The Republican journal., 1881-05-19
The Haunted Oven.

bought 1t very much against his Wlte'S
will. 1t was a lonely house, and reported
to be haunted. 1t was next to a grave
yard, which though unused, was not
cheerful, and which, likewise, had the
reputation Of a ghost. However, Mr.
Hubbard did not believe in ghosts, and
was too cheerful to be depressed by
warnings, and never intended to be lonely.
"Alrs. Hubbard,' he said, when his
wife shook her head over the purchase, II
got it cheap, and it is good one. You
will like it when you get there if YOU
don't why then talk"
50 the house was bought, and into it
the Hubbard family went. There was
scarcely a chance for a ghost to show his
face in such q family of boys and girls.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hubbard counted ten of
them, all noisy ones.
Having once eXpostQlated and spoken
out her mind as to the house, Mrs Hub
bard gave up the point. She scrubbed
and secured, tackled down carpets, and
put up curtains, and owned that the place
was pretty.
As not ghost appeared fer week.
she made up her mind that there were no
such inhabitants. She even began not to
mind the tombstones. 50 the house got
to rights at last, and baking day came
about In the press of business they had
a great deal Of bakers bread and they
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 their new house.
"For | cannot get up an appetite for
stuff that nobody knows who had the
making off, said Mrs. Hubbard, ''and all
puffy and alumy besides.
50 into the oven went the bread, and
out it came at the proper time even and
brown, and beautiful as loaves could be.
Mrs. Hubbard 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 bound
ed 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 ly-made bread,
swung himself off his feet by clutching
the edge Of the bread-tray, and over it
came, loayes and Tommy and all.
Mrs. Hubbard flew to the rescue and
picked up the loaves. All were busted
and put in the tray again but one That
lay, bottom upward under the table.
"a bOthering child to give me 50 much
trouble !" She said, as she crawled under
the table to get it, ''Ah-O- ah dear.
sister oh %"
And there on the floor sat Mrs. Hub
bard, screaming, Wringing her hands,
and shaking her head. The children
screamed in concert Mr.. Hubbard rush
ed in from where he was at work.
"What's the matter. mother?" he
gasped.
Mrs. Hubbard pointed to the bottom of
the loaf lying on her lap.
Look there and see :" she said. 1T is
a warning, William: am going to be
taken from them all.
And he looked; and he saw a deaths
head and cross bones, as plainly engraved
as they could possibly be.
1T is an accident" said Mr. Hubbard.
"S0me queer cranks do come you know"
But Mrs. Hubbard was in a troubled
state of mind, as was but natural.
"1he stories about the haunted house
We're uut,' she said; "and the spirits
have marked the loaf Il am afraid it is
a warning"
And the loaf was put aside, for even
Mr.. Hubbard did not dare tC eat any Of it,
Mrs. Hubbard got 0Ie er her fright at
last but the news Of the awfully marked
loaf spread through R, and the peo-
pie came to Hubbard's all the week to
look at it. 1t was deaths head and
cross bones, certainly every one saw
that at a glance: but as to its meaning
people differed. Some believed that it
was a warning Of approaching death !;
others thought that the spirits wanted to
trighten the liubbards away, and to get
possession Of the house again all to them
selves.
This latter supposition inspired Mrs.
Hubbard with courage. Finally, being a
brave woman, she adopted the belief
and when another baking day arrived
put her l0ayes into the oven once more,
prepared for cross bones and not to be
frightened by them.
The loayes baked as before They
came out brown and crusty and as Mrs
Hubbard turned each in her hand, there
were no cross bones visible, but on the
last were sundry characters OF letters
What, no one could tell, till there drop
ped in for a chat 4 certain printer Of the
neighborhood, accustomed to reading
things backward.
"By George" said he, "that is curious
That IS curlous-rc u-r-ga-m -m-resur-
gam; that is what is on the loaf f-rcsur-
gam
1T is what they put on tombs, isn't
it y asked poor Mrs. Hubbard, family.
''Well, yes" said Mr. Hubbard, being
obliged to admit it. "But it is not 50
bad as cross bones and skulls.
Mrs. Hubbard shook her lead
sit is even solemner," said the little
woman, who was not as good lingust
as breadmaker feel confident Will
liam, that | shall soon be resurgamed,
and what will these dear children do
them"
And now that the second loaf was be-
fore her eyes, marked even more awfully
than the first, Mrs. Hubbard grew really
pale and thin, and lost her cheerfulness.
Il have a presentiment," she said, over
and over again, "that the third baking
Will decide who the warning belongs to.
| believe it is meant for me, and time will
show. Don't you see how thin am grow
ing ~
And though Mr.. Hubbard laughed, he
also began to be troubled.
The third baking day was one of gloom.
Solemnly, as a funeral, the family assem-
bled to assist in the drawing
Five lOaves came out markless; but one
remained
Mrs. Hubbard's hand tremblcd, but she
drew it forth. She laid it on the tray.
She turned softly about. At last she eX-
posed the lower surface. On it were let
ters printed backward, plain enough to
read this time, and arranged thus:
Died April ;2nd
Lamented by
Her large family.
at is me-" cried Mrs. Hubbard. II
am to 90 to- OrrDW-tblS the ST