The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-13
Mr.. and Mrs. Spoopendyke.


cut flowers"
"How'm 1 going to take thirteen
pots of plants in two hands p growled
Mr.. S~poopendyke, surveying his job,
with dissatisfaction in his eye. "What
is there about me that seems to give
you the impression that l am a freight
train? What dye call these things,
anyway? What's the ghost standing
up here with u candle in his hand.
How'm 1 going to carry these things?
That's what l want to know ~
"That's a Gala lily, DEAR" replied
Mrs. Spoopendyke, laying down her
flowers and turning to help her hus-
band. "Now, you can take these p ITS
in your arms by letting the edge OF n
pot rest on the edge of another. Let
me show you," and Mrs. Spoopendyke
arranged the pots, neatly folded in
clean white paper, in her husbands
arms. "That's the way to carry
them" she chirpei, opening the Dor
for him. "Now you are all right -
Expect me to put on my hat with
my leg, don't YOU" inquired Mr..
Spoopendyke, trying to reach around
SO that he might see out from his bur
den. "P'raps you think l don't neel
any decoration while I'm carrying
these dodgasted shrubsl Maybe you
think I'd present a more tropical APP
pearance without any hat"
"Il put on your hat, DEAR" flut-
tered Mrs. Spoopendyke, and she care
fully put it on hind side before and
flattened it down until the black
BREADTH as she called it, rested on his
shoulders. "NoH you're all right,
dear, be careful of the flowers !"
Mr.. Spoopendyke followed his wife
to the street and gave the burden a
sort of hitch to relieve himself.
"Here! Look here!' he cried to his
wife, "you didn't load me straight!
These things are slippingl Fix 'em,
can't YEP
"We haven't far to GO" plelded Mrs.
Spoopendyke, who couldn't see that
anything was wrong. Cant you
hold them, dear, till we get to
church? '
"Oh, I can't hold 'em!' squealed
Mr.. Spoopendyke. "Get out of my
eye, Can't yetake this yaller lily out
of my eye? Look out for my hat!
Don't you see it's slipping off? If you
don't make ONE better arrangement
about these things the neighbors will
be startled presently by the sound of
cracking crockery.'
Il hope you won't break any of
Them" sighed Mrs. Spoopendyke.
Then she pulled his hat over his eyes
and took him by the elbow to lead him
along.
"Look out" yelled Mr.. S%poopen-
dyke, as he felt Il pot going. Heres
a decoration in danger! Catch it,
quickN'
But Mrs. SpOopendyke was too late.
The pot dropped with a crash On Mr..
Spoopendyk9's instep and rolled into
the gutter.
"Oh, delr!." moaned Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke.
There you arel" roared Mr.. Spoop-
endyke, hopping with pain and drop
ping another pot. Satisfied now ?
Know any one you want to back me
against for a garden of Eden? Got
any more horticultural societies YOU
want knocked out? Here goes an
other." and the third of the series
smashed on the sidewalk. "a charge
| have to keep" and down came the
largest pot Of the lot with a prodig-
iOus noise.
DON'T" squealed Mrs. Spoopendyke
watching the fate of her decorations
with dismay.
81 ANTI yelled Mr.. Spoopendyke
letting go two more in the effort tC
keep his hat on. "Who is? Get hold
of that off represent alive of the day
we celebrate" and Mr.. S%poopendyk,
clutched wildly at a sliding pot, moi
that he cared for the flower particu,
larly, but he had felt four drop on hi,
foot and he felt some fears. "Dod.
CAST the pot" he s%quawked, as i
eluded him and lanieI on his bes'
corn.
4 think you're real meant" sobbe(
Mrs. Spoopendyke, surveying TIN
wreck with streaming eyes.
You do, do you?" howled Mr.
; Spoopendyke, who felt as badly as hi
: wife did now that it was all over
: "P'raps you had some kind Of a notion
that those pots would fall when | let G
| OF 'em! Why didn't youput 'em in a ba'
3 so a ina could carry 'em withou
: splitting 'em? What do you want o
decorations, anyway"
because | wanted to help max
g the church look pretty" and wit.
this explanation Mrs. Spoopendyk
broke down completely and wept bill
terly.
"Well, haven't you decorated a
1 much as any woman? What'd yo
| expect? Think people are going t
: take you for a cathedral just becaus
you take IA few shrubs to church once
year? Now you 60 in the house an
). don't let me hear any more whimpel
f ing. With your notions about dut
y and your desire to get the best of tn
t other women in the church. you onl
want a bell in your mouth and a blac
y collar be a whole guild p
= And with this benediction NJ
a S%poopendyke started off to see Speckl'