The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1882-01-06

The house-and SO forth; for having
got as far as / have stated, he sent for
still more paint, no letter having come
yet, and, like one determined to give a
fiery aspect to oil he owned, he set to
work with unabated ardor, and painted
the barn, sheds, coops, sty and we'll
house, all the gates and fences, and then
the trunks of all the trees, as high Us he
could reach, to keep the worms of, and
perfect the prevailing consistency OF
color.
The month was now up, and still my
mother did not come, nor yet q letter.
At this period, l think q slight oddity
did really begin TO appear in the conduct
of my father. Summer was coming, and,
rejecting that the whole Of the inside of
the house had not yet been painted, his
diary says that he deliberated one whole
forenoon, and then thought how cool 1t
would be to do away with carpets, and
have all the floors painted for naked use
during the warm season. Acting upon
this, he took up oil the carpets, and
painted every floor in the house, and, In
his haste 10 finish before my mother
should arrive, he so daubed the walls
and some OF the furniture that he painted
them too, embracing bedsteada, bu-
reaus, toilet-tables, wash stands, cor
nices, with all the wood work, In all the
kitchen style Of universal flame. s
And still my mother did not appear.
| / have heard my father say that dur
ing that particular period, while his last
batch of paint was drying, he did not
| feel anxious for her to come. | do not
doubt his intentional veracity upon any
point, but / think his memory failed him
In chat instance; and that, in his sorrow
that the paint spoiled some Of her dresses
when she did come, he forgot how he had
longed for her.
| For my mother did come before the
last paint was dry.
My father was on his knees, in suit
that he had spoiled, red as butcher,
but innocent as a lamb, engaged in
painting the hagstone walks IN front of
the house, and proposing 10 paint the
ceilings of the house, If time should yet
admit, when carriage drove up, and
my mother, so long absent, alighted at
the gate-the red front gate, set in that
long, red front fence, in front OF that
| fiery red house, with the flaming l., and
the burning trees, and walks not quite
kindled into complete glow.
1
then met, but feel incapable Of doing
Justice to their emotions at that iunct-
| ure / believe l have the idea in my
head, but my pen is not equal to my
fathers brush, and can but darkly
shadow forth what that brush oc-
Casioned.
Forgetting his sanguinary appearance,
he rushed down the red walk, and
through tho red gateway, and embraced
her, brush in hand, before she had fairly
. recognized him or the house. She
shrieked, and gave him n push, dis
covering his identity at the same time
: that she began to scold him Tor solling
her dress.
''Neyer mind that; look at the house,
] Eliza" said he.
Her name was Eliza.
: "Book at the house and things,
Eliza, said my father, expecting an
immensity OF delight and praise, as he
saw her hold up her hands in dumb as
/: tonishment. ''I haven't been idle while
[ you were gone, believe me. But this II
4 nothing--mere nothing, that you see
I Only come inside. / say nothing. Tha
Q will speak for itself" 8aE y si
81 And so it did.
Twas told my mother did not say {
4 word till she went inside and knew thu
il worst. And then my father knew 1t
q He was appalled, at her appallment, AM
d stunned and stung by her loud and pierc
! ing expressions Of horror, grief nnd dis
4 gust. She said he had done, thess
3 crimes purposely, IN revenge ior ner n
4 sence and delay. He said ne mad pw
4 posed it, but thought such combini
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