The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-30

trio little man wheeled his darlings home
in a hand. cart through the Sabbath
streets. "No use in leaving everything
for that wife of Peck's to do" he re-
marked grimly. "She's done enough 7"
The Mumpvillians smiled and said to
one another, 81 suppose he really could
MT bear to be parted from them another
minute " f
As the time for retiring drew near,
Mrs. Severn's bird became an object of
solicitude. II left in any ordinary place,
Tabby woul be sure to get it; but at
last the problem was solved by remov-
ing the hanging lamp from its hook in
hook in the ceiling and suspending
Dicks cage from that,
The weather had been gradually grow
ing colder all the afternoon, and when
Mrs. Elkanah woke next morning the
mercury was within five degrees OF the
zero mark and the wind blowing at a
terrific rate. With dread foreboding
she thought of the plants at the church; |;
but when she reached the sitting room
all remembrance of them was, for the
time. driven from her mind, for there in
middle of the room sat Tabby licking
her paws, with Dicks empty cage beside
her, and golden feathers lay strewn all
over the carpet.
The wind had drawn out the furnace
fires at Calvary Church, and the chair
woman of the decorating committee
spent the whole of Monday morning in
returning frozen geraniums, callas, and
fuchsas to their very indignant owners.
The hardy azaleas were not really harm
ed by the frost, although the beautiful
buds and blossoms were injured, Of
course.
A crisp five-dollar bill and the whole
of Monday afternoon were spent in rid
ing over to Metropolis and purchasing
bird as nearly like Dick as possible.
Tuesday morning was consumed in tax
ing him out to West Mumpville and ex-
planning matters to Mrs. Severn, who
was grieved, as might be expected. The
new songster might be just as pretty, but
not five dollars nor fifty could make his
golden feathers the same that gentle
Alice Severn had caressed as she lay
coughing her life away. And it was
vexatious to reflect that il she had only
remembered TO remove the center-table
from its accustomed place under the
hanging-lamp, Dick would really have
been as safe as she fancied him.
As the Peck family-there were half
a-bushel of them-sat about the dinner
table Tuesday noon-a meager table,
laden with bakers bread, muddy coffee,
sodden vegetables cooked by the mex
perienced hired girl, and the remains Of
roast week Old-the mother of the
family related her woes with that yearn.
ing for sympathy common to the femi-
nine heart.
But MIR. Elkanah had woes also, and
was more just than merciful, las hungry
man is apt TO be. "Well Elizabeth, he
said, pushing away the remaining half
of his unpalatable coffee, II should
think you we're plumb fool If you
had given five dollars toward decorating
the church you'd have been considered
the soul of liberality; and now it has
cost you that much besides your time
and trouble and making all those other
women hate you for spelling their
plants. Why, in the name of common
sense, don't you stay at home and give
few cents and let somebody else do
the work, as other mems wives do ?"
In which estimate of other mems
wives fear there was more truth than
poetry.-GOOd Housekeeping.