The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-06-07
Doing Errands For His Wife.

The wife OF man across the way hada
(rcssmaker all of last week. When he
got home Tuesday noon he saw little
woman with brown eyes sitting demurely
back of a 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 20
Morgan's and tell them to send up spool
of silk twist, blue, just like this sample"
(showing him piece of tho silk, about IN
inch sqlare);" don t forget to take it with
you-and two-spools of silk, A, and yard
of black cambria"
. 1t is noticeable that wife on these &C.
casions carefully shuns the pronouns I"
and Eve" 1t is always the dressmaker
who wants the material.
"You won't forget, will you, John!"
added his wife pleadingly. "Shc'll be put
back seriously if she don't have these
things this afternoon
the way. "Now what is it you want me
to get2"
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 but 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 you? What did send you after?'
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 a yard of canvas. Who said
anything about canvas?'
II don't know, I'm sure" he vaguely
answered.
"Nor nobody else. l said cambria just
as plain as l 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
I might've known better than to have sent
you after anything. I 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 overhaulcd him
with
"Now, John, l do wish you would try
to do an GRAND right this time. Mrs.
Sanford wants two more spools of that
twist, roll of half.inch tape-be sure to
get the half-inch-and whalebone. Now
will you be sure to attend to it right
away?"
The unhappy man promised, and
started forthwith at a lively pace, repeat
ing over and over again the arti cles 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 lie was aware
that the thread of his mission was some
what cntangled, 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 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 ;
r half hour later, fully heated but triumph
/ ant.
He was starting to his work after din
) ner, when his wife pleasantly Observed
3 you did so we'll this morning, John
8 that Mrs. Sanford is encouraged to tr,
\ you again"
, The man across the way visibly WINGED
"she wants you to stop in at Morgan
: and get whalebone, two sticks Of brow,
: braid, a spool Of Of basting cotton
D whats that" calculated the unhapp,