The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-10-07

"Mercy on us! | don't know, said
Mrs. Hopgood. with perturbed face
II supposed she was with Kate Prickett
or Clara Momfort. I'm great deal too
busy with picking and housekeeping to
run at a giddy girls heels the whole
time. But / am going to commence
cleaning tomorrow, and then I'll war
rant I'll give her enough to do to keep
her ont of mischief.
Mother, said Isaac Hopgood,
gravely, sometimes think that if we
made home little more attractive to our
children"
"Oh, nonsenser' quickly interrupted
his wife. 81 suppose you'd like us to
have tableaux, like Mrs. Momfort; or
magic lantern like the Mickfords. Our
children have not been brought up in
that way"
Mr.. Hopgood said no more. Mrs.
Hopgood, to use 1er own expression,
was Tin the thick of house cleaning"
the next day. with the carpets rolled into
heaps, the floors spattered with soap
suds, and her head tied up in a pocket
handkerchief when the door suddenly
opened.
"Take care of my pan of soap suds
and sodaw she cried shrilly. "Oh, it is
you, is it, Allyn"
"Yes, mother. it's me- said Alexan-
der, her eldest son, who had just gone
into business as junior partner to his
/ father. II say, do leave off washing a
minute and attend to mel Ryerson's .
in town-my old chum, you know-only
for one day, and have asked him to
dinner"
ITO dinnerr' almost screamed Mrs
Hopgood, dropping her brush in con-
sternation; Alexander Hopgood, are
you crazy? OF course can't have him
to dinner; look at the confusion this
house is in.
"Oh, he won't mind that, mother; Ry-
erson is a Thoroughly good fellow Just
let him sit down to anything with the
rest of us"
II shall do nothing of the sort, Alex
ander." said Mrs. Hopgood, rather Sc
verely, COMPRISING her lips. 'You
are aware that I do not approve OF your
| inviting company at any time. still less
at such period as this. If you have
been fool enough to ask him, you may
get out of the serape the best way you
can
"I don't want any more discussion on
the subject said Mrs. Hopgood daub-
ing away with the brush.
Alexander went out, slamming the
door.
WELL" quoth Alexander, to himself
| s'if can't ask friend to dinner at home
there is at least the alternative of invit-
ing him to the hotel. never did such
a thing before. but don't see how else
/ can manage"
So Alexander Hopgood entertained
Mr.. Ryerson at the hotel, and gave an
UNLIMITED order for iced champagne and
dessert. And the upshot of it all was
that Alexander Hopgood was brought in
at eleven o'clock at night by two walters,
hopelessly intoxicated.
Don't be f-fraid, mother" suffered
he, brandisiling an empty bottle, as he
became dimly conscious of her white
scared face bending over him. 'Go on
with your washingA It's heap jollier
at the hotel than it is at home. Freedom
forever. Hoorayr'
~Oh, what shall do?" sobbed Mrs.
Hopgood when the walters were once
out of the house, and the roll of the cab
wheels had died away. 70 think-only
think that son of mine should ever
stoop to disgrace himself thus"
Its your own fault, said Kenny, the
second son. "You'd not let Ally bring
his friend here to dinner"
"Hold your tongue" sharply retorted
Mrs. Hopgood, wincing beneath the
prick of home truth. "Call Elsie; need
help"
''Oh, mother, "cried Fanny the younger
girl, running down stairs in haste, Gel
sic ANT here"
-
mo, mother, she hasn't been to bed
at all-and there's note on the table
directed to you.
"Open it mother" said Isaac Hop.
good.
'.This is sad night for our house
hold. Ny God, has our home become
fly from it, like rats from falling
house?"
The note was short enough as il
read:
'sDear mother I am tired of living in
the kitchen. I have run away with
John Elton, and before you see me
again shall have entered upon new
future
sobbings. Mr.. Hopgood hurriedly read
buo uufTleuly ScFdWIou paper Will u Aaoo
cold and set like steel.
Run away with John Elton" he re-
peated slowly; ''then God help her, for
he is as great q villain and scoundre1 as
ever lived, and she has sealed her own
doom. Mother, mother, this comes OF
your housekeeping.
''It wasn't my fault, Isaac sobbed
Mrs. Hopgood, rocking herself back
ward and forward in chair into which
she had dropped.
''It was your fault" retorted the hus-
band, almost savagelv. ''You made the
very name of home q mockery to your
children, and set your soul inside a
scrubbing pail, and now you are reap
ing the bitter harvest, my dear"
OF course poor Alexander Hopgood
was unable to lift his throbbing head off
his pillow next day and his mother never
left him until afternoon.
When at last she came down stairs, the
parlor blinds were thrown wide open, a
flood of sunshine streaming in, the table
neatly set in the dining room and flowers
on the table, and new books, games and
puzzles scattered around.
Mrs. Hopgood gazed around her with
bewildered air. She hardly knew her
own home.
''This is the way in which we must
live henceforth," said her husband,
cheerily. ''Let in the light and sun
shine; teach Ben and Fanny that home
| is something more than an empty name,
and try, in as far as we can, to retrieve
fha arrors of aur mast 1ife"