South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-11-25

FRIDAY. NOVEMBER IS. 1891.


8ainss the WINDOW shutters gusts
OF spiteful sleet driving into your
face every time you ventnred to
open the door snowdrops and n.y.
acinth blades shrinking hopelessly
back into the black mould, as If
convinced that they had made
mistake, and that spring was as far
away as ever mamma with q cold
in her head and the twins fretful
because they couldn't 60 to school |;
the butcher forgetting to call, and
the chimney persistent IN smok-
irg-could there, by any possibili-
ty, be a more dissgreeable concat-
enation Of circumstances look
ed dolorously at Fanny. Fanny
looked dolorously back at me.
And letter from Aunt Veal
thy, to say she is coming to make
rs visit y cried l, an / opened
the morning mail.
Deliver as ! cried poor mamma.
'And we in the very midst of house
cleaning J The best chamber all
damp with whitewash, and not q
carpet down in the house, and that
horrid painter disappointing us in
that unprincipled sort of way !
Oh, dear oh! dear what shall
we do
Commit suicide darkly sugges-
to Fanny.
Give mp in despair said I,
wringing my hands tragically.
But just then in came Tom az
cheerful as if it had been June hol-
iday and there were no such horri-
bic incubus rs house cleaning.
'Don't9..do either one thing or
the other said Tom, catching mp
the noisiest twin in his arms and
tossing it halfway up to the ceiling.
Telegraph to her not to como until
next week.
But perhaps the telegram won't
reach her In time suggested Fan
ny.
'Risk it, said Tom.
And at this rate added nam.
ma, Who was naturally disposed to
take Fan iDfuenza tinted vieHaof
life, i"with Mrs. Rsirdon,s: brok en-
arm and that painters reckless dis
regard of all moral obligations, we
shall be no better of next week
than Ne arc now
'Yes, we SHALL cheerily assented
Tom. 'I'll finish the .whitewash-
ing ; and ] can put up those shelves
as we'll as any carpenter that ever
handled plane and I'll do the
painting myself
'Youp cried Fanny and I in
chorus. The idea of our Tom, q
college tutor, at home for his Eas-
ter holidays, making.a Jack-of-all-
trades Of himself in this unexpect-
ed manner rather took Us by sur
prise.
Yes, T. nodded Tom, cutting
up the quietest twins breakfast for
him and keeping an eye on little
Billy the while. why not p
but you don't know how, Tom
1'll show you whether i do or
not said Tom, laughing.
So when he took the telegram
for Aunt Wealthy Wickes to the
village he brought back a white
wash brush, . pot Of paiAt and q
pair Of overalls.
Somehow his merry acceptance
Of the situation, his CHEEKY way of
making a joke OF everything, bright
ened me up like q CLEAN of sun
shine, spite of chill, raw winds,
dripping rain and the great discom-
forts consequent on house-clean-
ing. Mammals cold grew better !;
Fanny laughed1n spite of the Rush-
es Of smoke that came ever and
anon down the east chimney, and
l caught myself singing even while
l realized the fact that Bridget had
loft rs without an hours notice to
attend the funeral Of some forty
sixth cousin who bad, diedeiust
ct this. emergency.
Dear, dear, said mamma, what
8 blessing it is to have q son like
Tom =
Wont no make a jewel Of hus-
band to some girl, though 2 said
/, polishing away at = brass stair
rod.
Don't say q word added Fan
ny, mysteriously but there's the
sweetest photograph up in his room;
and Laura bikes says he's in love
with a pretty little New York heir
ess, who came to the College Com
mencement and was introduced to
Tom and she knows Aunt Veal
thy, and
Our Tom will never marry an
heiress, said mamms, mournfui-
ly.
why notp said I.
we never did have any luck 2
Tom is luck enough for any fs-
mily,' said /. just listen
And the fluts-like note Of Toms
whistle came down to rs from the
beat room upstairs, where Tom
was even then trying bis luck ss an
amateur paper hanger on the top
Of = tall stepladder.
ST the New York heiress could
zee him now, she couldn't help fall
ing in love With him, I know
But she next daY, inst "a We had