The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-08-27

aDle TO II n q
out when Mrs. Snively began to keep
u boarding house. Though she had
house full of lodgers who paid well,
she was always poor and did all of the
work, cooking, sweeping and the rest of
it / have heard guesses concerning 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 a neighboring
village. and would Mrs. Snively have
an early breakfast, so that she might
catch the train? (The train left at
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
hcsitGting way with rising color, that
he had an engagement, oh.-cr-that
he would not be there at dinner would
be elsewhere, that is, in fact Fur
thermore, Mr.. and Mrs. Gowel and
their three children were observed
making preparation for departure
about ten o'clock, and when Mrs. Snlve
ly 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
7 nd l,., 70
her room with rheumatism, so that
Mrs. Snivoly washed up the breakfast
dishes with a strange feeling of leisure.
Thus she soliloq uized:
Lets see. What's to-day? Day be-
fore yesterday l made bread. Or was
it yesterday? Yesterday. So to-day's
Saturday and to-morrow's Sunday.
Let's see. Last March year ago, it's
fourteen lasting months since I've
been inside Il church. (The hard
working little .woman's memory was
not good, but this was undoubtedly
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 pleas
ant like. And let's see. How does
Coronation start?" and the cracked
voice quavered through the grand old
tune, as the dish-wiper polished the
chinaware.
III go to church tomorrow, Provi-
den2e permitting and nothing hinder
ing. Now, for the first time in four
teen months, /. have chance to get a
days work ahead. We can have a cod
fish dinner tomorrow. How can l man
age NOW? Chicken l can warm up in a
minute. And pie, too.p Here Mrs.
Snively's meditations entered a sacred
Tealm into which | do not dare follow
her.
What busy hours succeeded, prepay.
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 TIL
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 tlN
parlor windows II suppose | am a
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
a large garden back of the house-a
garden in which the thrifty woman die
most Of the work-and dug a peck OF
her very best. Didn't folks ever see
"a woman handle hoe before?" she in,
.dignantly soliloquized, observing how
people in the street stared at her and
turned around to look back ut her,
laughing rudely. Mrs. Snively felt
lonely and ill-used as she tugged the
bnsket back to the house and began to
prepare the Sunday potatoes
She took up her dinner on neat tray
TO rheumatic old Miss Le Croix, VIII {
znust have felt particularly cross just
then, for she snapped out; who's beer
moking all that racket about the house
this morning."
The folks were all away, and I've
tal;ca The opportunity to get LITTLE
ahead in my work" faltered forth
meek Mrs. Snively. I'm sorry | dis
turbed you"
''Huh! You'd better make your apol.
ogies to the Lord" grunted Miss lie
Croix, taking up the prayer book which
lay beside her reclining chair, and in
(which she always read before eating
Mrs. Sniyely thought that a queer re-
mark from Miss Lee CroiX, but bowed
herself confusedly out of the room, sar-