Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-06-04
MR.. HAsTLE's LESSON.
BY MARIETTA HOLLEY.

| 1t was very good dinner, nicely cooked
but still comfortless ali surrounded the
table, a chill atmosphere radiating from
the foot of the table, where MI. Hastle
sat-
Mrs. Hastle, behind the tea-tray, was a
meek, gentle-faced woman, with the look
of house plant that had grown up in the
shade, but was by nature peculiarly de-
pendent upon the sun to give it warmth
and color. imagine Mr.. Hastle was the
sun she looked to, and he did not give out
sunshine and warmth enough to sustain
his dropping parasite, for she looked wilt
ed and dropping.
Alice, the daughter, was an energetic
looking young damsel of nineteen. From
her fathers family, | imagine, she had in
herited her straightforward, brown eyes,
and the decided contour of her rosy-tinted
chin.
Mr. Hastle's hair was smoothly brushed
up and braided across the top of his head.
He had on an immaculate shirt, and his
clean bingham cravat was tied in very
precise and exact bow. He wore his
second best suit of clothes, and his we'll
brushed hat lay on the side table. You
think, do you not, that Mr.. Hastle was
going somewhere? You are right. Mr..
Hastle was going to the village.
A meeting of the trustees had been call
ed for some church business. He felt that
he was one of the pillars and must be there
to sustain the weight of the church, lest
haply it should fall and tumble into ruins.
MI Hastle had signiied to his wife his de-
sire that dinner should be on the table at
precisely half past eleven, and she had, at
some Inconvenience to herself. gotten it
on the table atprecisely that moment; and
while dinner was progressing, in the very
heat Of the battle. as we may say, while
she was in the greatest hurry of her prepa-
rations, he had entered the house and call
ed for his clean shirt. Mrs. Hastle had
hurriedly washed her hands; she was MAX
ing the dressing for the lamb, but she
dropped the pepper-box, the sage and the
bread crumbs, and hied away, as upon the
wings of the wind, to obey his commands
And she brought out the snowy linen,
with it's glossy bosom and cuffs bearing
witness to the hard labor she had bestowed
upon them. Again she had become ell
crossed in the preparations for dinner,
when the imperious summons came from
the bedroom, sally, come and button my
shirt sleeves" Again the willing and
obedient slave ran to do him service. "He
couldn't make the COMPOUNDED thing catch
any way!" She worked zealously, but not
deftly as of old, for her fingers which had
been so delicate and supple when they
first commenced to toll for him, were now
coarsened and made clumsy by hard labor.
But, at last, by many turnings and twist
ings Of the farmers brawny wrists, and
much hard breathing on Sally's part, she
succeeded in buttoning them, and was
rewarded by the mandate, Hurry up the
dinner, Sally" She had gotten it nearly
ready, was just putting her tea to steep.
when again the summons came, stSally.
come and tie up my cravat! 1t looks like
the old Scratch, the best Way you can fix
it," Never did IL monarch's- trustiest
slave obey more swiftly. And then his
hair must be parted straight, and Sally
must part it, and Sally must brush his
coat, and his hat, because she always had
suppose. But take it altogether, with
the hurry of getting the dinner on the
table, and the labor OF preparing father
to appear creditable among the other pil.
lars that afternoon, Sally looked tired out
as they sat down to the table; and as the
meal drew near to a conclusion, instead
| of looking rested, she looked more flushed
and worried and uneasy. Something seem.
ed to be on Sally's mind. Finally. she
spoke, as she handed her husband his third
cup of tea.
"The tea is all gone, father. You will
have to get some today
''The tea all gone!"
If Mrs. Hastle had told him that bis
barn had sunk into the depths of the earth
and mountain had risen over it's rnins be
could not have manifested any deeper sur.
iprise and dismay ''The tea all gone! How
long is it, l should like to know. since
got half pound?"
Receiving no solution to this deep con.
undrum, Mr.. Hastle continued, in a stern
er, more majestic tone
elbow long is it, 1 would like to know
since l got half pound of tea?u
Mrs. Hastle said nothing, hut neryously
ratified her teaspoon,
sit does beat all how things 90 here.
believe they are wasted. But I sunnose
must get some" AS indeed, he had in
tended to do all the time. And he evident
ly smothered his regret as he tasted tn,
sweet cherry pic, his favorite pastry. ant
which Sally had prepared for the expsss
purpose Of propitiating him.
But though Mrs. Hastle's nerves wer,
strung upon wire, and the wire was way
ing in the wind, and her sririt tainted
within her, she was a mother. and wha
mother would not dare all and suffer al
for her child's sake? The picnic SO sool
| tO come Off was tn ho a 1,x.. CT: