Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-12-02
A Co.ser's sasur1ay Nieba'' In Dau.
0NKys

A C0ttoH's Saturday Night" In Dau.
burys
From sAs Da~buvy Nsws.
1t WAS Saturday night-the near close Of .
tossing, struggling, restless week. Tomorrow
IL tn sAbbath-whsn all labor and care are
held 10 absyAnce. Saturday night stands like =
rock before the. day Of rest and says to toll and
worry "Thus far shalt thou come and no far
ther." Blessed Saturday night. The wearied
husband and father approaches his home. He
looks ahead and sees the light streaming In
cheerful radiance from the windows, and won-
ders II that boy has got In the kindlings. He
steps upon the :.stoop and opens the door. His
faithful wife meets him at the sntrance and
greets him with, "Why on earth d. .l't you clean
your feet, and not lug the house illl Of mud
Don't you know I've been scruboing all day ?
And thus he steps into the bosom Of his fam
lily, grateful for the mercies he has received,
aud thankful that he has home
to come to when the worry aud care aud toll Of
has set his dinner-pail on ono chair aud laid his
hat and coat on another, aud with his eyes full
Of soap from tho wash 10 shouting impetuously
for the towel. Saturday night In the household!
What . beautiful sight! The bright light, the
neatly-lai table, with the steaming teapot, the
pictures on tho walls, the spotless cnrtains, the
purring cat and the bright-eyed children rub
bing the plates with their fingers and looking
hungrily at tho canned cherries. Even the
steps to closet with his hat and coat, she un-
consciously observes to her husband
"Will you never learn to hang your things up2
or do yon think I've got nothin' else to do but
chase after You all the while you are in Che
house?'
He makes no reply, but - he drops into his
seat at the table, with sigh Of relief, he says :
whats the matter with that internal lamp
Is the oil all out, or amt the chimney been
cle,nedS 1t don't give no more light than
.'Turn Il up thsn," she retorts. "It wan right
enough when put it on the table, but suppose
the child sn have been fooling with 1t. They
never 1Al keep their hands out Of mischief for
an ilstsnt."
4, .IlI f0ol'em " he growIs' ''if they don't keep
After this sally silence reigns broken only
by subdued rustic Of plates and cutlery.
Then comes q whisper from one Of the youth,
which is promptly mot in loud key by the
mother.
..Nat another mouthful, tell you. You have
had one dish already, and that's enough. I
amt going to be up all night wrestling around
with you, young woman; and the quicker
you .sstraishten that face the better it'll be for
The offender looks with sbashed inquiry into
the faces Of her brothers and sisters and grad
uslly steals glance into the face Of her father,
and finding no sympathy there, falls TO making
surreptitioua grimaces at the mother, to the re-
lief Of herself and the intense edifcation Of the
other children.
The tea Ia finally over, that delightful satur-
{ ) nights meal, aud ~ the appeased father
stretches back In his chair, and looks dreAmily
at the flame dancing In the stove, he says to his
first born:
sis them kipdlngs cut, young man?''
OF course they have not been. and the youth
"rm going right out to do it, now" and steps
about lively for his hat.
"Youd better aud II come again and find
them kindlings not cut, won't leave whole
bone in your body DO you hear me 7"
:'Yes, pa"
swell, then, start your boots"
They are started, and the relieved father
comes back with his eyes to the glad flame, and
watches it abstractedly. while his thoughts are
busy with the bright anticpations of the coming
nAin't you going down the street or are you
going to set there all night 2" asks his wife. He
turns around and looks At her. It's sort of
mechanical movement without and apparent ex-
preston. "rheres got to be something got
for dinner tomorrow. any want you to 20 to
Adams an see il my hat ia done, an Thomas
must have pair Of shoes, an there isn't = bit Of
blackiEg In the house, resumed the mother.
"You eau tell Burroughs that the last butter he
sent up amt fit for hog to eat, an il he aint
got anything better than that we don't want it.
You'd better get = small piece Of pork while you
| are down, an II you see Parks ask him wher
| 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 IL fixed. don't see what the old fool II
thinking of to leave the room like that
Hereupon the head OF tue house gets upon
his feet, takes brief, longing glance At the
pleasant stove, and wants to know where in thu
thunder his coat and hat are, and II nothing car
be left where 1t is put. Then she tells him thA
ifhe looks where he ought to he'd find the thing
fast enough He does find them, and then g0e'
into the Kitchen, aud moment later appear
with very red face, and passionately asks II ,
basket can't be kept in that house for fyt
minutes ut time. and moodily follows his wifi
to where the basket is, and looks still more mood
when he is brought face to face with 1t, AM
sarcssticAlly asked IL he could see barn II i
was in front Of his nose. Thus primed with
the invigorAting utterances OF tho home circl
he takes up his basket and goes down street
leaving his faithful wife to stand - . wall o
granite between the children and the cannet
cherries, and to finish up the work.