The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-12-16
A DANBURIAN'S SATURDAY
NIGHT.

Dor and care are held in allegiance. Sat
urday night stands like rock before
the day of rest, and says to toll and wor-
ry: "sThus far shalt thou come, and no
further" 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 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 scrubbing 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 dinner-pail on one
chair and laid his hat and coat on anoth-
er and with hiseyes full Of soap from the
wash, is shouting impetuously for the tow
Ell Saturday night in the household! What
n beautiful sight! The bright light, the
cheerful figured carpet, the radiant
stove, the neatly-laid table, with the
steaming teapot, the pictures on the
walls, the spottless curtains, the purring
cat, and the bright-eyed children rub
bling the plates with their fingers and
looking hungrily at the canned cherries.
Even the wearied wife is visibly affected
and as she steps to closet with his hat
and coat she unconsciously observes to
her husband
ssWill you never learn to hang your
things up, or do you think I've got no.
thing 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
relief he remarks:
whats the matter with that internal
lamp? Is the oil all out, or amt the
chimney been cleaned? ltdont give no
more light than fire bug"
Turn it up, them" she retorts. lit
was right enough when ] put it on the
table, but I suppose the children have
been fooling with it. They never can
keep their hands ont of mischief for an
instant"
''I'll fool them,'' he growls, ''if they
don't keep their fingers off'n .hings.'
After this sally silence reigns, broken
only by subdued rustic of plates and
cutlery. Then comes whisper from one
of the youths, which is promptly met i'll
loud key by the mother:
s'Not another mouthful, I 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 wo-
man; 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
sympathy there falls to making surapti-
tious grimaces at her mother, to the re-
lief of herself and the intense edification
of the other children.
The tea is finally over, that delightful
Saturday night meal, and as the appeas-
ed father stretches back in his chair and
looks dreamily at the flame dancing in
the stove he says to his first born:
us them kindlings cut, young man?''
Of course they have not been, and the
youth replies
I'm going right out to do it now, y
and steps about lively for his hat.
''You'd better; and if I come home
again and don't find them kindiings cut
L won't leave a whole bone in your body.
Do you hear me2''
Eyes, pa"
''Well, then, start your boots"
They are started, and the relieved ia.
ther comes back with his eyes to the
glad flame, and watches il abstractedly,
while his thoughts are busy with the
bright anticipations of the coming day
of rest.
CAN'T you going down street, or are
you going to sit there all night?" asked
his VIE. He turns around and looks al
her. It's a sort of mechanical movement
without any apparent expression
''Theres got to be something got for din
her tomorrow, and want you TO go tt
Adams and see if my hat is done, anG
Thomas must have pair of shoes, and
there amt bit of blacking in the house
and you can tell Burroughs that thai
last butter he sent up amt fit for hog
to eat, and if he amt got anything bet
ter than that we don't want it. You &
better get n small piece of pork while
You are down, and if you see Parks ash
him when he's coming here to fix that
wall. Ee has got the plaster off, and
there it stands, aud there's no use of try
ing to put the room to rights until the
fool is thinking of to leave a room like
that"
Hereupon the head of the house gets
npon his feet, takes brief, longing
glance at the 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 into the kitchen, and a mo
ment later appears with a very red face
and passionately asks if a basket can be