Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-29
Mercy Foote'S Reconstruction.

A rug pathway meandered from the
kitchen door to the parlor door, with
ramifcations on either side to chairs
and sofa and table. Square rugs and
round rugs and oblong, octagona!l, oval
rugs filed up all the chinks. There
was scarcely square inch Of the car
pet visible anywhere.
The two or three ambrotypes and
steel engravings in solemn black wal
nut frames were befogged behind wells
of mosquito netting. The comfort
able-looking lounge was draped in
crisp, clean newspapers to protect the
new covering underneath. The face
Of the clock on the mantel looked out
coyly through its veil of netting.
It was dim and cool in the big, clean
room--and empty. They sat ~ the
kitchen or, on especially hot evenings,
out on the porch. There was so niue b
danger OF flies in the sitting-room, and
dust and sun-fading aud all sorts of
dreadful things, especially in dog
days. 1t was dog-days now.
Mercy Foote was upstairs in the
unfinished chamber, ''resting;" but it
was so hot aud so close that even to
rest was hard work. She never
dreamed OF going into one Of the spot
less, speckless chambers and "muss-
ing up" one of the white, plump beds,
Mercy Foote was very neat woman
some Of the neighbors openly called
her "p'ison neat"
About midway of the afternoon
Nathan Foote came up through the
orchard from the bayfield,. He walked
very slowley, as If it hurt him. Every
minute or two he mopped his bald.
shiny head with his handkerchief and
drew long, tierd breaths. Nathan was
almost an old mana good deal older
than Mercy.
He had been working hard all day,
and every individual old muscle felt
strained and sore; and how his back
ached! II was rather long way, too,
up to the house.
Mercy put her lips to the window
screen and called sharply to him when
he came into sight round the corn
house.
"Nathan, go in through the stable"
she called, 'and mind you slide the
door to real quick behind you! I've
been out there Ay.powdering. 1 don't
want to have flies following you in.
Shut it the Instant
eyes, Mercy" Nathan said, YEARLY,
It looked like long, cirouitous ronte
into the house, and he was very tired.
He slid into narrow crevice In the
door, rubbing his aching bones
against the edges. Then he braced
himself and slid back the heavy
door.
In the sudden transition from the
hot glare outside to the dusky interior
he felt dizzy and blinded, and had to
sit down on q wagon-thill minute.
Then he shutiied up the steep stairs
and through the "shop" and wood
house to the kitchen, opening aud
shutting all the doors with conscien.
tious despatch. Mercy's voice drifted
down to him, mufl!ed but incisive.
"Don't wash in the best washdish,
Nathan. I've got it all secured up.
You get the old one over the tubs in
the wood-house, and mind you empty
the water out in the asparagus bed. /
don't like to have the sink all wet
up"
'Yes, Mercy"
He got the old basin and filed it
and set it on a chair with the soft. soap
crock. Some of the drops splashed to
the shining floor, and STOPPING with
evident pain, he wiped them up care
fully.
81 declare, he murmured, 81 don't
know as was ever. more beat out
than / am this afternoon! I don't
know as was everl guess I've got
TO lie down SPELL"
"Nathanl'
eyes. Mercy"
eff you're thirsty, you'd better
draw some water out Of the we'll; the
pumps all dry and clean. I gave it
o hard cleaning today, the last thing"
Nathan took the basin of water out
through the stable door and emptied
it over the asparagus-bed. He made
a second journey over the same toll
some route for drink of water.
"I've got to lie down somewhere
right awayr" he muttered. ''I'm oil
beat out!'
''Nathan" Mercy called.
eyes, Mercy"
"Did you rub your feet on the mat
in the porch and the scraper?"
1.-The scraper's out to the kitchen
door, Mercy" Nathan called back,
Lie L. .,niaa NTH on, nfcart