Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-04-03
SOMETIME.
A Practical Sermon Preached by
the Cellar Stairs.

Strangely enough, the cellar stairs
preached it-at least they contributed
that very important part, the applica-
ton. Sister Searles had furnished the
text in the morning, but then the SER
mon might have gone on from firstly
to forty-seventhly without Mrs. Bar
ney's notice, had it not been for the
cellar stairs.
Mrs. Barney was hurried that day
she vas always hurried-and it was
warm and uncomfortable in the sun
shiny, stove-heated kitchen, where she
was Fastening to and fro, growing
fretted and tired without slackening
her speed. Nealie, standing at the
ironing-table, was tired also.
There's so much to do" she said,
YEARLY. Il do not see why we need
do baking and ironing both in one day.
1t makes sucn q crowd, and we could
have left II for Tomorrow
Tomorrow will bring work enough
of its own,h answered Mrs. Barney.
quickly. Besides, if we should get the
work all out of the way the first of the
week, a whole day to rest in would be
worth something"
''But then we shouldn't take it for
resting just because it would be a whole
day and something else would be crowd
ed into it," murmured Nealie, to whom
~ hour now looked very inviting and
that possible day in the future very I'M
certain.
The mother did not answer, and the
girls hand moved slowly over
the damp muslins as her gaze wandered
away to the hills where great trees
were throwing cool shadows. How
pleasant the shade and greenness WERE!
The desire to brinait nearer suggested
another thought to Nealie "Some
vines would be so nice at this window,
mother. l could plant them if you
would let Tim dig a little spot out
there"
Eyes, but if we ever get the house
fixed up as VIC wan. it we shall have
shutters at that window"
"But we don't know when we can do
that, and the vines would be so pretty
now" urged Nealie.
..Pretty:? Well, yes, if we had the
whole yard trimmed and laid out as it
should be. hope we shall have it
some day; but a stray vine here and
there seems hardly worth fussing over
when we can't have the whole done"
Nealie sighed but was silent, and
presently Tim came in with an armful
of wood.
''Nealie," he said, pausing zeal her
table, eff you just sew this sleeve up a
little. The old thing tears awful easy,
and l just hit it against a nail"
He spoke low, but Mrs. Barney's
quick ears caugh the words.
That jacket torn again, Tim? I
never saw such q boy to tear things to
pieces! No, Nealie can't stop to mend
it now, and l can't either. I've been
intending to get you a new one, but
there doesn't seem much chance to
make anything new while you contrive
10 make SO much patching ard darn;ng
on the old"
Mrs Barney shut the oven door with
a snap. Tim was the hired boy, kind
hearted but careless, and lie was
rather discouraging. Board and cloth
ing sometimes appeared to her a high
pilCC 1Cl ILS oClfICcS. I1uIIS, now,
and pick some currants for dinner"
she said.
Tim took the tin pail pointed out to
him, but he did not hurry as he passed
iBwith clouded face down the walk. The
Thoughts Of a new jacket would have
been very pleasant a few minutes be-
fore, but it had suddenly lost attract
ivencss. The boy drew his bushy
brows into q scowl, ard as soon as he
was. out of sight of the house, threw
himself upon the grass and began his
currant-plcking in a very leisurely
manner. Then it was that Sister
Searles drove up in her rafting old
buggy with a horse that was, as Tim
sa d, "a regular old revolutionary pen
sioner.'
IF ! can't have fine horses and car
rage. | can take a deal of comfort with
these" was always Sister Searles's
CHEEKY comment upon her equipage.
She had IN GRAND at Mrs. Barney's,
and had stopped on her way to the vii
lage. a plump, rosy-faced little wom-
an she was. not young, only that she
belonged to the class of people who
never grow old; neatly dressed, though
it was ''but the old poplin made ovcr.''
Mr.. Barney noticed while she was
talking, wondering Il little that she
should have ''takcn She trouble, when
she surely needed a new one"
"This room is too warm to ask any
one to sit in,' She said, apologetically,
placing q chair for her caller just out
SIDE the door. s'NWhen we are able to
have the house altered to suit us l shall
have IL stove here in the summer"
SIN the mean time you have this nice
cool porch. What a pleasant place it
is!' said Sister Scarles, a%dm.ringly.
ayes. if one had time to enjoy it,"
answered Mrs. Barney, with an uneasy
laugh. I'm SO hurried trying to get
everything about the place in just the
riqat order that ! don't have Time"