Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-06
LOVE IN ASHES.

"Scant Of nine. and the washing all
out. ~ musd thrifty Mrs. Clutter rs
she scrubbed the porch. Deacon. I'll
Got ron 20 set the big tub down cellar.
II Won WILL
@Ccrtain. wife," responded the deacon
irOp his cart I'm the doOr.yard.
There comes kendalf : new. basket
wagon. with two wom,n in It," pursued
the lady. wringing her mop. Isn't that
the horse that balks2n
Being In the act of emptying a four
gallon bucket If soap. The good man
vOuchsafcd NO reply. When the icllied
mass had quivcrcd and splashcd into
the barrel in waiting he looked up Just
In season To scr the gay little pony shy
Mt the cart and go tearing down the
road
They'll upset. They'll be killed. Run
after 'cm! DO sOmething!" shrieked
Mrs. Clutter
Don't get excited. wife; they're all
right now. That girl drives like n
man. -
And picking up his bucket. the mod
crate deacon marched OF for n second
supply of soap. But though the little
incident had failed to shake his nerves.
u did makc.h oblivious Of his wife's
wash-tub poised ON the land ny of the
diin stairway, and. rs natural cOnsc-
quencc, he pat his foot in H. The tub
rolled; the deacon swaycd like n pestle
In n mortar; there wa1 lively success
ION Of bumps, followed by n clattcr and
n thud. and deacon. tub and bucket
strcwcd the cellar floor.
''Adab and Abihul" calculated the
fallen saint, with sinful energy.
whats up. unclc?" cried an anx-
iais voice overhead.
II can tch you what's down." was
the grim response. Come and brace
me while ! try TO step"
The owner Of the voice, n fnc.look-
ing youth IT one and twenty, was al
ready cropping his way among the de-
bTis, his aunt in the rear with the cam
phor.
The dcacon's attempted locomotion
resulted in groan.
II must have sprained my ankle.
Harvey. II rd postponed this tub-race
ill after I'D been my rounds. 'twould
have been better calculation"
"Oh. wouldn't worry about NV
rounds, uncle. What's the hurryg''
My customers exvcct me to-day,
that's the point. hate mastery To
break my word. Now there the widow
Clcavcs waiting for me to take her
ashes, 80 she can scrub after me with
the boiliag suds, and up at Kendalrs
they're clean out If soap"
''And not clean without II. CHIP
laughed the young man. "Scc here.
unclei since YOU are going to feel so un-
easy about Disappointing the people.
why not send me In your stead?''
You, In your fine clothes! I should
SMILE" muIubled Mrs. Clutter. with
the stopper II the canphor bottle be-
tween her teeth. a d
why cans my unclc's mantle fall
upon me. Nlntic? was intending 20
borrow the frock."
"Well, II Do say Il. You've got tho
vance commandments. Some Young mon
ot your bringing mp would be- ashamed
To drive n soap-cart"
.humph! Some young men would
be fools. said the deacon with warmth
Nobody has any call 90 be- ashamed 20
deliver such soap rs | make. n you've
mind To run the team to-day. Harvey.
shall be oblccgcd To YOU"
Fifteen minutes later the worthy dea.
con was extending his aching ien0tl
upon the sitting-room lounge. and Taz
ing through the open window after nj.
youthful proxy. who, duly initiated int
the mysteries If the calling. was drivinc
away In the big blue cart. Bchins
iounccd and crcaked an emntv ash-hin
hanked oy two covered barrels Of soap
nus the swinging scat was clean ant
comfortable, commanding fine view
Of the surrounding country. .
A halflmilc and morc "a road wound
through his unclc's fertile acres, fol
Deacon Chuttor was withai n farmer
Farming. indeed. was his chief lvoca
Won. soap-boiling being an accessor,
veaturc growing out Of sundrv exten
sivc experiments IN the uscsof lcarbee
ashes as fertilizer. II was one ~
those tuncfnl mornings in early Juns
when All nature Joins In glad doxolo0v
The newly arrived bobolinks. tipsv viii
glec. caroled in the mcadows' Tn,
orioles. hanging their hammocks in an,
ems. could scarcely work for singing
Say oreexes whispered love % the grace
imi young clover, then danced away q
hlrt with the coy hilside birches. Every
where were life and motion irradiatec
ny the benignant sun. For Harve,
Vanse's study-weakened eyes there wa
700 much glare. too much nutter. ri,
giles. ''"o guy
Who cares II they do make me looL
inea trogr unused he. rs he settled
them astride his aristocrntic nosc
thanks TO them. and TO change of air
my poor optics are undoubtedly improv.
ing: shall be back 10 college bY fsIi
nowl" 'ee 'n'
And here, 70 the infinite surprise o.