The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-02-13
The Corner Cupboard.

before" said Mrs. Blackbridge. TT:
just the place l need; and the carpen
ter says it won't cost more than ten
dollars.
what won't cost more than ten dol
lars7' said Mr.. Blackbridge, looking uE
from his newspaper.
The December sunshine made square
of pallid brightness on the gay stripes
of the rag carpet; the great woolly-
leaved geranium in the window was just
bursting into trusses of scarlet bloom,
and the maple logs blazed merrily in
the air-tight wood stove, with now and
then snap and crackle. Mrs. Black
bridge was knitting; Mr.. Blackbridge
was absorbing his weekly pabulum Of
politics, religion and general intelli.
gence from the Sanay6aek Gazette. The
cat purred on the home-knitted rug;
the old parrot, which had not uttered
sound for year, plumed its feathers
silentelyyNin the sunshine, and blinked
drowsily.
'Why, corner cupboard said Mrs.
Blackbridge.
"A corner cupboard!' repeated her
husband. 'Where?'
Don't you see?' said the old lady.
'Just there, by the door, at the end OF
the chimney-piece.
Nonsense said Mr.. Blackbridge.
The cherry wood bureau has always
stood there since I can remember
'We can move the cherry-wood bu-
reauup stairs, argued Mrs. Blackbridge.
you are always wanting to move
things said Mr.. Blackbridge, discon-
tentedly. women never can be easy.
My mother always kept the cherry-wood
bureau there, and l don't calculate to
have it moved.
Now, if that amt just like man 7
said Mrs. Blackbridge, with an appeal
ing look at the parrot. 'As if it made a
cents difference where the cherry-wood
bureau stood! You don't go to it once
in week.
Yes, l do, said Mr.. Blackbridge. Il
keep my papers in the upper right hand
drawer
sWe can change 'em to the table
drawer cheerfully suggested his wife.
mo, we can't said Mr.. Blackbridge.
well, anyhow said Mrs. Black
bridge, me and Joe Gale, the carpen-
ter, have settled it. And Pm going to
have corner cupboard built just there.
Now!
you be, eh?' said Mr.. Blackbridge.
who's the master of this house-you
or me?'
'But I've told Joe Gale
Il don't care what you told him,
said Mr.. Blackbridge. I'm going to
countermand your order.
Mrs. Blackbridge rose up in great
indignation.
Il don't stay in no place where I
can't have my own way about the fur
niture,' said she, the very borders of
her cap trembling with righteous excite
ment.
xYou can do as you please about
nat, observed Mr.. Blackbrinde, feeling
it imperatively necessary that he should
vindicate the position that he had taken.
Il don't have no corner cupboard in this
house, crowding out my mothers cherry
wood bureau
He fell back upon the columns of the
.Sandyback Gazette, as if the question
was definitely settled. Mrs. Black
bridge deliberately rolled up her knit
ting work, deposited it in its bag and
walked out of the room and out of the
house.
Iwon't be ordered about as if were
a child!' thought she.
Iwon't be bullied by any woman
aliye!' reflected Mr.. Blackbridge.
Now the Blackbridges, strange to
say, were really attached couple, who
had got married thirty years ago, be-
cause they actually loved one another.
In sorrow and in joy, in sickness and in
health, they have cleaved Loyalty one tc
the other; and now the whole super.
structure of their happiness had been
overset by such a contemplate little
thing as-a corner cupboard!
sHe hasn't bit of consideration fol
nv convenience, said Mrs. Black
bridge, trying to swallow lump in hel
throat.
sShe don't respect my old associa
tons at ALL growled Mr.. Blackbridge
sAs if all the corner cupboards in thu
world could make up for the loss of m.
mothers cherry-wood bureau!
So Mr.. Blackbridge, intrenched in al
obstinacy which he digniied by the it'll
of 'firmness, maintained the home cita
del, while Mrs. Blackbridge went tt
her sisters house and announced tina
she had come to stay
sLa!' said the sister, a fat, oil
widow, with merry black eyes and sev
eral layers of double chin. you dom
mean it, Jane Eliza?'
Eyes, l do mean it, replied Mrs
Blackbridge.
you won't really leave Seth for sue
triAe as that coaxed the sister.
1T amt the corner cupboard, whim
pered Mrs. Blackbridge; 'it's the prin
ciple!'
ooh, bother principles!' said tn
widow.
But Mrs. Blackbridge was immovablt
For week the Blackbridges never spok
to each other. The lady remained wit
her sister; the gentleman 'had in ol
Mrs. Stubs to cook and look aftt
things little. The cat deserted-tt
speechless parrot could only look h
disapprobation of things-and the ca
penter who arrived inopportunely wit
his basket oftools, was told that he wi
not needed on the place.