The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-04-24

2 She dusted every article OF furniture in her
= house several times every day she scrubbed
{ so often that the ehildrea had chronic diph-
iberia she scrubbed 20 clean that at last she
scrubbed through ger kitchen floor into the
/, cellar, and was nearly lost to tie communi-
, ~. 1t was perpetual warfare between her
, and dirt The front parlor was never open
: 81 20 tie family, aud although Mr.. skinner
had furnished Il, be had never sat down in n
> moment since. Its air was that of a tomb.
After II bad been opened TO company for an
afternoon, the children went round with
hannels about their throats and drank ginger
tea. It was the handsomest parior in the
community, too. and had the family pictures
and their marriage certificate framed and
hung up there.
When dinner was ready-and il was q
good dinner. too. for Mrs Skinner was
! good cOOk-she asked the children where
their father was
They did not know.
This seemed strange; she questioned them
closely, but they hOd not seen which way he
T went when he passed through the room.
Didn't be say where he was goiuR ? shs
asked. wouderingly, for Mr.. skinner never
/ went on: on Sunday without mis- family.
'Ee said he was goips where he'd have
more peace, said Itp5 Harry Skinner.
Well, we wou's wait dinner for him, said
his wife, and faey sat down TO eat
But spsd seemed to have fallen upon
them. sod when dinner was over and clear
ed away, aud they were in the sitting room
With their books, there was a sense Of dres-
~ loss, and Mrs. skinner sat with the Bible
open on her lap, and wondered why he had
gone out. and remembered that he had look
ed queer.
1t was in oonsonance with her habits OF
living that she got up in the middle Of these
speculatiORs TO catch q wondering and bella
ted hy and Induce bin to be snnihilated.
Strange she said, as il grew dark. I'll
take the children and 20 down to bis moth
er's and see II he's there, and II he is, Tn
just give him = piece Of my mind
But be was not there, and his mother said
that Lot looked badly the last time she saw
him, and she thought he seemed worried
hoped it wasn't business troubles
No, it wasn't business troubles Mrs.
Skinner knew that, and she began to won
der II she had cleaned her husband out OF
his mind. 1t came over her with such sud
den force that she bad been in the habit OF
driving him from pillow to post at railroad
speed and at the end of broom or dust
sole of his foot in his own house. 1t might
have worked upon his nervous system untu
lie became suddenly insane. Horrible
thought BE might have committed sui
eide.
She hurried home with her children. All
was gloom. She went to his bureau TO look
for his razor. It was the only frearm he
was gone.
Then Mrs. Skinner broke down and cried,
and the children cried and it was Indeed =
scene of desOlatinn- wf7an Suddenly the door
~s-Fssav noTriole parlOF opened er5 .r,--,-.
ritiOn-no, it was Mr.. Skinner himself
stood before them looking very shespish.
oversight myself, he said In a meek.
apologetie tone looking at tSe clock.
should say you did, answered bis wife,
and the dinner Is all eaten up, but TN nx
you something nice and she went ont. IA.
king the children with her.
How much OF il Mr.. Skinner ever knevu
Is impossible 10 say. but .here was an imns-
diste and satisfactory change that at first
> snazed and then delighted him. he could
lie down anywhere when be vas tired. aod
his wife would throw a shawl over him and
leave him 10 peace he has even been seen
to lie down on the sofa In the parlor rber,
he took bis Rip-Yan- Winkle sleeu. and M
body disiureed bin Mrs Skinner was a.
hesrt woman OF sense, and when she real.
zed that one hair OF that grizzly gray head
vas worth more than all the pillow shams In
he world to her, she put the last one auav
n the company OF a demented assortment of
upernuous tides. And they ara. not IN
my geological sense, happy family now.