Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-03
A Little sketch From Life.
BY MAnrrs W. o. BROWN.

/
sitting at the breakfast-table one lovely
Sabbath in June.
"Why, Mandy?I i thought you wanted
to hear the sermon; you know Elder
Bishop is going to preach to-day"
~ know all about that" replied Mrs.
Peters, with sigh; but it's nine o'clock
now. and with all have to do can't
possibly get ready to start by half-past
ten.n
"Let me help you, Mandy. can
wash dishes; yes, and sweep too" he
added, triumphantly.
"Yes, and probably you can make all
the beds and get the children ready for
Sunday school, and clean off the stove
and skim the milk and wash the pans
and peel the potatoes for dinner and
get the meat cut and In the spider and
lay the fire ready to light when we get
hOme,n replied Mrs. Peters, scOrnfully.
"Now, Mandy" said he by this time
crestfallen Mr.. Peters, ~ meant all
right; can't you let the sweeping and
cleaning the stove go this slime ?and we
can do without potatoes for once. II
will make a change" he added dryly.
"Change! Yes, guess so. If you want
a change so bad you had better go and
board with Mrs. Russell. You'll get
change there / reckon" and she smiled
grimIy. "Why, when went over there
the other morning to borrow little
-four they had just finished breakfast,
and such breakfast"
"Why, what was it, Mandy?" asked
Silas, with his curiosity aroused.
"What was it? You had better say
what wasn'tit. That was just exactly
it. There wasn't a single bit of pie on
that table, nor, pickles, nor cheese, nor
jelly, nor anything-much."
"Well, they had something to eat
didn't they?" queried Mr.. Peters.
eyes, they had bread and butter, and
mash potatoes and steak, oatmeal and
cream, and coffee and cookies" with o
sniff of scorn; "but not even one smitch
of pie"
swell, she's a good cook anyway, for
I've eat there" said Silas, decidedly.
"And don't see but what they had as
good a meal as we've got, Mandy"
"Humph! Guess you had better board
there while, Slas Peters," And Mrs.
Peters rose from the breakfast table.
Anyway" said Silas to himselfas he
was Harvesting his horses for church.
"I'd rather eat just bread and milk for
dinner if Mandy would only go with me
once in a while. Yes, and for break
fast and supper too" he added heroiral-
| ly. There goes Tom Russell now with
his wife and baby. How happy he
looks, and well he may, for he's got his
wife, she goes, most everywhere with
him. / do wish Mandy would go with
me. 1t seems kinder lonesome" he
unused, getting in the buggy with his
| two furbelowed children and chirping to
the old horse.
In regard to this conversation, it may
be we'll to say that the women of the
little hamlet of Ashville had followed
strictly in their forefathers' Tor FORE
mothers rather) footsteps-table crow
ed with everything set on promiscuous-
and cheese, pickles and pie for supper.
And ateach society" or tea party that
was held each lady tried to outdo the
one before her. If Mrs. A. had three
kinds of cake and two of pie, Mrs.
B. would have four or five of cake and
three of pie, with perhaps tarts as an
addition; while Mrs. G. would by no
means diminish the quantity of pie and
cake, but would also add dried beef,
Ijelly, cheese etc.
Elder Bishops sermon that morning
was excellent; so thought everyone with
perhaps the exception of Silas Peters.
He sat in his pew with his two child
ren, but his eyes kept wandering to the
Russells' pew.
"She's most as old as Mandy" unused
he. "Mandy's little past thirty and
Mrs. Russell, so Jim Snyder's wife said,
is twenty-eight. Poor Mandy maybe !
haven't helped her as much as might.
Mrs. Russell looks so happy and con-
tented. Wonder if she had az much to
do as Mandy this morning." as sud-
den thought struck him.
After service he returned home to find
a clean house, beautifully shining stove
and a delicious dinner; but a worried
and irritable wife.
"It's been so warm,n she said. ut
tired me all out cleaning up. haven't
sat down a minute since you've been
gomez" with the air of martyr who
faces duty at whatever cost.
MANDY, why don't you let some.
thing 60 once in while and rest q lit.
tie? This dirt-fight will were you out. y
| ISeSt! WE. w ICtt htl btiiS WOFks LEAVE
some? Cleanliness is next to godliness,
Silas Peters,"
eyes, Mandy, next to godliness. The
godliness comes first DEAR" hesitating.
ly.
Mandy looked quickly up, a pink
flush on her face; when had he called
her so before? Not since their old court.
ing days. 1t touched a tender spot in
her heart, and after the dinner work
was done up, as Silas sat thoughtfully
on the porch in the shade, she said soft.
| ly:
tSilas, wouldn't you like to take me
to church tonight as you used TOP"
He looked up quickly.
Like to?" Why, Mandy, You know
I've wanted to for ever so long, but you
are always so busy or tired. Will you
go, Mandy?" with an eager light in hi
eyes.
"If you will take me, !" she said, hal
smiling.
He looked at her moment and then
said abruptly:
"How pretty you look, Mandy; why
what makes your cheeks so pink? You
look almost as you used to eight years
lago." Then, with sudden daring look
j in his eyes: "Have you heard how Tom
Russell uses his wife?"
"Why, no, Silas Peters; he's kind to
her, know heis. You needn't tell me