The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-10-29

able to h n
out when Mrs. Snively began to keep
q boarding house. Though she had a
house full of dodgers who paid well,
she was always poor and did all of the
work. cooking, sweeping and the rest OF
1t. i have heard guesses concerning a
departed Mr.. Snively. who did no,
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 neigh boring
village, and would Mrs. Snively have
an early breakfast, so that she might
catch the train? (The train left al
nine, but Mrs. Grant was nervous).
Strangely enough, old Mr.. Grumpy had
informed her that he also would be
absent on the morrow, being invited
to dine with friend, and would she
feed his parrot in his absence, precisely
at noon?
Then at breakfast, early breakfast,
young Mr.. Lovelace had said in very
hcsitating way with rising color, chat
he had an engagement, oh!-er-that
he would not be there at dinner, would
be elsewhere, that is, in fact. Fur
thermore, Mr.. and Mrs. Gowell and
their three children were observed
making preparation for departure
about ten o'clock, and when Mrs. Snive-
ly ventura 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, and she was confined to
her room with rheumatism, SO that
Mrs. Snivcly ashed up the breakfast
dishes with a strange feeling of leisure.
Thus she solilcq uized:
Lets see. What's to-day? Day be-
fore yesterday l made bread. Or was
it yesterday? Yesterday. So to-day's
Saturday md to-morrow's Sunday.
Let's see. Last March year ago, it's
fourteen lasting months since I've
been inside church. (The hard
working little woman's memory was
not good, but this was undoubtedly
true.) How good it would b: to. hear
the benediction again, Now unto
him who is able to keep and to see
them take up the collection, SO pleas
ant like. And let's see. How does
Coronation sta-t?" and the cracked
voice quavered through the grand old
tune, as the dish-wiper polished the
chinawarc.
''Ill go to church tomorrow, Provi-
dence permitting and nothing hinder
N
teen months, have chance to get a
days work ahead. We can have a cod
fish dinner tomorrow. How can man.
age now? Chicken i can warm up in a
minute. And pie, too" Here Mrs.
Snivelys meditations entered n sacred
realm into which l do not dare follow
her.
What busy hours succeeded, prepar-
ing for the expected church-going on
the morrow! She swept and busted
and tidied up the house for Sunday, be-
cause "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. II suppose l am
sight to behold" she confessed, looking
down on an indescribable housekeeping
uniform.
There were not quite enough potatoes
for Sundays dinner, so she went out to
q large garden back of the house-a
garden in which the thrifty woman did
most of the work-and dug a peck of
her very best. Didn't folks ever see
n woman handle hoe before?" she in
soliloquized, observing how
peop.e in the street stared at her and |
turned around to look back at her,
laughing rudely. Mrs. Snively felt |
lonely and il-used as she tugged the |
basket back to the house and began to |
prepare the Sunday potatoes
She took up her dinner on a neat tray
to rheumatic old Miss LIE Croix. VIII o |
must have felt particularly cross just
then, for she snapped out: "Who's been |
making all that racket about the house
this morning?"
The folks were all away, and I've |
taken the opportunity to get little
ahead in my work." faitered forth |
---~~'~ %A@S' oHANSis. ia us
turbed you"
Huh! You'd better make your apol-
ogies to the Lord" grunted Miss LIE
Croix, taking no the prayer book which
lay beside her reclining chair, and in
which she always read before eating.
Mrs. Snively thought that queer re-
mark from Miss LIE Croix, but bowed
herself confusedly out of the room, car
rying Miss lie Croix's vase to fill it with
fresh flowers. When this was done.
and Mr. Grumry's parrot fed, Now"
said Mrs. Snively, "l'll do my market
ing for Sunday, and then cook what l
ian all ready for tomorrow.
So she put on her marketing garb, a
Uniform only less wonderful than her
attire, aud with an i'm
nense basket on her arm, sailed forth.
1t was beautiful summer day, and
tranpelv 0uiet ssHov uleasant IL is -