Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-02-06
Doftiral,
CONSTANCX
A Happy Family.
BY NJ RS. NJ l.. RAYNE.

A Happy Family.
BY MRS. NJ l.. RAYNE.
II was Sunday. Mr.. Skinner was
lied, and thought he would lie down
Oh The sofa in the back parlor aud rest.
People never learn by experience, and
: { was no exc option TO The common
rule.
He lay down and crossed bis feet
With parade hardly justi BILE under
The circumstances. His wife came in
| and saw him.
why, Lot Skinnerv size exclaimed
If ever heard OF the Ike! Lying
down on that new sofa with Your boots
on, and oh, my goodness! YOUR bead
on that lace tidy 1 had done Up only
last week. You are the most inco
siderate man ever saw in my life !
Mr.. Skinner got up and his wife
smoothed out the tidy and rearransed
it.
The idea ofanyhody putting head
on that ddv.' said Mrs skinner, who
had no intention of using slang. 1 did
suppose you had more sense.'
Il used 10 have.' said Mr.. Skinner
good-naturedly. 'Ya-a-h. | could take
a rap if could fiud place 10 drop
down. Ya-a-h.
You bad better read your Bible,
said Mrs. Skinner. She was good,
uncc mfortable woman, so clean aud
neat and orderly that she made her
family Wretched with her domestic
drill.
Something called Mrs Skinner of
then. and when she came back MIR.
Skinner was gone. She sat down and
t Ok a book. when a thought struck
her. and she bounded from her chair as
i if It had been a cannon ball.
Yes. it was just as she feared ; her
husband had gone up atairs, and she
found him stretched out on the bed, on
. ton of white ccunte rpane. bis grizzly
Z cray head sunk deep Into a while
s,arched pillow sham with these words
:. EN- broidered in the centre
j Sleep sweet, bel owed y
He was not only asleep. but snoring
with look ofsweet conten. on his wide
open mouth.
Lot Sk-i-n-n-e-rn
!. He got up ID a manner that ~ouI'
+ have dene credit TO gymnast' an'
stood staring at the fearful hollow II
he bed and the wrinkled dent III th'
Z. pillow-sham.
Il declare l f rgot,' lie said, looklo!
very ioonsh. Alice, haven't [ got
4 place where | can lay my head !?
h Don't talk nonsense said his "ltt
SHARPLY. The idea Of sober man go'
,pgro bed with his boots on.'
Would you rather I'd GET
l. I'D rather you'd get some common
sense she said. III you O. ust slee
in the daytime. why there's an ol'
lounge down IN the kitchen no on
:. ellI disturb you there Or, l suppose
4 ungraciously-I can take of 'h
N quilt. and The shans and lei YOU hav
YOUR nap here, though its wicked, that
what il is, to sleep Sunday. LIS ba
t. example to set to the children, aud yo
eer know it,
But am so sleepy,' answered he
husband. m, head is as heavy AS lead
It. and cannot keep my eJ' Open
n p 'Laziness! sheer lazluess ! said hi
wife sharply.
Mr.. Skinner went kowb s'airs an
disappeared. Tie last word' his wi
K heard him So, were that there was re-
for the weary. but she was picking u
the embroidery on the mis-used sha'
w with pin. and did not Reed hin
When she went down stairs he was nc
30 IN SIGHT and she busted herseft in ge
ting dinner, which op Sunday took tn
place of supper, and thought no NOR
about him.
She was distinguished woman; di
tipsuished in the town wbero she live
as being the cleanest hOusekeeper in
q, No girl could be found neat enough
- live with her; al the notices 10 III
house we're TO the effect that cleanl
ness is akin to godliness. She duste
every article O furniture IN the bou'
several times every day; she scrubb'
40 often that the children had chron
dipbtherla; she scrubbed so clean th
D at last she scrubbed through her kite
en- floor into the cellar, and was near
lost to the community. II was pc
petual warfare between her and dir
o. The front parlor was never opened
the family, and although Mr. Skinn
had furnished it he had never sat dow
70 in 1t moment since. It's air was th
- OF tomb. After it had been opehe
4 10 company for az afternoon, the chi
. dren went round With fannels ADO
their tbroats and drank ginger tea.
was the haudsomest parlor in the con
munity, too. and had the family pl
lures and their marriage cerllnca
framed and hung up there.
When dinner was ready and 1t wi
a good dinner, 100, for Mrs. Sklnn'
was a notable cook-she asked Tue CT
|. 6ren where their father was. 4, ~.
They did not Know. ,,.
~ ~ This seemed. strsnge; she question:
h, them closely sas they had not SCI
nd which way he went when be pass,
L. II