The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-03-16
Selected Story.
MR. PGGVit'S Quiet Evening
A Story Of Domestic
Life.

the day business, 5tf4t and after fer gin
a light supper, drew his chair up to the
light, cut the leaves Of a new magazine,
and remarked to his wife,
"Here's new story, EN-, By that fayorite
author of yours"
40 is there? should like to hear it
ever so much," she replied, finishing her
cup of tea in three cheek putting gulps.
Now if there was any one thing Peewit
considered himself boss at, it was in
reading, and nothing made him 80 angry
as the slightest noise or interruption when
he was so engaged. Turning to his wife,
he remarked, condescendiagly:
II think we're going to have a quiet
evening of it, so Ill read it aloud to you"
Mrs. P. said she would be more than de-
lighted to listen to it, and Peewit, having
wiped Lis glasses, commenced. He had
only read few lines when his spinster aunt
came down stairs, slammed the door, and
asked:
"What's the matter with him now?-
Amt going to deliver lecture, is he ?'
"If you hadn't been brought up in the
woods along with the COWS and wo oodticks,
you'd know enough to keep that big mouth
of yours shut when you see a person read
ing," said Peewit, raising his eyes from bis
magazine, and frowning at her.
High diddle diddlel l s,pose per
sons got to sit hoIdin' their tongue in their
teeth cause you want to cackle," said S. A.
acidIy.
Peewit went back to his reading without
making any reply. He found the place
with some difficulty, and was getting right
down to his work, when his wife, who was
gliding noiselessly around clearing the Ia
BILE off, let cup aud saucer fall with
crash.
dumping hop-toads what are you try
ing to do?" shouted Peewit, dropping the
magazine, and looking around.
Nothing at all, dear only a cup and
saucer fell. Just 60 on with yourreading," :"
explained his wife, comtortngly.
"Cup and saucer" exclaimed Peewit.
l:Heavens and earth, it made noise enough
for whole china-store!"
When he had partaken of a glass Of wa
ter, and got cooled down, he resumed the
story, and was getting along nicely, when
the hired girl came down from answering
ring at the hall door, and said there was
n gentleman in the hall who wanted to
see him.
"There it goes again A person can't
read line aloud in this house without be-
ing interrupted a hundred times" he said,
sIamming the tcok down and going out.
Fifteen minutes later he returned, threw
himself down in the chair, snatched up the
book, jerked it open, and said:
"You tell that idiotc servant-girl ofyours
that the next time she sends me up stairs
TO be button-holed and talked to death by
q life insurance agent, she'll have to get
another situation"
elbow d'you 'spect the girI was goin' to
know the man was 'surance feller, any
.nlore'n she'd know you was born fool p"
inquired his spinster aunt, in lemonish
voice.
'I'm going to read, an. # you want
to get up any argument, you'd better go
out in the back yard and talk to the cats, :"
he replied, trying to find the place he had
left off at, which, owing to his S. A. turn
ing over the leaves in search of pictures
while he was absent, was a work requiring
time and perfect command Of ones an
cry passions.
''By the everlasting mules of Mahomet,
] wish folks would keep their fingers of
things when lay them down for a min
ute !" he shouted, finally.
He took few minutes to compose him
self, after he had found the place then he
commenced reading in'an excited and IN
necessarily high key, but getting interest
ed after awhile in the story, he quieted
down, and was sailing smoothly ahead,
when boy threw SNOWFALL through the
window-pane with a fearful crash and jim
gle Of glass.
Then Peewit swore till things looked
blue in the room, flung his book down
again, darted out in the cold, freezing night
and ran around the block, without his ha
or coat, in search Of that boy.
When, he had come back, kicked tht
snow out of his slippers, and warmed him
self, his wife tried to persuade him not t
attempt the story again that night, but h
replied:
''I'll read every confounde1 word Of It,
| have to have the walls padded and tn
whole police force to keep sileneei'
Then his wife and 5. A. concluded t
let him proceed, and he Aounced himsel
down in the chair, turned up the gas till j
set fire to the paper shade, burned his fin
gers putting it out, cavorted about tn