The Penn's Grove record., 1882-09-02
Congenial Friends.
Ashsrt Story With q moral.

Simpkins had been out over night
at a little party, and this morning did
not feel exactly up to the Store. Per-
ceIving q tendency in the wife of his
bosom to be huffy about the ten O'Clock
breakfast, and ostentatious in her man.
ner of displaying the holes in the heels
of the chiIdren's stockings, he t ok his
hat and went up to 'Malinda's."
Malinda is n of those blessed spil its
who make tolerable the thorny track
of life to the men whose tender natures
suffer from the GOODNESS and uncon-
geniality of their sp fuses. ,
"Ah, Jeggars, you're q man to be
%envied, your wife is II In a thou
sand.u
Jaggsrs, who was down on his knees
hunting the baby's stockings out of
the pile of dirty clothes in the bot
tom of the china closet, assented
blandly.
"Thipgs are as bad as ever up at
your house, I suppose, George?" said
MaDnda, pausing in her perdsal of the
Affections of Alticidora Multi IRA, or
The Bold Bucc .neers of Bussora
Worse" groaned George, they're
beastly, they're f%erocious, they're hor-
rid !; that woman has no more concep-
tions of the art of amusing or enter
tanning a woman tn n IA, ichtbyo-
saurus."
tits plain to be seen" responded
Malinda, soothingly, that Ii you ever
do enjoy you,elf it will have to be
away from her."
The entrance of Mrs. Simpkins. who
came over to borrow some yeast cakes,
interrupted the seance, and Simpkins,
deprived of his opportunity to bask in
the sunshine of sympathy, went of TO
the store. That night when SinIpkins
entered his parlor he started back IN
horror. A cold sweat broke out on
his marble brow, and his slim shanks
trembled beneath him. Had pademo.
MUM broken loose, or was he bewitch-
ed. He backed helplessly out of the
hall and looked at the number-242.
All right. He must be sick, and this
sight which met his eyes was the
pbaotasmagoria ola violent fever. The
neat Brussels carpet, the pictures, the
statuettes, the piano, where were they?
This was what he saw A sanded
floor, two deal tables, three eucher
decks, q checker board, a billiard table,
lemons, sugar, and a demijohn, hanked
with tall glasses, and PIckens, and
Bostwick, aud Warren, and Wilson,
aud saints above, 1t was the pretty bsr
maid from the "Cove's Retreat, or the
Sailors Delight" up street.
Jcome in, come In said Pitkins,
waving his hand Hospitality, free
blow, won't cost , on nothin'."
"Jolly Teller, Simpkins's wife, said
Bostwick, approvin ely. Glove her like
a brother already /; no, like a sister, l
mean no, that amt 1t either hang it
what is it I do mean, anyhow"
Shave some tonic, oil Teller ?" hic-
coughed Warren, you're welcome to
an'thing thre's; no stinginess round
here.n
"Wisa you WE'LL" said Wilson, b "
ing with immense gravity wish you
well, friend, whoever you are no mat
ter what's your 'ligion or politics, l
wish you well.'
The pretty bar.maid smiled malic-
iously; che had Mrs. Simpkins best
lace tie 10 her pocket.
Nc need to go out in the cold to
seek c"ngenial society now, MI. Simp-
kins, you've got the spice of life at
home.n
1t took two policemen three hours
to clear that house, and cost twenty
five dollars 10 get the tobacco spit
cleaned up from the floor and repaper
the walls, and it was half-past eleven
before Mrs. Simpkins could remove
from the door of her the bureau,
the baby's crib, the coal scuttle, and
the slcp Jar, with which che had barri-
csded herself AMI her precious darlings
from the congenial friends OF the part
ner of her bosom.
When the boys in the streets shout
"congenial spirits" after Simpkins
now it makes him mad
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