Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-02-06

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 it Jere-
miah. He received me very cordially,
did jeremiah. He was always most
pleasant to the early friends of Mehita-
BILE; from a 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 a
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 a realizing sense of her
! own Importance. All the wells of Jere-
miah's being were filed to the brim
with love for the childand she was,
most times, a 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
cookbook daughters remarks
We're unhechcd.
Mrs. Jeremiahs single life had been
spent in the school-roon. or among her
books, and so she found herself less
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-that is, to me
and fancy to jeremiah for his lam
entations were always--almost al
ways-silent ones
l had forgotten to say that some time
before my visit the host had met with
a narrow escape from broken necl. 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 1t his neck
and have done with 1t once and forever.
Still, for all that, she neglected no
, wifely duty, and hers was jeremiah
, without his lamentations.
Next to Aope-raising. a process re-
quiring at times, long, slender memen-
J 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. un-
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 Their
stalked silently to his fields, and moi
so silently, for l must talk back, but
speedily to my room. OF course. Hope
with the perversity of original sin, al
ways made herself particularly obnox-
ious on such occasions, and received
an ordinary prelude to cake making
an apple-twig tattoo in consequence. Il
the cake turned out all right. you woult
hear ascending from the kitchen, ir
Mehitable's rich, sweet voice, Lead
kindly Light" and presently a CHEEKY
"Graysaida, come down and see my
: cake: it's a daisy" Mehitable woult
be slangy at times, though she scrupu
lously taught Hope that slang was /;
very improper thing for her to use
= Then would venture fearlessly into
the presence, and taste of the wcll-be
haved cake: and Hope, sunny ant
l bright, after the apple-twig tonic, woult
share with me in the feast and the
|
| at the dinner, he would have his shar,
of cake and sunshine. while peac,
/ reigned triumphant.
Bullet 1t be otherwise. Let tn.
. cake, after promises of good behavior
, fall into the sulks--as 1t sometimes die
when taken from the Overland b,
streaked all through with faint hint
Of what it might have been, and YER.
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 al
ominous silence, broken at intervals b.
: more ominous mutterings Of wrath
Then silent jeremiah. an apple
twigged but not penitent Hope, and ;
resentful and disguised Graysaida, tax,
| =; yahl