. ID would suddenly come
along Of its own accord. and butt him
in the stomach with such force as To
nearly deprive him OF his breath, on
il would slip on his foot and cause
him 10 howl dreadfnlly with pain.
Then he took hold Of the apples.
They came drcadfully hard. iIe
pushed and pulled and turned them
10 the left and then To The right. and
pnfied and perspircd. and swore and
screamed, but he couldn't get the APP
pies down from theIop step. He
was struggling with all his might
with that barrel. His hat had fallen
oil, his eyes were almost bursting
from their sockets. his breath came
fast and heavy. lie was below the
barrel. lie had both arms around il.
and was strainillg with all dis might
to move il. He only spoke once.
Then he said
Why don't you come up here with
that lamp so j can see something. and
not be standing down there 9rinning
like an idiotl"
II is but justice to explain that Mrs.
Bnsby was not grinning at all on The
contrary, ii would be difficult TO have
crowded as much gravity into the
same space as was expressed in her
countenance. Sher stepped mp the
stairs promptly. Then Mr., Busby
gave a desperate. n.addening pull.
and the barrel came. The.transform-
alton from logged. obstinate barrel
To a headstrong, impetuous barrel.
was remarkable. Mr.. YBnsby tried to
save himself by yelling .sWoosh but
he was roo late and the next instant.
himself, his wife. the lamp, the barrel
and the apples. i'll a confused mass.
went revolving down the stairway
and sprawling across the cellar. For
tunately the light was eytinguished at
\ the first move, but the lamp was bro
! ken and the contents pretty evenly dis
tributed oyer the other objects. Mr..
| Busby was driven under "a wheelbar-
row, and Mrs. Busby. after being
bucked twice in the head by the bar
rel, brought up with vchemcnce
against an old stove, knocking il com
4 pletcly of. its legs and smashing in the
oven door.
Mrs, Busby scrambled 10 her feci q,
once,
John" she exclaimed, where arc
yon! are you hurt 2" 5
/ None of your business came in q
half-snppressed voice on, of the dark.
ness.
4 .Why, John, what is the matter
with you e
What did yon come up them steps
for ~ he demanded in intense passion
WHY, you told me to-
What i'll did z" cried the unhappy
man, Didn't yon know any better
4 than to stand there 2"
! COMPOUNDED by this direct question
! she could make no answer, and with
n certain feeling oftriumph he stalEec
mp stairs and thence to bed
There lis nice little COTTAGE on
Schuyler street 10 rent. Mr.. ana Mre
Bnsby are boarding again. Dantusi
\ Nems. 9#t