Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-07-09
Selected Miseellaup,
THE HAUNTED OVEN.

| 1t was in the days of our grandmothers
that Mr.. Hubbard bought his house, and
bought it very much against his wife's will
1t was lonely house, and reported to be
haunted 1t was next to graveyard, which,
although unused, was not cheerful and
which, likewise had the reputation of hav.
ing ghost. However, Mr.. Hubbard did
not believe in ghosts, and was too cheerful
to be depressed, by warnings, and never in
tended be lonely.
"Mrs. Hubbard" he said, when his wife
shook her head over the. purchase, 81 got il
cheap and it is n good one, You will like
it when you get there; if you don't, why,
then talk"
So the house was bought, and into it the
Hubbard family went There was scarcely
chance for ghost to show his face amid
such family of boys and girls Mr.. and
Mrs. Hubbard counted ten OF them, all noisy
Having once expostuated and spoken out
her mind as to the house, Mrs Hubbard
gave up the point. She scrubbed and scour-
cd, tackled down the carpets and put up
curtains, and owned that the place was
pretty.
AS not a ghost appeared for week, she
made up her mind that there were no such
inhabitants. She even began not to mind
the tombstones. SO the house got to rights
at last, and baking day came about. In the
press OF business, they had great deal Of
bakers bread, and were now tired of it.
Mrs. Hubbard never enjoyed setting batch
of bread to rise as she did that which was
to be eaten for the first time in the new
house
"For cannot get up an appetite for stuff
that nobody knows who had the making of,
said Mrs Hubbard, land puffy and aumy
besides"
So into the oven went the bread, and out il
came at the proper time, even and brown
and beautiful as loaves could be. Mrs. Hub
| bard turned them up on their sides as she
drew them forth, and they stood in the long
bread tray, glorious proofs Of her skill and
the excellence Of the oven, when Tommy
Hubbard bounded in.
Tommy was four, and when at that age
we are prone to believe that anything will
bear our weight. Tommy, therefore anxious
to inspect the newly-made bread swung him
self off his feet by clutching the edge Of Tho
bread tray, and over it came, loaves and
Tommy and all,
"a bothersome child, to give me 30 much
troublep she said rs she crawlcd under the
table to get IL. "A-O-ah--dear, sister
| O-sister-"
And there on the floor sat Mrs. Hub
bard, screaming, wringing her hands, and
shaking her head. The children screaming
in concert. Mr.. Hubbard rushed in from
where he was at work.
"What's the matter, mother p he gasped
Mrs Hubbard pointed 10 the bottom Of
the loaf lying in her lap.
Look there and see p she said. at is o
warning William; | am going 10 be taken
from them all" and he looked; and he saw
a death's-head and cross-bones, as plainly
engraved as they possibly could be-
at is accident" said Mr. Hubbard
"Some queer cranks do come you know"
But Mrs. Hubbard was in troubled stat
Of mind, rs was but natural.
"rhc stories about the haunted house wer'
true" she said, "and the spirits have marked
the loaf ! am ARA d il is a warning"
Aud the loaf was put aside, for even Mr.
Hubbard did not dare TO eat any Of it.
Mrs. Hubbard got over her fright at last
but the news Of the awfully marked loa
spread through r., and the people came d
| llubbard's all the week 10 look at II.
was a deatbs-head and cross bones, Ger
tainly--eycry one saw that at a glance, bu
as to It's meaning, people differed. Som
believed that II was warning Of approach
ing death Others thought that the spirit
wanted 10 brighten the Ilubbards away, am
get possession Of the house again all 10 them
selves.
This latter supposition inspired Mrs. Huh
bard with courage. Finally, being BRAY
woman, she adopted the belief and, whe
another baking day arrived, put her loaye
into the oven once more, prepared for cros
bones and not 10 be frightened by them.
The loaycs baked as before. They cam
out brown and crusty W. Mrs. lIubbar
turned each IN her hands There were n
cross bones visible, but on the last wer
sundry characters or letters. What, no on
could tell, until there dropped In for a cha
certain printer Of the neighborhood, ~
customed 10 reading things backwards.