Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-11-01
A DELAYED ERRAND.


roll, have ven got home at last!
y red faced and angry won al
STOOD in the Kitchen door, he
sleeves rolled up and her arm'
akimbO. a meek little man dl>.
mounted from his horse at the gate
and proceeded to nnbuckle ,he
glrtb and take Oft the saddle
which he threw upon the fence. a
pull DIT the headstall removed the
bride, arl the horse, with snort
OF satisfaction, at once lay down
and rolled in the sandy road. The
bride was thrown across the sad
die, aud the little man opened the
gate SlOwl, and hesitalingly, a.
oae who knows what things the
tJrturer is preparing for hin.
Il was a-cOmiu7, Minervy,' he be
gau, but the strident voice inter
rupted him.
'COmiur Yes, | reckon so! 50 is
Christmas a cOmlnN Here I've had
this supper ready one soil hour,
az the coftee's not fit to drink by
this time. Au' the ole red COW q
PeterSeS has been iii the corn
again, an' nobody but me to drive
her ont; bat IFS little IOu keer
what | hev to suffer, SOS You kin
90 to town an rOun' the stores an
till lies with that no 'cOnnt gang
that stays there! Az | know jet
a. well as IF III seen it that you
never 6rung that thread nor them
pirpan>n
Il was a-golh'rO git 'em Minervy,'
began the little man, meekly, Tut
they was up tiir maxim up com
pany-'
'Didn't | know IL, jim Carroll,
Didn't [ know It? If eyer there
was woman neglected an abused
from one years end to another, |
am that woman. Here | an. SlaNih
au' slaviu' from mOrnln' till night,
ah' never knOwIn' what it is to g,
nowhere exceptin' to pTrachlT
onct a mOntb-aW gracious know
if It wasn't for bein' a Christian !
never could stand this kind of a
life, az you know that we'll enough
an here are you, gaddin abOu
like ef yOu didh'C have heer in
the wolldD
Tue red faced woman withdrew
in;o the house, and the meek
little man followed her. He hoped
that the worst Of the storm was
over, and he ventured to remark
With cOnciliating smile.
Il never thought you'd he SO
mad about it, MIaervy.'
There 1t isl Shrieked tie now
thoroughly aroused lady. you
kin tear around this house an'
treat he worse than a slave, but
say a word the fats in the fire.
Things has come to Il pretty pass
If l can't open my mouth but what
somebody hes To accuse me o BEN
mac! | reckon Pll hay to be gaggt d
af,er IA while, SOS can't say moth
iur If ever | did see denineern
Overbearm' man, you're that man
HeIe YOU kin insult me as much a.
you please. bat I dOh't dare to say
my sOul is my own. An when YOU
knOwcd how | needed that thread
an them plepans, an you go al
all theway to town, an then come
back without 'em! G) out an gi
a armIul O wood to get breakfast
With / reckln you kin remember
that? Gracious knows, if all th,
men was like yOn the women folks
would be a plague sight better of
without 'em than they aIe with en-.
The lite nan went out at th'
Open door and around the house
towards the woOdpile. lie panseC
there to draw his hand across hi
prespiring forehead, and TO maxi
a remark TO himself. The remark
was simply 'Whe*P but it con
veyed an amount of expression,
Then he picked mp two or three
sticks of wood, and then he stOcC
up, looking of down the valley
toward the town, whose lights be
could just see glimmering faintll
M the gathering twilight.
He stood there so long, absorbed