St. Landry democrat., 1883-07-07

of your bringing up would be ashamed
to drive soap-cart.' =
ssHumph! Some young men would
befools,H said the deacon, with warmth.
Nobody has any call to be ashamed to
deliver such soap as l make. II youv
mind to run the team to-day, Harvey,
/ shall be obleeged to you.''
Fifteen minutes later the worthy dea-
con was extending his aching length
upon the sitting-room lounge, and gaz-
ing through the open window after his
youthful proxy, who, duly initiated into
the mysteries of the calling, was driving
away in the big blue cart. Behind
iounced and creaked an empty ash-bin,
thanked by two covered barrels OF soap;
but the swinging seat was clean and
comfortable, Commanding fine view
of the surrounding country.
A half-mile and more the road wound
through his uncle's fertile acres, for
Deacon Clutter was withal farmer.
Farming, indeed, was his chief voca-
ton, soap-boiling being an accessory
venture growing out of sundry extern
siye experiments in the use of leached
ashes as fertilizer. It was one OF
those tuneful mornings in early June
when all nature joins in a glad doxology.
The newly arrived bobolinks, tipsy with
glee, caroled in the meadows. The
orioles, hanging their hammocks in the
.elms, could scarcely work for singing.
Gay breezes whispered love to the grace
full young clover, then danced away to
flirt with the coy hillside birches. Every
where were life and motion irradiated
by the benignant sun. For Harvey
Vance's study weakened eyes there was
too much glare, too much tiutter. he
lost no time in putting on his blue Cog
giles.
.sWho cares if they do make me look
| like a frogp" unused he, as he settled
them astride his aristocratic nose.
.sThanks to them, and to change OF air,
my poor optics are undoubtedly improv-
inc. shall be back to college by fall.
| Ha! ha! if the fellows could only see me
| now!n
And here, to the infinite surprise OF
staid Dobbin, his new master broke into
rollicking class song-a song abruptly
| ended as q turn in the road revealed a
near farmhouse.
.sIf I peddle soap, I'll peddfe it with
due decorun,' soliloquized the youth,
knocking upon the back 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
customers desire, one would have pro-
nounced him bred to the soap business.
Since his months rustication at his
| Aunt Cutters he had made the ac-
! auaintance of most of the farmers along
the river, and these expressed their
qualification at meeting "a Judges son
that wasn't afraid to work" but out
side the parish limits his triumphal
march terminated. He was a stranger
in strange lard. One man asked if he
had bought out the deacon; a second
hoped he wasn't proposing to run an
opposition team; and the loyal widow
Cleaves could hardly be persuaded to
surrender her ashes, because, for.
sooth, she preferred to trade with
Deacon Clutter.
Obedient to his uncle's instructions,
at her cottage the young man took q
cross-road to Kendall's, summer hotel,
Familiarity styled THE Eyre
you'll find it long three miles, ,
had been Mrs. Cleaves parting remark
s.Three miles, and not neighbor be
tween here and there; | couldn't blame
the widow if she should want to change
her situation unused the deacon's
deputy, scanning the western horizon
s.Shouldn't wonder if that cloud yondel
meant business. thought the sun was
too bright this morning. Well, a little
hieh-toned thunder will drown this ever
lasting racket. y
4 Facing about to wedge in position al
empty soap barrel, he observed two
ladies driving up the hill in a baske
phaeton.
i .sThat looks like Kendall's team thai
/ gave auntie such panic this morning, :
i thought he. ..Those ladies are some o
his boarders, suppose-Tom Caven
der's mother and sister, for aught
know. / have heard they were stop
| ping at the Eyrie. Goodness! Wouldn'
it be good joke if should fall in witt
them to-day!''
4 Meanwhile the younger lady in tht
carriage WAS IneFIHy commenting Vi
| the quasi soap-man's active figure con
spicuously and amply clad in the dea
cans canvas frock and overalls.
i II hope he isn't . perambulatins
maniac, mamma.
s.It's the very cart that frightened thu
4 pony!'' was the terrified response. 'sDt
| let me go out, Lila! Oh! oh!''
i But already the horse was backing
down the hill. Harvey sprang from tn
cart, and grasped the refractory anima
by the bride just in season to preyent thu
carriage from oyerturning in the ditch
Thank you, sir-thank you yer.
much" said the girlish driver, the colo
rushing back to her face. :. Now j