The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-04-20
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TAKEN AT HIS WORD.

TAKEN AT HIS WORD.
A wide c0ok-kitchen, with breath of
grape blossoms coming in at the open
windows, and a glistening tin pan on the
table full of dewy, scarlet strawberries
waiting to be hulled-this is our scene;
and our dranlatis persona consists of Mrs.
Perkins, whose drowsily- Clicking knitting
needles, keep time to the purr of the over
grown Maltese cat, and pretty young
girl with rather a flushed face, who had
just entered from doorway leading to the
hail.
"Well," said Mrs Perkins, looking up
with that ineffably wise expression which
is impaired to the human countenance by
round silver spectacles perched obliquely
on the bridge of the nose. "He amt
asleep, is he ?"
"Yes, he is" was the answer.
"Glory be thanked for that, at least"
said Mrs. Perkins, apparently impaling
herself on a long knitting needle which,
however, entered harmlessly into the horn
sheath that she wore at her side, encased
in scalIoped 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
that the more accuate phrase would have
been ''very tired"
Theodora White was tender, soft-eyed
girl of Is, with complexion of pearly
elearness, and rose apiece on her cheeks
a girl with o pure, straight nose and
dimple on her chin, and pretty, pleading
way Of looking at you when she spoke.
She sat down beside the window, where
the mignonnette-seented grape blossoms
were swaying in the summer air, and
leaned her forhead against the easement
Mrs. Perkins eyed her with an owl-like
glance of sympathy.
'It's shame, so it is" said Mrs Per-
kins, 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 be keeps it up.
I'd as soon walt on the sold boy" him
SELF"
Theodore smiled family, and arched her
eyebrows.
"Why, Mrs. Perkins, you don't mean to
compare my Uncle Joseph with so obnox-
ious parsonage as you allude to p she
said demurely.
"Well, said Mrs. Perkins, refectively,
"they amt so unlike, after ALL l declare,
sometimes, when lie gets in his ta1trums,
I've two minds and half to give him a
good shakin'." There amt no sense in a
mans bein' so unreasonable. You can't
please him no way you fix it.
"We can at least try, Mrs Perkins.
"Yes, aud that's jest what's a spilin'
him. He knows very well that if he was
to want the moon, you'd hunt up the long
est step ladder and try to reach it down
1t al'ays did spoil children to let EN- have
all they want, and your Uncle Joseph amt
nothin' but grown-up child"
"But l don't let him have he wants,
Mrs. Perkins"
"And pretty kettle o fish there'd be
if you did. Humphl" and the old house
keeper pounched upon her ball as if she
had, for moment, identified it with the
parsonage under discussion.
at mightn't be such bad idea," said
Theodore, after a moments thoughtful
silence.
"Are you crazy?" demanded Mrs. Per-
kins, tartly.
"Hush p Theodore started from her
seat with uplifted finger. He is awake;
he wants me"
And she was gone, swift, noiseless as n
white-winged dove, before Mrs. Perkins
could volunteer to go in her stead.
'Yes," said Mrs. Perkins to herself, sit
is shame. He seems to think she's
made of cast iron and India rubber-the
old torment p
v ith this rather illogical expression of
her opinion, Mrs. Perkins resumed her
knitting more vigorously than ever
Meanwhile Theodore nastened up stairs
into a closely curtained sick room, where
a querrulous old gentleman lay, tortured
with great deal Of "hypO" and very
little actual illness. But Uncle Joseph
White chose to believe that he was very
i'll; and who, pray, was better Judge of
the state of his bodily health than him
self?
He screwed his face up into the SEM
blance of a nut-cracker as his niece hur-
riedly entered the apartment and came to
his bedside
"I've been humping on the floor till
my arms are ready to drop out of their
sockets y he groaned. "Are you all deaf
down stairs? or has old Perkins forgotten
there is any one in the word but herself
and her snuff. box p
I'm very sorry, uncle q
"Actions speak louder than words r.
snarled Uncle Joseph, ungraeiously.
"How do you feel now, Uncle Joseph"
asked Theodore, soothingly.
"I'm worse !"
care yop p
"Pulse higheF-skin hot-face flushed;
Of course I'm worse. This eOnfounded
hot room is enough to throw any one into
a fever Open every door and window
quick p
Without an instant's hesitation Theo-
dora unbarred the blinds, and threw open
the four large windows and two doors,
The light from the western sky streamed
like food of fiery radiance into the
room; the draft, whirling through, caught
up newspapers, futtered the leaves of
books, and even upset Uncle Joseph's pet
bottle of medicine.
"0-w-w-w!" roared the sick man with