The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-02-09

what 1t is, to sleep on Sunday. It's q
bad example to set to the children and
you know it,
''But l AM SO sleepy" answered her
husband, my head is as heavy as lead,
and l cannot keep my eyes open"
"Laziness! sheer lazinessr' said his
wife sharply.
Mr.. Skinner went down stairs and dis
appeared. The last words his wife
heard him say we're that there was rest
for the weary, but she was picking up
the embroidery on the mis.used sham
with pin, and did not heed him.
When she went down stairs be was not
in sight and she busted herself in get
ting dinner, which on Sunday took the
place of supper, and thought no more
about him.
She was distinguished woman; dis
tinguished in the town where she lived,
rs being the cleanest housekeeper in it,.
No girl could be found neat enough 10
live with her; all the notices in her
house were to the effect that cleanliness
is akin to god!iuess. She busted every
article Of furniture In the house several
times every day; she scrubbed so cite /
that the children had chronic diphtherla;
she scrubbed so clean that at last she
scrubbed through her kitchen floor into
the cellar, and was nearly lost to the
community. 1t was perpetual warfare
between her and dirt. The front parlor
was never opened 10 the family, and al.
though Mr.. Skinner had furnished it he
had never sat down in it a moment since
Its air was that of tomb. After it had
been opened to company for an after.
noon, the children went round with
hannels about their throats and drank
ginger tea. II was the handsomest par.
lor in the community, too, and had the
family pictures and their marriage Ger
tificate framed and hung up there.
When dinner was ready--and 1t was {
good dinner. too, for Mrs. Skinner wa,
a notable oook-she asked the childrer
where their father was.
They did not know.
This seemed strange; she question et
them closely but they had not seen which
way he went when he epassed through th
rom.
Didn't he say where he was going?
she asked, wonderingly, for Mr.. Skinne
never went out on Sundays without hi
family.
HE said he was going where he,
have more peace" said little Harr
> Skinner,
well, we won't wait dinner for him,
said his wife, and they sat down to eat.
But q spell seemed to have fallen upo
them, and when the dinner was over an
cleared away, and they were in the si
ting room with their books. there was
sense of dreNry loss and Mrs. Skinner ST
! with the Bible open on her lap, and wor
1 dered why he had gone out and remen
bered that be had looked queer.
r 1t was In consonauce with her habi
OF living that she got up in the middl
of these speculations to catch wade
: log and belated fly aud induce him
J, be annlhilated.
'Strange" she said, as 1t grew darl
"I'll take the children and go down
his mothers aud see if be is there, an
4 if he is, Ill just give him piece of III
Q mind"
But be was not there, and his motht
said Lot had looked badly the last tin
she saw him, and she thought he SCENE
q worried; hoped it wasn't busine
d troubles.
No, it wasn't business troubles; Mr.
Skinner knew that, aud she began
s wonder il she had cleaned her husbar
out of his mind, 1t came over her vii
sudden force that she had been in Il
70 babit of driving him from pillow to po
, at railroad speed aud at the end Of
broom or dust brush. He actual
N found no rest for the sole of his foot
p his own house. 1t might have work,
a upon his nervous system until he hi
10 hsoome suddenly insane. Horrib
)" thought He might have commit,
le suieide.
10 She hurried home with the childTe
Is All was gloom. Size went to his bursi