The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-01-07

NY e - NJ
Ea7 ssl77f7 n
power of many brushes and cloths. and /
of much water and soap At various
hours when | have made my appearance
near the house have caught sight of
her portly form through several win !
dows, a haring handkerchief concealing
her temples and covering the site of her
chignon
There was an expression OF deep red
ness upon her features that panied me
while | beheld, but which at the same
time led me to remark to myself that it
was not the most favorable time for
making a call, and thus looking and ap
pretending | would turn sadly away
Monday morning we had our break
fast in our comfortable dining room. At
noon took my dinner from the lid of
/ the ice chest 1t was dreadful cold, and
tasted clammy and disagreeable. In the
evening stood back of the stove and par
| took of a slice of bread (the butter had
/ got mislaid) and drank some of last
/ years tea from the irregular spout of the
milk pitcher In the morning we ate
/
| in the stove, as it was to be kept cold for
moving) The victuals had flavor of
great dampness and tasted as though
they had been fshed out of the soap bar
! rel
After astonishing my internal struc-
ture with the meal, | accepted an invita-
tion from Mrs. Perkins to take down the
stove. In Justice to myself it may be
well to remark that never took down a
stove, nor was present when that intri-
cate performance was going on, and
this in a measure accounts for the slight
misgiving | may have entertained when
brought face to face with the tremen-
dous range
The conversation that ensued was
something like this:
i 'You want to use great care, Mr.. Per-
kins and not let the whole thing fall on
you and kin yourself.
This appeared reasonable enough, and
| readily promised to use my best Ell
deayors to keep the whole thing from
falling upon me-
"And, Mr. Perkins, don't get nervous
with the pipe because Mary Ann has
just scrubbed the floor, and that stuff
gringes in awfully"
hadn't the remotest idea os what the
stuff could be that gringes in awfully
but didn't like to show ignorance before
J Mary Ann and so confidently responded;
Certainly not"
, And be very careful about your
clothes, MIR. Perkins, now, won't your
This appeal was delivered with so much
confidence mingled with doubt that /
hardly knew whether to treat it as a
compliment or asnspicion, and concluded
II was best to split the difference and
preserve silence.
I'VE are all ready now, Mr.. Perkins
Mary Ann you come here and steady the
pipe while Mr. Perkins gets on the chair
and takes it down"
Upon this mounted a chair and
grasped the pipe but must not neglect
to mention that as -srasped the pipe
Mrs, Perkins grasped my legs
/, Goodness gracious Cyrus Davidson
Perkiusl don't you know better than to
stand on one of the best chairs in the
house and break right through the
canesY"
| had to admit that didn't know any
better, but cheerfully got down and
mounted another chair This time
caught the pipe by its neck, and gave it
a gentle pull from the chimney 1t
didn't move bit, which encouraged me
to believe could bring little more
muscle into play, and under this impress
sion gave an extra twist. 1t came this
time, and so much more readily than |
ha'f reason to expect that | stepped
down Co the floor with it, passing over
the top Of the stove and rubbing off an
inch or so of skin from Mary AIMS nose.
"Oh, Mosesl" screamed that lady
"What have you done2 Oh, what have
you doneY cried Mrs Perkins
Singularly enough, didn't say any
thing, but got upon my feet as quick as
| could and rubbed my head, and looked
all around but where Mrs Perkins aud
. her weeping aid were standing
"lts just like a man You have made
ten times more work than you have
helped Mary Ann, get the floor cloth.
And there's great spot ON that floor we
can never get off. I'd like TO make a
) fool of myself, know | should. knew
when you stuck your ungainly carcass
| on that chair Won wOuld kill sOmabOdV