The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-11-26
MRS. SNIVELY'S SUNDAY.

MRS. SNIVELY'S SUNDAY.
Mrs. Snively had always kept
boarding house. AT least, | have
never been able to find out when
Mrs. Snively began to keep board
ing house. Though she had a
house full of dodgers who paid well.
she was always poor and did all the
work. cooking, sweeping, and the
rest of it. have heard guesses con-
cernins a departed Mr., Snively, who
did not carry his debts with him,
but that's neither here nor there.
The night before, Mrs. Grant had
told her that she proposed to spend
the next day with her daughter in
neighboring village, and would Mrs.
Snively have an early breakfast, so
that she might catch the train? (The
train lett at nine, but Mrs. Grant was
nervous Strangely enough, old
Mr.. Grumpy had informed her that
he also would be absent on the NOR
row, being invited to dine with
friend and would she feed his
parrot in his absence precisely at
at noon?
Then at breakfast, early breakfast,
young Mr.. Lovelace had said in
very hesitating way, with rising
color, that he had an engagement,
oh!-er-that he would not be there
at dinner, would be elsewhere, that
is, in fact. Furthermore, Mr.. and
Mrs. Gowell and their children were
observed making preparation for
departure about ten O'Clock, and
when Mrs. Snively ventured to ask
them their plans she learned that
they proposed to drop in on the
minister's family at dinner. And
wouldn't they be surprised!
That left no one in the house but
old Miss lie Croix, alg she was
confined to beyroom with rheuma
tism, SO thszsf Mrs. Snively washed
up the breakfast dishes with strange
feeling of leisure. Thus she solilo.
quized:
Let's see. What's to day? Day
before yesterday, made bread. Or
was it Yesterday? Yesterday. So
today's Saturday and tomorrow's
Sunday. Let's see. Last March
year ago, it's fourteen months since
I've been inside a church. (The
hard working little woman's memory
was not good, but this was undoubt
edly true.) How good it would be
to hear the benediction again. "Now
unto him who is able to keep" and
to see them take up the collection so
pleasant like. And let's see. How
does Coronation start? And the
cracked voice quivered through the
grand old tune, as the dish wiper
polished the china ware.
I'll 60 to church tomorrow, Pro-
violence permitting and nothing
hindering. Now, for the first time
in fourteen months, | have a chance
to get days work ahead. We can
have a Goldfish dinner tomorrow.
How can I manage now? Chicken
l can warm up in minute. And
pie, too. Here Mrs. SniveIy's medi-
tations entered a sacred trealm into
which | do not dare follow her.
What busy hours succeeded, pre-
pairing for the expected church
going on the morrow! She swept
and busted and tidied up the house
for Sunday, because the folks
wouldn't be back till too late to
muss things up again, thanks be to
goodness! People in passing looked
at her very queerly as she beat her
rugs out of doors and washed the
parlor windows. l suppose l am a
sight to behold, she confessed, look
ing down on an indescribable house
keeping uniform.
There were not quite enough
potatoes for Sundays dinner, so she
went out to large garden back Of
the house-a garden in which the
thrifty woman did most of the work
and dug peck OF her very best.
Didn't folks ever see woman
handle hoe before? she Indignantly
soliloquized, observing how people
in the street stared at her and turned
around TO look back at her, laughing
r rudely. Mrs Snively felt lonely ane
a i'll used as she tugged the baske
r back to the house and began to pre-
pare the Sunday potatoes.
She took up her dinner on nea
tray to rheumatic old Miss LIE Croix
who must have felt cross just then
for she snapped out: Who's bee
making all that racket about tn
house this morning?
X The folks were all away, and Nv
taken the opportunity to get a llttI
ahead in my work, faltered fort