The times., 1896-04-03

Hope 8, wondered, an hereditary trait,
intensified, as such traits sometimes
are? Had jeremiah ever felt in his
secret soul that one woman was some
times too many?
Supper-time came, and with 1t Jere-
miah. He received me very cordially.
did jeremiah. He was always most
pleasant to the early friends of Mehita-
BILE; from sense of honor, think, for
Jeremiah was an honorable man. He
must have felt, and keenly at times,
that he had dared to set at naught one
of the great natural laws, and that
life Of atonement would scarcely con-
done the error.
1t suddenly dawned upon me, at the
table, when the host received an en-
phatic reproof for some absent-minded
neglect of the rites of hospitality, that
Mehitable was still some distance from
the vine age, and still stood with con-
siderable firmness upon her own roots.
My visit at the home of my friend had
certain spiciness at times that made
1t decidedly exhilarating. Miss Hope
was no small factor there, and of course
the midget had realizing sense of her
own Importance. All the wells Of Jere-
miah's being were filed to the brim
with love for the child-and she was,
most times, nice, LOVING little thing,
Her mothers keen insight into the fol-
lies and weaknesses of men were hers,
too.
Mamma" she said one day, from
her morning toilet, "see how my apron
is tied! Papa did it. Just like man.
Mans can't do anything. Such gumps!
do wonder if any mans ever had COM
mon sense?"
Usually Mehitable would take excep-
ton to Miss Hopes wholesale criticism
Of mankind, but just now, being alb
sorbed in studying the only kind Of lit
erature she abominated, and the only
kind she had time to read now-the
cook-book-her daughters remarks
were unheeded.
Mrs. Jeremiah's single life had been
spent in the school-room, or among her
books, and so she found herself less
skillful in housekeeping than her better
trained sisters. Not being one of those
who die and make no sign, the strong
language with which she interlarded
her household duties was sometimes
startling, and, from it's very originality,
decidedly strengtening-tha is, to me
and l fancy to jeremiah, for his lam
entations were always-almost al
ways-silent ones.
ta hot
! before my visit the host had met with
a narrow escape from broken neck by
breaking his thigh, and poor Mehitable
had been for weeks, with all her other
! duties, the nurse of helpless, nervous
man. Her patience seems to have been
worn quite threadbare, and she shocked
into speechlessness, one day, poor little
Mrs. Breecheslover by adjuring Jere-
miah to be sure, the next time he went
| into bone breaking, to make it his neck
and have done with it once and forever.
Still, for all that, she neglected no
wifely duty, and hers was jeremiah
without. his lamentations.
/ Next to Hope-raising, a process re-
quiring at times, long, slender memen-
toes from the apple trees about, was,
in the mind of Mehitable, cooking and
baking, particularly cake-making and
baking. On cake-making day we all
walked softly, like Agag, thinking, up
like that poor pagan, surely the Bit
terness of death has come," and Me-
hitable was generally left to wrestle
alone with her burden. jeremiah then
stalked silently to his fields, and l not
20 silently, for ] must talk back, but
speedily to my room. OF course, Hope,
With the perversity Of original sin, al
ways made herself particularly obnoX-
lous on such occasions, and received
IN ordinary prelude to making
an apple-twig tattoo in consequence. IL
The cake turned out all right, you would
hear ascending from the kitchen, in
| Mehitable's rich, sweet voice, Lead,
kindly Light" and presently a cherry
"Graysaida, come down and see my
cake; it's a daisy" Mehitable would
be slangy at times, though she scrupu-
lously taught Hope that slang was a
very improper thing for her to use.
Then l would venture fearlessly into
the presence, and taste Of the well-be-
haved cake; and Hope, sunny and
bright, after the apple-twig tonic, would
share with me in the feast and the
favor. And when jeremiah appeared,
at the dinner, he would have his share
of cake and sunshine, while peace
reigned triumphant
But-let it be otherwise. Let the
cake, after promises of good behavior,
! eall into the sulks-as it sometimes did
Uhen taken from the Overland be
tTeaked all through with faint hints
De what it might have been, and very
solid assertions as to what it was
then, o, my countrymen! o, jeremiah,
Graysaida and little Miss Midget, be-
ware! No Lead, kindly Light" as
cended from the lower regions; but an
ominous silence, broken at intervals by
more ominous mutterings of wrath.
Then a silent jeremiah, an apple