Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-11

ma for , naan.a oeSIH % W. no stared Z
ealf amusement, half disgust, he pot u
rom the table and began to fn and ligf
nls pipe. AS for me, I took up nv knittin
n went on with it calmly. He contem
piated me- for a while through the smok
SlTdds: Then he said, "Niece, you don
"Do you know how to knit. nnclapO
asked. ~A'' u"'1e'
~ Why, certainly not; but that doe
not hinder my knowing how it should b
MOL said. "But, uncle-pray forgiv
me-; but the way you smoke really dis
riesse; me- You don't fill nor hold you
ho And n pray, miss,"he said, edo you know
"Certainly not,"I said; sbutt that doe
done, does it?"
"Well, it just does," said Uncle Simon.
But l remonstrated: "Not at all, uncle
I've seen lots of men smoke, and / know
just how it should be done. You see-D
"IVill you let me and my Pipe alone?'
said Uncle Simon.
yes" said 1, off you'll leave me anG
my knitting alone"
Uncle Simon's eyes twinkled q little, bu'
kitchen-to take it out of Amanda SUP.
pose. Ifshe were not the best creature in the
world she never would stand his constant
"advice."
November 21.
We had quite a little excitement here
sast night. Lulu took tea here, by Uncle
Slmon's invitation, and Mr.. Parker hap.
Pened in afterward. Mr.. Parker was live.
iler thai usual, quite Frightening up under
Lulu's chatter. I I'm beginning to suspect
MN OF an inclination in that onarter. the
more Sc as Uncle Simon watched them
| IT, ~ s~y9
nifty. His face quite beamed when took
pity upon him, and inveigled Mr.. Parker
into a corner, leaving the field free for him.
Talking to Mr.. Parker was more uphill
work than ever, with his glances straying
away every moment to Lulu's corner. So
1t was a relief when Uncle Simon went
INTO the dining-room to attend to the fire.
One of the many ways in which Uncle ST.
MOI maddens Amanda is by poking and
prying continually into every stove and
fireplace in the house, under the firm con-
xslctlon that no one can attend properly to
hres but himself. After he had left the
room Lulu and Mr.. Parker drifted together,
the door of the dining.room across the
nall. Suddenly, through the crack of the
lnlng-room door, l saw a flash of brilliant
lignt; then came an insane scuthing and
skurrying, muff1ed shouts and calculations
IN Uncle Simon's voice. OF course we all
ASAo~ Ao II ul11lAS sxOOlus 10 nnO
Uncle Simon incapable for once Of giving
advice, as he capered wildly about tho
room, quite uncertain what to do. In the
course of his explorations he had taken
out the ash pan and set it upon a news
paper, to preserve the carpet from injury.
Being hot, as ash pans are apt to be, it had
smouldered for 9 moment, and then flashed
suddenly into a blaze. Mr.. Parker was the
only n of rs who had any sense, He took
in the situation at once, and rushing t:om
the room, returned with some dark object,
which he threw over the burning paper,
pressing and trampling it down until the
flames were completely smothered. Uncle
Simon looked at the ruins for O moment, as
Mr.. Parker removed the charred remains
OF his new overcoat.
"For once" 1 thought, "Uncle Simon
will find it impossible to give advice" But
I was mistaken.
ut is all Amanda's fault" said Uncle
her ash pans so hot? must go and speak
to her about it,"
Even Amanda, the long-suffering, blazed
up this time as fiercely as the paper had
done. I heard her voice, choked with angry
tears; but any idea of the mischief Uncle
Simon was doing I had not, for Lulu was
whispering in my ear:
II had q letter from George Maxwell
to-day. He wants to know how you are
getting on, n why you don't write to
him. What shall l say"
Say? Let her say what she pleases. If
himself. 1t is an impertinence to send
messages in this roundabout way. What
is it to me?
Just as I wrote the last word, Amanda
came to my door.
~ can't NJ stand star; II it no longer, miss" she
IT. ain3t tho uorl- Int it3e fbie 1o,e+lr ,o-'
nag, nagging, that a angel of light
couldn't stand, let alone the old fellow
himself, saving his presence! He must
teach me to boil and bake and roast and
fry, to knead bread and scrub floors and
make beds, and the dear knows what all!
I've got O sick sister and a lame brother,
and he gives good wages, or I couldn't
have stood it as long as have. Pm at the
end of my patience now, though, and good
luck to him with the next one! I pinned a
dishcloth to his coat-tail once" said
Amanda, with a hysteric giggle, "and he
beknownst to him, and he's been WONDER
ing ever since what made folks laugh so
that day. Pm sorry to leave you, miss,
but him l can't stand, nor Won't. Only
one thing, MISS don't you go cooking for
him, if he goes down ON his Blended knees.
A saints own temper, couldn't. stand it,
and you'd find wrinkles coming round
your pretty eyes before you knew it."
No, Amanda, I shall not cook for him
not 1; I'll starve first. I wonder whether
breakfast will be early tomorrow? I
wonder will it be good? THE day will
come, and we shall be WISER" as Gregory
Lopez was fond of saying.
November o.
It wasn't early, and it wasn't good. I
was awakened about eight O'Clock by a
modest knock at my door. I answered
through the key-hole..
amanda has gone," said Uncle Simon;
and l expressed all due surprise. "Can
you cook" was the next inquiry, to which
I returned q prompt and decided negative.
Having by this time struggled into a
wrapper, | opened my door to find Uncle
Simon looking uncommonly thoughtful.
"YOu are sure you can not cook, Mad
die?" he asked again.
'Dear uncle, what chance have I aver
had to learn? But that does not matter, for
you excel in it, you know"
"Do I|' said Uncle Simon, obviously.
"But I replied briskly: "Why certainly.
How often I have heard you giving
Amanda directions, and wondered at your
skill! What a breakfast we shall have! I
am hungry already at the thought of it,"
Uncle Simon won't downstairs slowly,
very slowly, and I am afraid that I laughed
to myself while completing my toilette.
The cloth was crooked, when I went
down at last; the plates didn't match;
there was not a spoon upon the table; but
all that was nothing. Such coffee! such
toast! such black, chippy scrambled eggs!
and such a woful Uncle Simon! 1t was
wicked, but 1 laughed until 1 cried as / sur
veyed the scene.