Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-26
INTERPRETATION.

It was coy little nook, that sitting
room of the Oaklys-so full of light, and
warmth, and glow, that you could scarce
ly have guessed at the fierce, binding
81 ct and storm without, were it not for
the wind shrieking down the chimneys,
and raving at the little Gothic windows
till they shook again in their leaden
castings.
On one side stood an aIco8e filled with
books, of which the contents were gen.
orally better than the binding; across
the corner stood an Erard, the only ar
ticle of luxury in the room few en-
cravings hung on the low, pale tinted
walls there was stand with work.
box, aud dainty little cambria garment
near it; two or three lounging- chairs,
glorious in springs and swelling cush-
ions, and matching in their deep red
tints the pretty but inexpensive carpet
and curtains wicker fower-stand, in
which budded and blossomed roses in
defiance of the season table, set for
two, before the hearth, with snowy lin
en- and china, two innovations on the
iecencies of polite life, in the shape of
prirring cat and a FURNISHED copper ket-
lie. steaming away as merrily as though
it 1ifln't know that its place was in the
kitchen; on one side of the hearth, a
chair, uphOlding O masculine dressing.
gown, the slippers superb in quilted lin
iDg, weighty tassels, and embroidery !;
on the other-last but not least-Mrs.
Oakly herself, in gray merino, cobweb
collar, and crimson bow-a pretty little
brown-eyed, brown-haired woman, who,
after sweeping glance around her, sat
down, with sigh of satisfaction, to the
mysterious occupation known in the
vocabulary of the initiated as telling,
stopping now and then to look toward
the clock. or try and distinguish Ger
tain well-known step amid the patter
and murmur of the storm without.
fortunes wouldn't have wrung from
her the avowal; but she was secretly q
it'll. stiff in the back and lame in the
joints; for they had but just taken pos
session Of their pretty little cottage, and
all that day she had worked ferociously,
that Fred's eyes, on coming home, might
be greeted with the pretty tableau above
described; but she had something better
than iniment or cordial, in the COM
p!acent satisfaction with which she an
ticipated Fred's first stare and look of
pleased surprise, on coming home, wet,
weary and hungry, TO the warm little
paradise conjured up by her loving zeal
from the chaos Of packing boxes and
bundles that he had left there that
morning.
Here, a scraping on the doorstep, q
rush Of wind and rain through the front
door, stamping of wet boots, and a grunt
in the hall announced the coming of her
lord, and interrupted her agreeable rev.
erie. Down went the cambria, as, with
heart beating with pleasure, she flew
out to meet him; and, regardless of pro-
priety and his wet overcoat, got up on
her tip-toes, joined the ends of her two
longest fingers about his neck, and i'm
printed a kiss upon his damp mustache.
which was about as graciously received
as could have been done by black bear
under the same circumstances.
"Help me off with my coat, will your"
was his salutation. SITS so COMPOUNDED
wet I>can't get it off. 1.-The deuce take
itt-why didn't you have light ?" as he
stumbled over a chair. "Any one but
you would have had the lamp hung the
tirst thing J!
"And so I would" returned Mrs.
OaMy, slightly mortified; "only you
know, Fred, you had one of the chains
in your pocket. You took it to town to
have something done to it, you said"
"You might have brought out can
die with you p he muttered, as he walked
into the little parlor.
Now was the time. Mrs. Oakly held
her breath. The unappreciative hus-
band stared stolidly around for q mo-
ment.
"Where are my slippers
Mrs. OakIy handed them to him.
With grunt Of satisfaction he indicted
himself INTO his dressing gown, seated
himself, stretched out his legs, and
buried himself In the evening paper
and that was all. Not word, not even
q look, to show that be had even seen
the magical changes wrought In so short
a time, at a cost of the stiff back and
lame joints which now commenced to
ache most ahoninably.
With a swelling heart the poor little
woman took up her cambria and COM
menced the telling again. The clock
struck Mr.. Oakly flung down the paper
with jerk.
"Why isn't dinner on the table ?"
It's coming; but you know Ellen
can't put on the steak till you get here,
or it would be spoiled"
Mr.. Oakly rang the bell with vigor
That brought Ellen from the kitchen,
her hair on end.
Ellen, serve dinner instantly"
Yes, sir, In minute; the steak is
most done"
dome or not. bring it onl I won't
wait another instant p
"Yes, sir.
And Ellen disappeared as if Mr.. Oakly
had Leen hyena and was coming at
her with open mouth.
Alas for his wife ! she sat at the head
OF the table that, knowing his fastidious
nicely, she had arranged with such ex-
cess of care, with quivering mouth and
dropping lids, watching her husband as
he devoured his dinner in silence. Tea