The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-06-27
VOL. XXXV-NO. rs.

The lard was warm, the slippery kitten
stood on the tips of his hind feet, scratching
the side of the can with his paws, barely able
to keep his face above the greasy slough into
which he had fallen. The children clapped
their hands and shouted with glee. Miny
stood with the top in her hand, laughing and
calculating by turns.
"Mimy why don't you take that cat out of
that lard ?" cried sharply.
Glow ism to git him out'n it, Miss Kate .
He's up to bis eyes in grease, shore 'nough,"
and she laughed from head to foot. can't
git a-holt'n 'im."
take him by the ears and" Just then
Sebastian gave a mighty bound, passing
under Mimy's arm and landed on the kitchen
floor setting down pool of lard with him.
With hasty shake he made for the dining
room, q was in pursuit, took wide circuit
around the floor, uuivering and shaking one
foot at time, and throwing snowy Jumps of
fat in all directions, then escaped through the
hall to the front rooms. The children scream
ed and danced and yelled. Mimy folded her
hands under her apron and assisted them. A
deep, broad roar came from the doorway, and
discovered Ned laughing with all his
strength.
"You stupid, d-for-nothing niggeri
Don't you know the lard will ruin my new
carpets? Have you no gumption at allf
Come, every one of you, and catch this cat
instead of standing like idiots and laughing
at nothingW
They came in body; Ned to see the fun;
Tom and jamie to suppress their merriment
and pursue, but not touch, the snowy kitten.
Sebastian had left greasy trail behind him;
every relief station being plainly marked by
numerous spatlers. He had jumped on
chair, then on the bed. When l entered at
the head of the train, he was rubbing and roll
ing in the middle of the bed. Mimy seized
him and carried him to tub of water, fol-
lowed by Tom and jamie, still dancing and
giggling. The lard was ruined, the floors, the
carpets the bed-it made me sick to think of
it. l was angry, yes mad ; mad at the cat,
the lard, the negro-at everything. ! sat
down dizzy and furious. Ned drew upa
chair close by; broad smile still fingered,
but he tried hard to suppress chuckle. 10
"Say, don't be discouraged, Kate. This Is
only the first one there are great many
leaves in ones life, and new one has TO be
turned every day. Try again, now. it'll all
come out right in the end. What will you
take for that lard, Kate l shall need some
to oil the machinery in this house, mean
on this farm, after this. Set your price,"
"One dollar" answered sulleply. He
gave me the dollar and went out to see how
Sebastian's bath progressed. "And this 10
the new leaf!' 1 thought. OF course, the
leaf wasn't to blame, the turning wasn't to
blame, the cat wasn't to blame, it only follow
ed its natural instinct for its own safety
Mimy lost sight of the floor and carpets in
the ludicrous scene. But made no new re-
solutions just then. concluded to wait
for another day to turn over another leaf But
have turned so many leaves since then, that
grease and dirt seem small matters, easily
dealt with.
Truly each day comes like rolling car,
burdened with various freight; sometimes
pleasure, sometimes vexation sometimes sor-
row. Whether in an old house or new, it
stops and leaves share at every door.