River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-07
Doing Errands For His Wife.

dressmaker all of last week When he
got home Tuesday noon he saw little
woman with brown eyes sitting demurely
back of bank OF dress goods. while his
wife with loaf of bread in one hand
and knife in the other, as if she was
about to slice the former for dinner, stood
close by, her face beaming with exultant
anticipation. After dinner his wife said
to him:
"John, Mrs. Sanford wants you to go
Morgans and tell them to ser up a spool
of silk twist, blue, just like this sample"
Showing him piece of the silk, about an
inch square,; don't forget to take it with
you-and two spools of silk, A, and yard
of black cambria
1t is noticeable that a wife on these oc-
casions carefully shuns the pronouns T.
and "we." 1t is always the dressmaker
who wants the material.
"You won't forget, will you, John?'
added his wife pleadingly. 4" She'll be put
back seriously if she don't have these
things this afternoon"
Il won't forget" said the man across
the way. Now what is it you want me
to geti'
The articles were again enumerated,
the sample carefully tucked away in his
vest pocket, and he started.
When he reached home at tea time he
was tired bat hopeful. The first saluta-
ton he received came from his wife, and
was not noticeable for its tenderness.
"YOu are nice one to do an GRAND,
amt you2 What did / send you atterln
she tartly inquired.
OF course he knew what she had sent
him after, but, being confronted so unex-
pectedly with demand for information
he was completely COMPOUNDED.
Here that man came here" she went
on, with yard of canvas. Who said
anything about canvass"
AZ don't know, I'm sure he vaguely
answered.
Nor nobody else. / said cambria just
as plain as | could say it, and if you'd
had your wits about you there would have
been no mistake. That man didn't get
here till four O'clock, and then he had to
go back after the cambria, and when he
got here with it the afternoon was gone
| might've known better than to have sent
you after anything. l might better have
left my work and went after it myself
But thought you could have done that
much to help me-
The man across the way looked very
much distressed, and sat down to tea
with scarcely any appetite.
The next morning, as he was starting
away, his wife suddenly overhauled him
with
"Now, John, do wish you would try
to do an errand right this time. Mrs.
CO, ord 70 of hot
twist, a roll of half inch tape-be sure to
get the half-inch-and a whalebone. Now
will you be sure to attend to it right
awayl"
The unhappy man promised, and
started forthwith at a lively pace, repeat
ing over and over again the articles de
sired. Half way down he was stopped
by friend who wanted to know what he
thought of Louisiana, and, this engender-
ing desire on his part to learn his
friends opinion, some ten minutes were
consumed in the interchange of views.
When he got started again he was aware
that the thread of his mission was some
what entangled, but trusted to the pres
ence of the store and the inventive faculty
of the clerk to help him out.
Both props failed him at the critical
moment To save his life he could not
tell a single one of the articles he was
sent for. In vain he searched his pockets
and rubbed his ears, and stared about
not ray of light came to him. There be-
ing nothing else to do he posted back
home for information, and returned a
half hour later, fully heated but triumph
ant.
He was starting to his work after din
ner, when his wife pleasantly Observed
"You did so we'll this morning, John,
that Mrs Sanford is encouraged TO try
you again
The man across the way visibly WINGED.
''She wants you to stop in at Morgan 5
and get a whalebone, two sticks of brown
braid, a spool of of basting cotton,
and-H
"What's thatl" calculated the unhappy
man, with an expression of indifferently-
concealed apprehension on his face.
"A whalebone, two sticks of brown
braid-here's a sample--a spool of bast-
ing cotton and yard of twill. You can
get them when you go down, and bring
them home with you tonight"
He bolted away at once, not even paus-
ing to close the door. The spectacle as
he rushed through the streets, with no
thought but of the errand, would make
Mrs. Livermore less concerned than she
is about " What to do with our girls.
He skipped into the store and cried TO
the clerk:
"one brown whalebone just like this
-
"Brown whalebone.N calculated the
81
The man across the way stopped TO ask
! if there was no brown whalebOne. and the
hesitation ruined him. The rest of the
articles, excepting the twill, of which he
had forgotten the quantity, fell back
from the position he had placed them in
to chaotic mass.
With an exclamation of pain and anger
he galloped back to the house for re-
newal of the particulars.
Maria" he said to his wife, in tone
of great confidence, II thought it would
be good plan in order TO save money, to
hire a part of Morgan's store for Your
dressmaker until she got your work done.
but. as the expense is more than could
possibly stand, have got weeks vaca-
ton from the shop instead, and now / am
able to devote my entire time to her.