The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-09-15
LOVE IN ASHES.

you 10 set the Dlg ll'D uoWh cellar,
YOU will
Certain. wife" responded the dea
con from his cart in the door-yard.
There comes Kendall's new baske
wagon with two women in it, p,,rsue'
the lady. wringing her mop. Ism
that the horse that balks?
Being in the critical act OF cmptyin!
u four-gallon bucket of soap. the goo'
man vouchsafcd no reply. When thu
jellicd mass had quivercd and splashc'
into the barrel in waiting he looked W
jus, in season to see the gay little pony
shy at the cart and 90 tearing down thu
road.
They'll upset, They'll be kille,
Run after en-! Do something shrek
ed Mrs. Clutter
Don't get excited. wife: they re al
right now. The girl drives like man.
And picking up his bucket, the mod
crate deacon marched off for SECOND
supply of soap. But though the LITTLE
incident had failed to shake his nerves,
it did make him oblivious OF his wife
wash-tub poised upon the landing of the
dim stairway, and as a natural conse-
qucnce he put his foot in it. The tub
rollcd the deacon swaycd like pestle
in mortar; there was u lively success
sion of bumps, followed by clatter
and a thud, and deacon, tub, and bucket
strcwed the floor.
'Adab and Abihu.' calculated the
fallen saint, with sinful energy.
What's up. unclc?" cried an anxious
voice overhead
Il can tell you what's down. was
che grim response. Come and brace
me while | try to step"
The owner of the voice, a choking
youth of one-and-twenty, was already
cropping his way among the debris, his
aunt in the rear with the camphor.
The deacons attempted locomotion
resulted in groan.
II must have spraincd my ankle.
Harvey. If Id postponed this tub race
till after I'd been my rounds 'twould
have been better calculation.
'Oh. wouldn't worry about my
round. uncle. What the hurry?'
MY customers expect me to-day,
that's the point. | hate mastery to
break my word. Now there's the widow
tleaves waiting for me to take her
ashes, so she can scrub after me with
the boiling suds, and up at Kendall's
they re clean out of soap"
And not clean without il, eh?'
laughed the young man. "Scc here,
uncle; since you are going to feel so I'M
easy about disappointing the people,
why not send me in your stead?'
"You in your fine clothes. should
smile" mumbled Mrs. Clutter, with
the stopper of the camphor bottle be-
tween her teeth,
why can't my unclc's mantle call
upon me. aunt? Twas intending to bor-
row the frock "
well. if do say it, YOU got the
Vance common sense. Some Young
men of your bringing up would be
ashamed to drive a soap cart.
''Humph, Some young men would be
tools. said the deacon with warmth.
Nobody has any call to be ashamed to
deliver such soap rs | make. If you've
a mind to run the team to-day, Harvey,
d. shaw be Obliged to YOU"
Fifteen minutes later the worthy dea-
con was extending his aching length
upon the stting-room lounge. and gaz-
ing through the open window after his
youthful proxy, vino duly initiated into
the mysteries of the calling was driving
away in the big blue cart. Behind
bounced and creaked an empty ash-bin,
ilanked by two covered barrels of soap;
but the swing seat was clean and COM
Portable, commanding 4 fine view of the
surrounding country.
A half-mile and more the road wound
through his uncle's fertile acres, for
Deacon Chuttle was withal farmer
Farming indeed was his chief vocation.
soap boiling being an accessory venture
growing out of sundry extensive expert
mcn,s in the use of lcached ashes as fer
tillZcr. 1t was one of those tuneful morn
ings in early June when all nature joins
in glad doxology. The newly arrived
bobo-links tipsy with glee, caroled in
the meadows. The orioles hanging
their hammocks in the elms, could
scarcely work for singing. Gay brcezes
made love to the graceful young clover,
then danced away to flirt with the coy
birches. Everywhere were life
and motion irradiated by the indignant
sun. For Harvey Vance's study-weak-
ened eyes there was too much tluttcr
lie lost no time in putting on his blue
Goggles.
Who cares if they do make me look /
Ike frogP" unused he as he settled
them astride his aristocratic nose. !
Thanks TO them and to change of air
my poor optics are undoubtedly i'm
proving. | shall be back to college by /
tall. Tia! ha! if the fellows could only
see me- now
And here, to the infinite surprise of
>,aid Dobbin, his new master broke in
to n rollicking class song, song
abruptly ending rs turn in the road
revealed neat farmhouse.
If peddle soap, I'll peddlc it with
due decorum. y solioquized the youth,
knocking upon the door with the handle
Of his whip.
To have seen the capable air with
which he measured ashes. bushel by
bushel. giving in exchange money, or
gallons OF soap according to the GUS
toner's desire, one would have pro-
him bred to the soap business.
Since his months rustication at his
Aunt Chutfer's he had m,da tho a.