The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-09-08

~ ojofs of the Kitchen, 30 that any one wit
10 an acute sense Of svell might have give
. the Lawsoas daily bill Of iAp 10 dot
g On this particular evening. things wcr
= little worse than usual. for they wen
q saving themselves for tomorrow, when th
. whole house Was 10 be put 10 order. TO d,
. honor 10 the new pastor.
q You can imagine. much letter than
= can describe, Mrs. LAwsons feelings wher
. tho open door revealed to her astonishet
gaze. not the familiar. dirty visAge Of Jobr
0 Grimes. but the handsome. smiling coun
: tsnance Of their new minister. She re
! treated step. then stood staring in silent
diaaay II the unexpected visitor. Mr..
lawson and the boys scrambled up and
began to look for their coats. While Mary
Jane added 70 the gsasral ntssest Of the
; scene by pouring stream u bot water on
the back Of the slesping cat. who With .
loud meow. st being 80 rudsly waten.
ed. started in straight line for the door
Mr.. Dent Involuntary stepping aside to
let it pass.
At this critical juncture Mrs. Lawson's
wits returned TO her. Stepping forward
she shook hands with Mr.. Dent. assuring
him, when he had made his explanation,
that il made no difference and that she
was real glad 70 see him--a breach OF
truth. by the way. for which she suffered
many conscience paDg. Mr. lawson
blundered promptly after her, and was
likewise called to account by his con-
science. Sam took his hat and coat, and
deposited them on the dusty table in the
next room. while Johnny obligingly NOV.
cd along TO make room for the plate, and
knife and fork which Mary Jane brought
from tho cupboard, behind whose screen.
ing doors she had remained long enough
to tear down the row Of curl papers across
her forehead, aud to tuck the ends smooth.
ly away.
Mr.. Dent saw through it ell at once.
His experience in boarding houses. and as
zone Of the family" had been wide and
varied, and included more thHn one pre-
sentatlon OF the "worst, ~ well as the
"best foot" He felt sorry for them oil,
especially the pretty young girl, whose
scarlet cheeks and downcast eyes told how
keenly she felt the awkwardness Of the sit
ustion in which his thoughtlessness had
placed them. Nevertheless he managed
to make hearty meal. The plain bread
and fresh, sweet butter. the cold, juicy
meat and simple sauce. wep great deal
more to his tasts than the heavy indiges.
tible food to which he had been accustom-
ed OF late.
Little it mattered to him, just then.
that the table cloth was on svry. besides
bearing the marks Of several days usage.
that the cup which MsryJaas's trembling
hand had passed him, had
lost its handle in some past conflict; that
the butterdish bore evidence OF having
been used ut the two preceding meals
and that the meat dish had chips and
cracks enough to render it almost sacred
in the eyes Of those harmless lunatics. the
china collectors.
Their embarrassment and effort to keep
up & conversation was so evident that Mr..
Dent concluded that it would be an act Of
mercy to shorten his visit q much as pos
sible, so shortly after tea was over he
shook hsnds al around and was escorted
to the door by Mr. Lawson, who, for the
first time in his remembrance. was heartily
glad to see the door closing on guest.
The next morning the boys noticed
that their mother snd sister, who had sat
up talking the night before, long after the {
others had retired, both appeared in clean 6
dresses and aprons Also that Mary Jane {
had forgotten to put hes hair in papers, q
md that her eyes and nose were red and :
swoolen, as though she had been crying.
With presentment Of fsomething-they
hardly knew what-they hurried homo the J
school was out. They found the c
kitchen empty, bat the door between it Q
md the dining room was open, and, peep '
ng in in search OF their mother, they saw, t
uuch to their astonisbment, pretty
hite drsped dining table. with row Of |
b, irs placed invitingly around it. A sec G
nd glance revealed the fact that the best
,sbes we're sll there, even to the cherish '
celpr, glasses. q
/ wouder Who's come? Not the minis n
II again, hope, and Sam tiptoed across y
lie room. and cautit tusly peeped through J
,e crack Of the door, INTO the hall. Il
'Taint . man. any way. for there's no
1t but fathers old straw b. Vt that's been
lnging there sisce kingdom ,~ms. Con- u
nuing his investigation. he Gro ssed the q
III and looked in st the open parll Y door. .
fire WAS burning pleasantly, but th,N cat y
~ the only occupant. :,
Meantime, Johnny had been counting n
e plates. and when Sam returned from "
8 unsatisfactory tour, he was met with w
o information that there was nobody
ming after all, for there were only five loi
ates. N,
What does it mean, any way? was the rel
lestion which the boys lips aud Mr. an
Avson's eyes asked. As they all gathered ch
Quad the table. a.
1t means. said Mrs. lawson. with q ~
ancs at her daughter. that Mary Jane
d have talked it over. and have deter. ~
insd that well never be caught again. as =
, we're last evening. SO from this time
rwsrd. We are going to look on ourselves fa
the light Of company. We will uss all
our house instead Of the kitchen only.
the best food. and wear the best SCI