Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-05-15
I remarked upon the heat.


"Oh! it was SO hot and dusty on the
cars; am just tired to DEATH" she re-
piled, in thin, fretful voice, as she
rocked the baby, trying to get it to
sleep.
/ asked her if she would not sit out on
the porch, as it was cooler there.
''No, l couldn't endure the night air, I"
she answered.
Conversation tagged; I was too tired
to talk, and think she was. 1 made
faint efforts to keep up conversation
and to be agreeable, as l sat sweltering in
the hot room, when out on the veranda
could see the moonlight and hear Hugh
and the men talking.
"You burn kerosene, don't you," re-
marked Ellen. 81 do hate the smell of
it so. Why do you use it9"
"What should we useY" asked, 1--WE
have no gas in the country"
"Candles, of course" she replied,
with sligh curve of the lip.
"Candles?" asked in amazement.
"Why, no one uses candles nowadays"
ooh, there, that is just what it is TO
live in the country; one never knows
what people are doing at all. Why,
everyone of any pretentlons burns candles
now; not the old fashioned tallow
candles, but wax candles, with the low
liest little shades; they are so nice"
asked about her mother, to change
the subject, and we talked about her and
the old neighbors until she went up
stairs to put the baby to bed. She SAID
she thought she would not come down
again, if l would excuse her, as she was
so very tired. / soon went to my own
room and to sleep, from which l was
awakened by great clatter and rumpus
on the stairs, made by the young Woods
as they went down.
Soon our ears were saluted by the
faint crack of that rifle, followed by the
squealing of pig, and the loud shouts
of the boys.
Hugh hastened down, half dressed,
and found one of choice lot of Berk-
shires with broken leg, and Herky-
Herkimer his name is-dancing regular
war dance around the wounded animal,
and as pleased as pleased could be, to
think he had succeeded in using his gun
with such effect as to bring down his
game.
OF course the pig had to be killed. AS
good luck would have it, the hired man
had big fire and lots of hot water, so
he and Hugh set to work at once to
dress it.
Hugh took the gun and locked it up.
Herky was very indignant, but Hugh was
firm.
Just as breakfast was ready, there was
a sound of crying and screaming outside
the kitchen door, and John and Ollie,
the two youngest of the Woods, came in
wet to the skin, their clothes dripping
puddles of water all over my clean floor.
They had sailed chips on the water in the
horse trough, euarrelled and tumbled in.
Ellen sent Marguerite up to change their
clothes. and the rest of us sat down, the
baby keeping up fretful whine all
through the meal.
After breakfast said to Ellen that
she would have to entertain herself as
best she could, for had all the work to
do, as VIC could get no girl.
She took the baby into the parlor,
and heard some of the youngsters draw
iEg tortured tones from my organ. /
had forgotten to lock it, but l resolved 1
would do so at the first opportunity,
and did.
Being In the pantry after time, mix
ing bread, l heard a great racket, and,
glancing out, saw the four Woods boys
standing in my new hammock, while Ted
and Bob were trying to capture them.
Two of the Woods boys held open knives
in their hands, making feints at striking
at those on the ground. 1t made my
blood run cold, to see them swinging
and swaying about on their uncertain
foothold with those open knives.
took my hand out of the bread, and
calling my two boys, went with them
out to the barn and begged Hugh to
take them with him into the field, which
he did.
I baked pies and cake, and prepared
the vegetables for dinner, making hurried
visits to the parlor between times.
When my bread was in the oven, and
big kettle of beans bubbling on the
stove, went up stairs. 1t was half-past
ten, and the thermometer marked ninety
degrees on the north porch. hurried
the work in my own and the boys room,
and then stepped along and took a peep
into Ellen's room. l was in hopes they
had cleaned up their rooms, but, what a
slght they had not done one bit of
work. In the middle of the floor, on
my new carpet, lay those wet clothes,
just as they had been showed down over
the feet of those boys. I picked them
up, and on the fawn-colored ground OF
my carpet, was a big blue stain where
each suit had lain. Clothes Uttered the
chairs and bed, the trunks stood open, a
towel stood over the edge of the wash
bowl, leading tiny, trickllng stream OF
water to the floor. The bed had not
even been teen thrown open. put the
room in order, and as stepped into the
hall to go into the other guest room, my
first breath gave me smell of burning
bread flew down stairs and was just
in time to save the whole baking from