The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-25
CAUGHT IN PASSING.

The dishes always broke when she laid
her hands on them. Handles few of cups
and glasses fell TO pieces. plates slipped
from her hands and saucers from the
shelves. The Kitchen was always enlivened
by the crash OF falling china. 1t really
seemed like magic or witchcraft or some
thing. But apparently the poor girl
couldn't help it. and we bore with her be-
cause of her groveling repentance. One hot
summer evening she was getting a pitcher
OF water for dinner. i saw her pick up a
hammer. ''what are you going to do with
that?" / asked in horror. She moved 10 the
side so that j could see what she was do
ing. A piece OF ice was thrust half into thu
pitcher. The other half was too large to
go in. Before ] could interfere she had
administered a few sharp blows to the lump
Of ice. They had no effect on the ice. but
a piece Of the pitcher fell of. She appeared
disconnected II was just going to push the
ice in" she said.
The poor cat is so small that she ought
to escape censure. But she is a black cat.
and so must always be REGARDED with sus-
picion. A black Skin for "a cat is like red
hair or Unitarian tendencies in a human
being. IL may be all right, but the chances
are against the afflicted one. All the fam
lily look at her with aversion. My aunt
frowns when she enters the room. Sure,
ma'am. there's fiends in that cat" says the
Irish slave. My brothers call her the ennis
sary of the evil one. They swear that they
chased her under the stove one day. barri-
caded the place and then attacked with
broomsticks. But the cat had vanished.
That is some of their testimony. But the
reason for all this maligning is really this
they are jealous. She loves only me. l IN
derstand her and don't mind scratches.
~
An impish little Italian stood at the door.
please { buy some matches. Four boxes
for five cents"
mo. thank you; / don't want any"
please L buy -four boxes for five cents.
If you don't want 'em now. you will some
time"
1 attempted to close the door. He speedily
inserted a substantial shoe. ! left. angrily.
still hearing the refrain:
please L buy some matches. Please T.
buy four boxes for five cents"
Silence presently, and l returned. But a
head popped in at the door and began.
Please t. tried TO shut the door. but
up he bobbed serenely with the chilling
words in the same s~taccato fashion.
IF anybody'H be mean enough TO squeeze
anybody's head like that. I'll be mean
enough to keep my foot in the door
1 fed. leaving him victor of the field.
49,
My Dear Daughter-To-day is your BIRTH
day. isn't 1t? i have been thinking of you
ali day as l went about my work through
the old house-of course you remember il
all-from the kitchen with its ma~ple-shad-
owed window to the sitting room. bright
and sunny to-day. but just as shabby and
coy as ever. I've been putting up cur
rants. Do you remember three years ago to-
day how you picked them while / got break
fast, and how hard we worked all day? And
then in the evening. what A nice time we
had, sitting on the porch and talking? IL
was such. a pleasant night, the sky so blue
and so many little bright stars. We planned
everything all over again. how next fall
wed rent the little house-at first Won said
sell it. but I reminded you that your
father built ii himself just after we were
married, and / told you about little Tom
playing under the naples the summer be-
fore he died. and thee you said. mo, we
wouldn't sell it, we'd rent il and then come
back again. how we'd move where there
was a college and you'd go to school and
I'd sew. and at night when you came home
the nice long walks we'd take. But not too
long. you said. for you'd have TO study al
the time. People at college were awfully
bright And / said / guessed you would be-
the stupidest one most anywhere. Why, my
darling. you were the brightest scholar they
ever had in the school here. / know you'd
have been the very best. Then we talked
about afterward when you were teaching,
all the fine things we'd have. how wed go
to Europe some summer, and YOU said L
shouldn't sew then. l should just stay at
home and keep house for you. That's three
years ago. 1t doesn't seem a day, and it
seems a hundred years. Oh, Edith, I'm a
poor old woman, alone. It's two years since
you died. ALICE WINSTON.