Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-03-24
THE OILED FEATHER.

! "Come, bring me the oil flask, there's a
pet said Samuel Parsons to his wife, as
| he finished screwing on a new lock to his
front door, Sam. of course, needn't have
said, ''there's pet,'' unless he liked; but
he used to think it was great shame that
women were called all sorts of pretty
| names before they were married, but none
| afterwards. II say" says Sam. ''many of
the poor creatures are cheated with
them there pretty names; poor folks !!
they think they'll always get them;
but they become mighty scarce
after the finger is in the ring" We
don't mean the names Sam. called his wife
before they were married, but now ne
| called her s'pet," and as soon as she heard
the loving word, she threw down her dus-
ter on the chair, and sped off to the kitch-
Ell for the flask. The flask had feather
in it, as such TASKS. generally have, and
Sam. taking the said feather between his
foreinger and thumb, oiled the key of the
street door right well, and then locked and
unlocked it a dozen times. At first it went
stiff and required some strength of the
wrist to turn it j.; but as it was worked to
and fro, and as the oil began to make it's
way into the wards, it worked more and
more and more easily, until at last, Tom
my, Sans little son, who was standing by,
was able to turn it almost with touch;
and Sam. pronounced that it would do.
bo -
he'd just give his knife touch of the end
of the feather; less than a drop out of the
flask would do; just mere touch-that
was all it wanted and presently, to young
Tommy's great delight, his father n AIDE
the blade go up and down, click, click.
Tommy evidently approved Of the result
for he began to click, click, with his tongue
and the roof Of his mouth, in imitation ;
and how long he might have delayed his
father, we can't tell, if it were not that
Mrs. Parsons caught him up in her arms
and made off with him she calling Tom
my 9saucy rogue,' and kissing him all
the way, and he on his part click, clicking,
as though his mouth was a cutters shop,
and you were opening and sh utting every
knife in it.
Some folks might think that Sam. Par
sons had done enough in the oiling way for
one day, but there was one thing more to
do and then he would be quite ready to
take his potatoes to market. One OF two
of the wheels Of his wagon had been a tri-
file creaky, and so he took the grease pot,
and gave them'a touch of it's contents.
Y ou could have rolled all he put upon them
into the size of a couple Of marbles, but it
was quite enough; the wheels gave over
their creaking. If the old proverb be true.
"Siience gives CONSENT no doubt they ap-
proved of what Sam. had done.
"Now. then, I'm off to Market" said
Sam. "Good bye, Jennie, pet" Oh that
little word 'pet," didn't the cunning fell
low Oil his wife's temper and even almost
her very joints, for her days work, when
he called her that little name? 'Good bye,
Tommy, my darling.'' Oh you cunning
again for when Tommy was naughty, and
his mother reminded him that she must
| tell his rather when he came home, and
| ''father would be sore grieved if his dar-
ling was naughty' wasn't Tommy good :?
for, child though he was, he was able to
reason thus much in Iris mind: Tommy
is fathers darling, and he won't vex him !;
darlingS ought not to vex those who love
them. Never mind good reader, if there s
flaw in the logic; nursery logic is some
times very funny reasoning, but it an
swered the purpose; naughty Tommy be-
came good, and click, clicked about the
house as merry as cricket, instead of
sprawling and bawling on the ground and
all because his father happened to call him
] ''darling'' before he went out.
81 say, Polly" said Sam. Parsons to his
one servant maid, as he left his house,
| ''don't forget to clean up those irons, if
you can manage it, there's a good lass +,
you'll find the oil flask hanging behind the
kitchen door, And so with a cheerful
smile on his countenance, Sam Parsons
took his departure for market. All! Gun
ming Sam. before he went he oiled his wife
and child, and now he oiled his servant
maid j; and when he turned his back upon
his own door, he left smiling faces and
glad hearts behind him, and 1 warrant he
found them all smiling to receive him
when he came home.
81 have great faith in OIL" said Sam.
Parsons: II oil almost everything this
very morning oiled the lock of my street
door, and my penknife, and creased my
wagon wheels and J. oiled my wife and
child, and 1 gave the servant maid touch
too and tell you what it is, neighbor
Joe, I slip along famously, where 1 find
many others stick fast"
'sRusty Joe's" torn nail seemed to give
him fresh twinge when the penknife was
spoken about and SO as to the wife, his
conscience reminded him how bearishly he
behaved to her at breakfast
"What do you mean by oiling your wife,
man?" said "Rusty Joe," rather tartly
''syou havn't been sneaking, have you, and