The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-10-06
The Bewitched Hammer.

The Bewitched Hammer.
On warm October afternoon, Mis-
Julia McCloskey, who was cook, cham
bermaid and waitress for Mrs. Smith
suddenly stopped securing her tins
stared vacantly into the street for mo
ment, and then exclaimed
"It's jist the day to clane me dinin'
room carpet it's little weather wei
have for a six month but1l be too we
to let a carpet touch the grass. An the
byes, bless their troublesome little bod
les, are gone to their cousins, an wont
hev nobody to poster me at all. 3"
Miss McCloskey was a perfect treasure
of servant whatever she thought
needed attention was tended to at once,
so within five minutes she had her tins
and securing materials put away, and
was taking up the diningroom carpet.
An hour later she brought the carpet,
we'll shaken, back to the dining-room.
I regret to say that, two or three mo-
ments bHfore she returned, Master Law
renee Smith, one of the troublesome
"byes" whose bodies Miss McC loskey
had blessed, having had some disagree
ment with his cousins, strolled home
and guilty. sought comfort in the fam
lily cake basket, which was in the dining
room closet. He had barely time to shut
himself in the closet as he heard the
servants approaching footsteps, 80 you
can he sure he watched her very closely
through the keyhole, hoping he would
have an early chance to escape.
Miss McCloskey spread the carpet
neatly, and began to drive the tacks,
when she noticed that several of them
chung to the smaller end of the b m
mer.
ct wondther wat sticky stuff them
byes hev he'd this hammer In !" said
Miss McCloskey aloud, as she picked
the tacks off and gave the hammer a
vigorous wipe on her apron. Then she
went on with her work, but happening
to lay the hammer in the saucer of tacks
or moment, she was surprised TO find
the smaller end again covered with
tacks. Muster Lawrence saw through
the key-hole the expression on her face,
and it amused that bad little boy very
much.
"Sure, an its powerful sticky, what
ever it is" said she, picking off the
tacks and feeling the hammer gently
with her thumo and forcing r, can yit
it don't seem so to the touch"
She went to the buffers pantry, and
carefully washed the hammer with soap
ana water. Master Lawrence saw his
chance to escape, but he was almost will
ing to be detected for the sake of seeing
the rest of the fun, for he knew the ways
of that hammer.
"Now / reckon it won't be afther
playin' me any more thricks," said the
clearly servant, kneeling down on the
carpet again. But as she knelt she
laid the hammer into the saucer OF
tacks again, and again it bristled with
tacks.
"Now did liver any one see the loike
of thata" exclaimed Miss McCloskey,
and Lawrence had to cap his hand to
his mouth to keep fiom saying, "Yes,
often" But Miss McCloskey was not in
the habit of giving up easily, 30 she took
the hammer to the CRATE, and secured il
smartly with ashes.
"There I" she exclaimed, starting
for the Itacks to test the cleanliness OF
the hammer, "now you'll be making me
no more trouble, I'll warrant, an'-holy
mither -
As the astonished girl lifted the ham.
mer, n whole string of tacks came with
it, and although some of them dropped
when she shook the hammer, severa
spirited tacks seemed to resolve never
Il -
do so.
"The ould things bewitched |" ex
claimed Miss McCloskey, dropping tn,
hammer as il the handle burned hel
fingers. "Pll niver touch it again al
long as I live" And Miss Nc loskey
crossed herself as great many gooC
people do when they think that evi
spirits are near them. Just then Mas
ter Lawrence burst from the closet ant
shouted,
"Ha Ia ha! wasn't you cheated
though, Julial 1 never saw anything
so funny in my life." And the bad lit
tie boy was so amused that he dropped
upon the carpet and rolled across thu
room, laughing until his face grew pur
pie.
"What was you dom in the closet p
asked Miss McCloskey.
Watching you, and almost splitting
to see the fun. Oh dear I" and agar
Lawrence rolled across the room, laugh
ing heartily.
"You we're a sthealin' cake-there',
some nv the crumbs on yer lips, an II
tell yer mithir," said Miss McCloskey
"And I'll tell everybody that yor
didn't know a magnet from sticky
sthuff," said Lawrence.
"a maggonetP exclaimed Mis-,
McCloskey, very much astonished.
eyes," replied Lawrence. "Didn'
you learn all about magnets from tn,
First Book in Philosophy when 20,
went to school,. how they steer ship
with them, and how the North Star
lust great big magnet2"