The Bossier banner., 1885-06-25

oee@A v. diIu lilSI02 WAS III HIS pOcKebD00k
fifteen dollars and seyenty-tive cents.
'sTilda," he said, coaxingly: Lets
go and see Sister Martha. ~
| Though Mrs Martha Tucker had been
like a daughter in Mr.. Elderbery's fa-
ther's house, she was the child of his
| mother sister. She had been married
FIVE years when he married Matilda,
| and had soon afterwards visited them
at the parsonage. When she had in
yited them to come and see her, Mr..
Elderberry had always intended to do
! so; but the Tucker farm was forty miles
away across the hills, the stage fare
was an item to be considered, and his
wife always received his remarks on
the subject in silence. Without much
| thought about the matter, he had con-
cluded that Matilda was preiudiced
against his adopted sister, and was Sc
cretly vexed; for Martha was the only
one of his many relatives who had not
demanded some favor of him. k
''I don't want to go a-eousining,n y
said Mrs. Elderberry, with unconscious
sarcasm. ~. 5@ss af4a at SE oa
You've never had a chance, said
Mr.. Elderberry, dryly. .'But we've got
to leave town before Sunday. We will
only stay a few days.. and think Mar
tina will be glad to see u.s.
| MIR. Tucker s desire to accumulate
money, with his wife's, desire to be
known as perfect housekeeper, had
never been checked by childish fingers,
and Mrs. fuckers naturally ansympa-
| thetic temper had hardened into some
thing very frosty indeed. To unpin her
nice beds, and have her chairs thrust
| into new places, above all to have extra
cooking going on, and her orderly plans
frustrated, irritated her If she had
known her cousins were coming, she
would have schooled herself little;
| but, as it was, she saw them descend
from the stage with ill-concealed dis
may. and greeted them with the exela-
nation: al never didr' 81 wish [ had
| brought my sermon on the fulfllment
| of the law" said Mr.. Elderberry that
night to his wife. martha says that
leland Vodecker breaches at East Gyp-
sum. remember him and | think he
keeps up his Hebrew" But the next
morning Mr.. Tucker hitched up his
colt, and with his wife started for the
ost office three miles away. 1t was
noon when they returned, so the alb
scence of the sermon on the law was of
no consequence. In the meantime, the
maid of all work had gone out to visit
the wife of the hired man, and, in her
hurry, had left the kitchen door open.
The hens took advantage of the oppor-
tunity, and hoped in quietly till the
place was full of them. By some cur
ious Instinct, Mrs. Tucker OWNED their
presence the moment she entered the
house. t'There's s folks who wouldn t hear
a whole menagerie in the next rooms
she exclaimed, scornfully, after a vigor-
GUS use of the broom. It's precious
few times Tue ever been away from
home; but when have Tue worked
myself to skin and bonesr'
At bottom Mrs Elderberry was avery
determined woman, and when she said
that evening: "Jonas, I shall take the
stage tomorrow for Flintville," her
husband knew better than to oppose
her, Two days afterward, when he had
resolved to follow her, he received the
following note from her: deW
You must contrive, dear Jonas, to remain
away from home the four Sundays In the
Orthodox organ for this week it saws: tMr
jonas Elderberry. the pastor of that bulwark
OF the faith, the Flintville Church. is spend
ing his vacation trout-fishing. All our pas
tors, can not, we know, enjoy this diversion:
put let each one draw near to Natures heart
instead of hunting up some pulpit TO supply
Whlle his church has generously given him
time to rest
"In the Flintyille Clarion is the following:
we have understood from parties qualified,
IT would seem, to give information on the
subject, that our highly esteemed towns
man, Mr. Elderberry unless. some unusual
circumstance should expedite his return,
will spend his vacation in the exercise of the
piscatorial art"
After spending the night in painful
consideration, Mr.. Elderberry deter
mined to go to East Gypsum, and find
a cheap boarding-place, where, free
from the distractions that beset the
parsonage, he might write out some
verses that were singing in his head,
and thus pay expenses. He had weeded
onions all day Monday, and stemmed
eurrants all day Tuesday, and felt that
in a sense he had paid his board. But
he was conscious that Mr.. Tucker and
possibly Martha felt that he was, as
they phrased it, Giving on them,' and
to remain longer was impossible.
5. Il s'pose you'll have vacation every
year, now your church has got started, )"
said Mr.. Tucker when Mr.. Elderberry
announced his intended departure.
'sYou'd better come out in the country
again. You can board cheap, or work
for your board, if you want to. I'd
take ye. I sh,d think 'twould do We
good to git up an stir round after
takin' it easy year.
Arrived at East Gypsum, Mr.. Elder
berry was directed to the house of Mrs.
Mullen, who, it was said, desired one
more boarder. He was met at the door
by elderly woman, who proved to be
Mrs. Mullen, Senior.
Board? Yes. Professional manP
Yes said the old lady, in high STAG
cato voice, as she led the way up stairs.
I'VE may suit, and we may not. Julia,
my sons wife, gives lessons. P'r'aps |
you'll find out one these days what sons |
wives are. When she ant banging the I
pianeaor the children ain t, the. scholars
are. The pianos just under this room. =
She opened the door of torrid
chamber..vy 49, -.e
There's two sets o. twins, and one |
odd. and they rampage all over the
house. That's .Julia's idea of govern