The Newtown bee., 1893-05-26
SIGNS OF SPRING.

nents will give you particulars.
 SIGNS OF SPRING.
 WRITTEN FOR THE BEL Ye who long to see old Winter Pack his trunk and buy his tickets, Should you ask concerning spring time, And its certain signs of coming, l would answer, 1 would tell you Signs are on that never fail us. Storms are raging every whither, Storms peculiar to the spring time With storm centers in each household. Wives have pulled out all the windows, Letting in the cutting east wind, The promoter Of discomfort. Old clothes on the line are swinging, Dangling in the chilling breezos. Rugs and mats and ancient carpets, Quilts and spreads and unnamed garments On the outer wall are waving, White, and red, and blue, and yellow, Made in strange and weird devices Like the flags of many nations. Wives look wild and husbands wilder, Casting glances this and that way With great fear and sad forbodings, As they dodge the s~aying broomstick And the house maids flashing dust brush, And the flying pans and kettles, Rushing as ii spirits moved them. Boots and shoes, and twanging coal hods, Last years hats and ancient "boHnets," Trunks and boxes, bags and grip sacks Ornament the back veranda; Hassocks, wash stands, dining tables, Easy chairs, settees and couches, Baby carriages and rockers, Pictures bric a -brac, and notices Notices "Peace to this Household,"- "Home, Sweet Home, ,"-''God be your Help
 er''-
 Legless stoves, and rusty stovepipe, Shovels, pokers, tongs and glassware, Husbands cuspidores, (wives' horror) Dressing bureaus, Queen Ann bedsteads, Satin gowns and cotton dresses. Seal skin sacks with old sun bonnets, All in fine artistic grouping, Or mixed up most picturesquely In a wild-entangled medley, Grace the stoop, the lawn and door yard. And perchance, in doubting dcdging, Husbands, picking out their footsteps, Step upon a treach'rous soap cake, Slip and strike against the cook stove, Which defects them towards the wood box Dodging which they sit them splashing, In a steaming, sudsy washtub Standing loaued in mid-kitchen, With appealing eyes protruding, And appealing legs and elbows Flashing mid the flying water, Coming out red-mad and dripping, Pulling at their clinging trowsers, Rubbing where the suds embraced them, While dense dust and choking ashes Save them from profane expression.
 And the wife firm in commanding In these scenes of wild commotion Seems determined and grows bolder, Nay, delighted, like the storm-bird Which is happiest and screame shrillest When the winds and waves fge widest. All house-cleanings have gt'nooning,' As all tempests have a lulling. Good wives then bring oulSold victuals. Husbands lunch on thin 1ett over.I Standing in some vacant Corner, Or sit on a ragged fragmsnt From their tempest-srnit1en household And there gnaw their bo$ es in silence, While the wife and 6i s'piece it.' Husbands now forge sousing And all mishaps of u rniug, As the happy meal pfcO ses. And good wives o'erlooA prt-comings. Dinners a1ways-warm, dinners Soften down the chating sN These then are the signs oil :ing-time Ot which I am tain to tell yod Look ye well and sharp aboutI Igpu While the cleansing cyclone ra4s. Be discreet, and mostly silent. Let it rage, but keep from under Lest flying missile hits you. Fierce storms clear the air ot yapors And the lurking germs of sickness, Ever seeking for destruction. Cyclones thus have useful functions. God is always good in sunshine or in shower good from seeming evil, every houl And gives man in pressing need sustainin
 power,
 Guiding where the storms rage widest As when winds and skies are mildest. And when busy wives are mildly scolding As they whack at rug or carpet, Raising domestic racket, Turning new domestic leaves and pages, God some grace or blessing is unfolding, Unseen or in plain beholding, While the wives redemptive cleansin
 rages- Good has grown from seeming evil throug
 all ages.
 IT ms Eve, ms cnarInef Madam The first man extracted daughter Leads at times through soap and water, 'Tis a blessing to her brave, undaunted Adam When the erstwhile fearful storm is fully ovs And your wife has conquered and bro't ords Within all the old domestic border, And your nesting place renewed in sweete
 clover;
 And you feel the atmosphere is bracing, And your footsteps to your rest your t~a
 ing;
 When you feel your fears have all subside And the cleansing storm you have abide And new life appears to be commencing Under springs new styles and regulation
 Kiss your wife congratulations,
 (Lacking wife go kiss your mother,
 Or your sister-but no other) Thank her, thank her kindly tor the healthf
 cleansing. Such-kind recognitions never do escape he She feels much repaid for carpet shaking And for painful, sharp rheumatic aching And you-just you use the door mat or u
 scraper.-fH. E. Couch, Danbury.
 
 An elegant Steinway & Sons uprigl grand piano, slightly used, can bought low; also several other good e