The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-11-21
MR. AND MRS. SPO0PENDYKE
THE MILD TEMPERED MAN TRIES
HIS HAND AT TRANSFORMING.
He Succeeds i'm Skinning His H1and--
Desperate Struggles with II Tube
rO>e.-An OutburSt Of Wrath.

He Succeeds in Skinning His lUand-
Desperate Struggles with Il Tube
rO>e--An Outburst Of Wrath.
"My dear" said Mrs. SpooInndykc.
looking up from her plate, and regarding
her husband earnestly. My dear, it is
getting late in the season, and I'm afraid
my plants will he spoiled by the frost.
Don't you think it is time they were
taken in9"
."P'raps So" smiled Mr.. Spoopcndykc.
IF you think SO why don't you take EN-
up"
"Won't You do it. dear" smiled Mrs.
Spoopcndykc, Swcctly.
"Comc on" replied Mr.. Spoor~ndykr,
dropping everything and preparing fol
the fray.
Mrs. Spoopcndykc put on her bonnet
and followed her husband into tho
garden. .
You want to be a little careful with
some of them" she suggcstch a good
many of them are tender plants and want
to be handled gingcrly."
You trust me-" rctnrtcn Mr.. Spoop-
cndykc, grabbing Il rose bush with both
hands and giving Il prodigiouS jerk.
Dog gaSt the bush!' he r"arrd. as hi'
hands Slipped off. leaving two-tlirdS OF
the skin behind.
Il didn't mean that one" ~s,incalcd
Mrs. Spoopcndykc. ''Thmt one Is t" be
covered with straw. Try some Of the
others"
"This one of 'cm Z" asked Mr.. Spoop-
cndykc, and he caught hold of Il tough
old gcranium. "Comc into the house
out of the cold" he cried, apostrophiz-
ing the plant. "Comc forth from the
tccming earth and be blessed with light
and warmth in the garrett" and he took
Il death grip on the plant half way hc-
tween the root and the top. 1.-The
question before the house is, dirt or
Spoopendykc, shall the ground absorb
him, or shall the dod gaStcd fruit OF
much cultivation let 60 its hold and come
out of the garden, Maud:" and with this
cxordium, delivered with Il yell, Mr..
S~poopendykc broke the gcranlum OIL
short and sent it over the fence.
"You are losing them ALL" cried Mrs.
Spoopcndykc, her face flushed and her
soul vcxcd by the fate of her plants. 81
wanted to save that one"
"Ncxt year we'll plant en- the other
end up. and then they will grow out OF
the ground of their own Accord" snortcd
Mr.. Spoopcndykc, making for %atubcrosc:
Now, let's see what this thing is tied
to. If it isn't made fast to a Chinese
laundry on the other side of the globe,
we'll see what the bottom looks like be-
fore the intense cold sets in..'
Don't pull that up" protested Mrs.
Spoopcndykc, in despair. - only want
to save the bulb of that"
Hear what the lady says.' demanded
Mr.. Spoopendyke. grasping the stalk;
and spreading his legs for an unparalleled
cxcrtion. Eve are indifferent to the
upper $3.50 the bulb has become a
matte kccessitv! Put aside vain pride
and shcw-." but here he put in all his
strength, and rolled half way across the
garden, crushing vines and shrubs and
winding up against a fence with Il crash
that shook every board in it.
did any of the bulb get away :" in
quircd Mr.. Spoopcndykc, dazcd by his
fall. "Am | to understand that the en-
cavation was not Il success 2 he bawlcd,
recovering himself with Il mighty effort.
"Lcad me to where the balance of this
mcasly matinee is located. Does ;hlS
thing belong to the show ?" and he
caught hold of a tomato vine: lis
there a bulb annex to this thing Of beauty
and Joy until l get hold of it Be still,
sad heart, until | get startcd"! and he
wrenchcd the vine from the socket and
whirlcd it around his head. "Onc more
bulb to hear FROM and he paved into
the earth in vain search for the root.
showcring the dirt in all directions.
"Thcre.w he pulled, when he had built
Il sort of cave in the place out of which
the vine had come. I'm most through.
and he went at it again. dust thou
art, to dust rcturncst. nc'cr was spoken
of this holcw. and with this pcroration
Mr.. S~poopcndykc gathered himself up
into a lump and came down hard on both
feet in the excavation he had made.
81 might have known that you didn't
know anything about it, moancd Mrs.
Spoopendyke, who was anxious to dis
tract his attention from the fact that
there were several beds of flowers he had
not maurauded.
might, mightye!~ roarcd Mr.. Spoopcn-
dyke, rising in his wrath as he found it
impossiblcto convince his wife that he had
done it all for the best. "Think you
might have known that I didn't know
anything about it With what We might
have known in this world and what We
don't know, yc only want a name carved
in your back, and the paint scratched
off 20 be the front seat i'll the first class
in a public school! Some day when it
rains, and l can't get out on account of
the toothachc, I'm going to tit YOU up
with eight languages and Il reputation,
and start an intelligence office with you!.H
and with this tribute to his wifc's capac-
ity, Mr.. Spoopendykc plunged into the
house, put on his hat hind side before,
and dartcd out to tell his friend Spcckle-
wottlc that he thought something Of
buying the lot next door, and raising
fruit next season. as he was sure his cN-
pcricnce in farming would stand him in
good stead and see him through TO com
plcte success.
~ don't care" murmurcd Mrs.
S~poopendykc, as the door banged after
him, and she set to work to take up the
remainder of the plants. II have found
out how much he knows about shrubs.
Next spring, when l get ready to plant,
I'll ask hint to takcup some more bulbs"
Hen Lore.
The natur of women an hens has
cornnlou. nr ,nIthor rot ,nixnl NM. Inf