The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-09-25
Taken at His Word.

4 ~
!. 4 wide cook kitchen, with breath
OF grape blossomes coming in at the
open windows and glistening tin
1. pan on the table, full Of berries wait
ing to be stemmed-this is our scene;
, and our dr0n1dtis person0e consisting
ofMrs. Perkins, whose drowsily click
ing knitting needles kept time to the
} overgrown Maltese cat, and q pretty
young girl, with rather a flushed face,
who had just entered from q door
way leading to the hall.
= ''Well," said Mrs: Rerkins, looking
up with that ineffable wise expression
which is impaired to the human
eountenances by round. silver spect-
acles perched obliquely on the bridge
Of the nose. 'He amt asleep, is he ?"
'' eyes he u.s." was the answer. 4
~'"Glory be thanked for that, at
least" said Mrs. Perkins, apparently
iynpaIing herself on a long knitting
needle which, however, entered harm
lessly into the horn sheath that she
wore at her side, incased in seal
loped red flannel. "There will be five
minutes of peace, at least. You're
tired, amt you, Dora ?"
"Yes," said Theodore White, II am
rather tired"
But her languid.voice spoke plainly
hha seett the mo We acearate phrase would
Theodore White was tender, soft,
eyed girl OF Is, with complexion of
pearly clearness, and rose apiece on
her cheeks-a girl with poor
straight nose and a dimple on her
chin, and pretty, pleading way Of
looking at you when she spoke. She
sat down beside the window, where
the mignonette scented grape bios
SONS were swaying in the summer
cir, and leaned her forehead against
The easement.
Mrs. Perkins eyed her with an owl
like glance Of sympathy.
''It's shame, 80 it is, said Mrs.
Perkins, emphatically. "a man
hasn't no business to be so tryin'-no,
not if he was sick forty times over !!
Scold, snap, snarl-this amt right and
t'other thing is wrong! That's the
way he keeps it up. I'd as soon wait
on the old boy himself"
Theodoras smiled family, and arched
her eyebrows.
"Why, Mrs. Perkins, you don't
mean to compare my Uncle Joseph
with SO obnoxious parsonage as you
allude to? :" she said demurely.
We'll" said Mrs. Perkins reflect
lively, they aiu't so unlike, after all.
| declare, when he gets in Ills tan
trulns, I've two minds and half to
give him good shakin'. There amt
no sense in a mans being so unreason-
able. You can't please him no way
you fix it."
I'VE can at least try, Mrs. Perkins. .
eyes, and that's jest what's a spill
in him. lie knows very we'll that if
he was to want the moon, you'd hunt
up the longest step ladder and try to
reach it down. It always did spoil
children to let en- have all they want,
and your Uncle Joseph amt nothin'
but grown up child.
"But ] don't let him have all he
wants, Mrs Perkins"
And a pretty kettel O fish thered
be if you did Hulnph j
And the old housekeeper pounded
upon her bali as if she had for q mo-
'ment, identified itwith the parsonage
under discussion. .g
1T mightn't be such a bad idea"
said Theodore, after q moments
thoughtful silence.
q care you crazy = demanded Mrs.
Perkins, tartly. -. .o
-"Hush'l" Theodore started from her.
seat with uplifted finger. "He is
awake; he wants me-"
And she was gone, swift, noiseless
al n WLitS winged dove, before Mis-.