The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-14
Blast it all! Hush up Jerry, can't your
Don't make such an ALFRED racket"

No more rever1eS fOr JOnathan MOL
lily. In the middle of the cluttered
kitchen, his hands, face and dress be-
smeared with soft soap. the bucket
freq which it had been distracted up
set on the floor. stood the originator of
the howl in question, chubby, two
year-old boy, and as disguised a look
ing one as ever tempered with presum-
/ able sweets.
'.Me sit, papa" walled the child,
with contorted face; ''me dretful sit.
Boo-hoo-o-o-o!"
Where are you sick?" queried papa,
drawing the disconsolate object toward
a wash-basin, and proceeding to re-
move the brown-hued covering from
you meddling with that soap-bucket,
anyhow, I'd like to knowp Never saw
such young ones! 1t isn't me they
take after.
Here Jerry gave unmistakable indi-
cations of the locality of the alleged
sickness, by saying:
ME summit, papa, me summit. Boo
hoo-o-o-o!" N
Jeremiah Mollify, didn't you know
any better than to eat that stuff? Well,
this is a mess. No wonder you're sick!
| That washing won't get out in hurry,
I'm thinking, with you to attend to-"
Papa toss! Don't, papa, be toss to
Jerry. Jerry Sit"
And the papa loved his little boy too
well to hold out long in the face of gen.
uine distress.
But the sick one had to be coddled
and comforted and put to sleep, and all
the time the sun was mounting higher
in the heavens; and the clothes lay soak
ing in the tubs. The child's troubles
forgotten in slumber, Jonathan plunged
into the work of the day in good earnest.
1t was not long, however, before another
interruption came, in the shape of a
dripping boy of six or seven, also the
possessor of a..strong pair of lungs, which
he was using actively.
Now what in creations the
matter with you?', demanded the
irate father. sWhere We you been
to get so wet? Speak this
minute, Jonathan How came YOU out
of school ?''
"1-I-went d-down tito the fish pond.
long the other boys, It recess, an'-an'
Jake Hudson. he p-pushed me in"
swell, Jake Hudson had better mind
his own business, or I'll give him some
thing some day that he won't like. And
you can Just keep away from that fish
pond after this. If L ever hear OF your
going there again, I'll see about it !!
Now I've got 10 stop and hunt up dry
clothes for you, or else you'll be down
with sore throat or something, and then
I'll neyer..hear the last of it. Stop your
bawling, and come along into the
house"
Jonathan junior, attended to, the ad-
van cing hand of the clock warned Mr..
Mollify that the dinner-hour was at
hand, and no preparations had been
made for the meal.
Twelve O'Clock, sharp, Maria said"
he groaned; land she'll be here, sure
as late. Seems to me / hear the rat
Ting of the wagon now, and there amt
any kindlin' chopped, nor nothing ready.
Dear, dear, I'm in for it.
1T may be mysteriou word to the
reader, but it was not to Jonathan Mol
aify. 1T" in his vocabulary, was
fraught with meaning, and that mean
ing was indissolubly connected with the
iordly -Maria's tongue. Alive to the
eXigencies of the case, he trotted
around, endeavoring to make a good
show of his morning work-for well he
knew it would undergo inspection from
Argus eyes -stringng part of the
clothes conspicuously upon the line,
scrabbling together and out of sight
some of the rubbish that lay in con-
fusion about the kitchen floor; and. the
perspiration trickling down his face.
was frantically chopping kindling when
Maria Mollify drove brisklv into the
yard. An ominouS look settled upon
her countenance as she espied the fur
ried Jonathan, and conjectured that her
orders had not been faithfully executed.
Hitching the horse, and striding iudic-
tally into the kitchen, she surveyed
the situation. and her displeasure found
prompt utterance.
what no dinner ready. and the fire
not even built! Jonathan Mollify, YOU
lazy. good-for-nothing man, what have
You been doing all the forenoon? Not
more half the wash out, either" 60
ing to the door. and giving contempt
uous sniff at the clothes-line. 'Well,
if this isn't enough to provoke a SAINT.
Here I've been hard at work ever since
l opened my eyes this morning, and
now can't get bite of anything to
eat / do believe i shall faint away"
She sank into chair with an air of
profound. exhaustion and pitiful martyr
dom. Jonathan grabbed the vinegar
bottle and thrust 1t under her nostrils
so vehemently tsat she recoiled with in
dignation.
Don't faint, Maria, mercy on us,
don't faint I'll have dinner ready in
five minutes. 1t s been a dreadful I'M
lucky day. Maria. and / could n do no
better; l could MT, positively"
What on earth was the matter with
Maria's nose? 1t never used to loom
out Ike that. Why, it was frightful.
Was it going to keep on developing in
like ratio in years to come? Jonathan
shrank from the contemplation of such
a possibility.
His concliating tone did not produce
the desired effect. Overcoming her
momentary weakness, Maria rose in
wrath indispensable.
Don't you stand gawkin' at me an
other minute. Jonathan Mollify. We
had 10 bear enough to-day at the con-
vention without being annoyed at home.
Hard as l We worked, and as much
money as We, spent in the cause. if it
ant maddening 10 have another wo-
mana mere stranger, and Of no ac-
count a. all, except for her pretty face
and load of jewelry--put above me,
and made President of the Day, d
like to know what is? 1t s the first
time since the society was organized
that anybody S got ahead of me like