The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-06-27
miscellaneous.
Turning a New Leaf.

Mtsrel1anen1ts.
Turning a New Leaf.
For three days we had been removing
household goods from the old house TO the
new. The great longing, the hope and de-
sire of years, that we might have a nice new
home with perfect neatness and order,
was realized. Every thing was rubbed, pol
ished, and placed with the utmost care where
it would bring the most comfort. The work
was finished on the third day. and was quite
satisfactory.
Warm and tired of the hustle and stir, l
Slipped out at sunset and went to the old
house to see how it looked, so empty and
silent. Only one room especially attracted
me it had been the family room, where all
had been free to come and go at pleasure.
| sat in the window and gaZed tenderly on its
bare walls; the heavy logs looked majestic and
grand, defying time and human strength.
Here we had sat the evening Ned brought
me home bride, discussing the present and
making plans for the future. How proud
We were that we had home, although we
owed large debt on it Here we had fought
face to face with poverty, and loosened its
grip on our purse strings. Here we had lived
and loved through years of struggle and toll,
but they were happy years. No wonder ten
der memories clustered about the bare walls
and wide Fireplace!
Ned came up behind me, bis face merry as
usual. He looked into the house, slipped one
arm around me, and said Il wonder, Kate,
if you'll love me as we'll up yonder as you did
here And then I was thinking too. that it
will be pretty noisy up there if you spank the
children, chase the cats, and throw stove
wood at the dog, as you sometimes did here.
These walls deaden the sound, the others
echo left Tom and jamie trying the
strength of their lungs in the parlor."
"Ill try and keep things reasonably quiet"
I replied. "Yes, think | will love you az
well, or better but we have had 30 many
good days here, can't help but recalling
them"
Ned, with the practical nature common to
men, began to cast business eye about the
place.
"I'll tear the old house down, sell the stuff,
and plant potato patch in the yard. What
o fine potato patch these flower beds will
makeW
ooh, no, Ned, don't tear this room DOWN.
pleaded. Tear down the other room; its
memories belong to our guests. Tear down
the kitchen; it belongs to Mimy, and she
doesn't cherish memories; she makes it
rule to forget every day as it goes by. But
let this room stay. See, there's the place by
the nantel where Tom scrubbed his name
when he was learning to write. There's the
little shelf where the clock stood so many
years. How often l ran in to look at it
when was waiting for you to come to din
ner! There's the ugly place on the wall, by
the little bed, that jamie cut with your knife
when she was recovering from that long i'll
opd thnuuht ahQ yJOnld allr
any more. There's the great, black spot over
the mantle, smoked by the lamp with a
broken chimney, the night watched for you,
dear, till dawn, and you couldn't get home for
the high water. There's the place where you
spilled the ink in your excitement the night
made the horse swim the creek with Tom
and I, after the storm. You scolded me for
getting wet, too, l remember, and said you
wouldn't have been uneasy if l had stayed all
night at sisters"
Il wouldn't, either" retorted Ned.
perhaps you wouldn't, but when I came
in sight, you were walking the lane like a
maniac, with your hands in your pockets,
and the rain pouring down on your bare
head"
Eyes, we will let this room stay" he said,
thoughtfully as he lifted me out the window.
81 can use it for tool house, or some other
purpose Kate, you don't care for the new
house now we've got it, suppose we move
back"
Eyes, care for the new house. but some
how, can't quite give up this yet. No doubt
the other will have memories by and by; then
it will be dear, too"
"Now, suggest that you begin by turning
over a new leaf Ned soberly remarked,
while his eyes sparkled with mischief Il
would do the same, you know, only turned
all of them some time ago. Suppose you try it !;
it's remarkably fascinating amusement, and
becomes very profitable toward the last. For
instance, you might jog up dinner little
without scolding, let the children turn sum-
mersets on the beds without punishment, and
occasions, without waging such fierce war
upon it. ltwould improve your health. Try
it."
"Wise counsel" l said, land from an ex-
perienced parsonage. I'll consider the mat
ter"
Ned took the children off to the barn on
some errand Mimys musical voice rose and
fell in a mournful wall as she cleared the
table; sat on the verandah and thought of
turning a new leaf l had nothing to do but
to keep my house in order, and that promised
to be light work for some time to come.
Now that poverty had ceased its unmerciful
pinching, surely there was no need of rushing
and tearing through life without stopping to
sip its sweets. would begin now to take
| things easy. I would give the house more
liberty, would take more leisure myself. II
could be done, it must be done. The comfort
of the family and my own health depended
on it. Having turned the leaf and view ed its
clean unwritten page, I hoped the morrow
would not blot and mar its snowy surface
and went to bed.
The morning dawned fair and warm. The
children got up slowly and fingered dread
| fully over their breakfast. Ned took down
several pairs of pants and strewed them
about the room, after searching the pockets
for his watch key. Mimy walled her usual
| tune, aud took two hours for cleaning up the
breakfast things. cleaned the house teisurly
without dissenting word everything on the
place was happy as the lark in the meadow
I CHANGED to enter the kitchen on some
errand, admiring the shining floor in the din
ing room as passed Mimy sat churning
her face was black as ebony, her large eyes
shining like two harvest moons; she was
telling the children some long, miraculous
story, which delighted them. heard the cry
of cat; it sounded faint and painful, but moi
far off. The children had two cats, named
respectively Sinbad and Sebastian. Sinbac
was very independent, and always attended
his own business; but Sebastian was constant
ly getting into mischief.
"Meow meow" came the sound, muff1sC
and weak. opened the closet, it was no
there. "Mimy, where is that cat Have yor
fastened it up anywhere ?"
"No'm, l hain't fastened no cat up" re
piled she. This disturbed the story, and thu
children started to look for their pet.
Sometimes it would cry pitifully, then stoI
suddenly, and no amount of "kitty-kitty
kitty" ling would be answered. Anxious
and interested, we all joined in the search
After while the children began to cry, an(
the case seemed hopeless. The pantry doc
opened into the kitchen; noticed the lart
can inside; its top was bottom upward-th'
top was not good fit and whirled over a
every jar. spoke to Mimy about the top
Just then the unearthly scratching and NEW
ing began louder than before.
Here tits, chilluns. Here's your s. bastuI
done fell in de lad can. Laws-a-massey he'
white noww