The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-08-12

Htl ~. IOu VIII get lneTe DeIOTe Ihe
letter does, and the chances are that
you will have 10 provide your own
transportation for the six or ten miles
from the railway station 10 the farm
and you will think that distance longer
than all the rest OF the journey.
Most likely, too you Will find the
farmer gone 10 n grange meeting; and
by the time you have sat round the
door on your trunk Till he gets back at
sunset, you will be homesick and may
be hungry.
AlsO-fOr there are two sides 10 the
matter-your country brother and his
wife will be troubled about II. So send
your letter at least n week ahead.
The first we knew Of the coming OF
Uncle Pascal and Aunt Nabbie, they
drove into the yard with livery
team from the village; and an express
wagon was coming on behind with
their trunks.
Besides uncle and aunt there was a
smiling, dark haired youth with them,
n granddaughter OF Uncle Mowbray,
named Olin Randall whom we had
heard OF often as a hind OF third or
fourth cousin, but had never seen.
lie had never bcheld Maine before,
and was regarding everything with
curiosity and little grin OF condc
scension.
That grin Of his nearly upset us
particularly Ellen ana "Doad," who
for n hundred reasons wished 10 make
very favorable impression on Uncle
and Aunt MOwbray and all the family
| nearly forgot TO mention that Uncle
Mowbray was rcputed very fussy and
particular about his food.
Grandfather and grandmother had
set of that morning to attend confer
ence meeting eighteen mvcs away. Mt
Turner, and were not coming back
till the next day at night-a thing they
would no more have done had they
known Aunt Nabble was coming than
they would have set sail for Australia.
That visit had been looked forward 10
for five years.
Our two story farmhouse was com
Portable and big, and we had plenty OF
everything; but Of course il was not nj
togctsier like one of the finest houses
in Philadelphia. For Uncle Mowbray
was wealthy man, one Of those
thrifty, prosperous Philadelphia mer-
chants OF the era ending with the Civil
War. lie never let dollar escape
him.
They came just at dusk. We boys
were doing the chores. The girls were
getting supper.
Theodore had resolved TO try her
hand at batch of mug bread for the
next day, and had set Old Hannah up
for IL.
The unexpected arrival upset us all
a good deal, particularly Ellen and
Dora. who had TO bear the brunt of
grandmother's absence get tea, see TO
the spare rooms, and do everything
else.
Uncle Mowbray looked n little glum.
He was tired, ! suppose, and disap-
pointed to find the older people away
Aud then there was 0lin, mildly grin
ming.
His presence disturbed the girls
worse than everything else. But Aunt
Nabbie smoothed away their anXietles,
and helped to make all comfortable.
We got through the evening better
than had at first seemed likely. and in
the morning the girls rose at five and
tried to hurry that mug-bread along,
with other things, so ms to have some
OF it for dinner FOR they found that
they were short Of bread.
Ellen. l believe. thought that they
had better not attempt the risky expert.
mcnt, but should start some hop-yeast
bread
Thcodora however, pCepcd into the
old mug. saw cncourS ging eyes in IL.
and resolved To 60 on. They mixed
it up with the necessary warm water
and -four and set ii carefully back for
the second rising.
Perhaps they had little hotter fire
than usual. perhaps they had hurried
IL shade too much. orwell. you
can perhaps anything you like with
milk-yeast bread. At all events. il
took the wrong turn and began to per
fume the kitchen.
IL they had not been hard pressed
and little hurried that morning, the
girls would probably have thrown Il
out. Instead. they took IL down. saw
that II was rising a little. and-hoping
that IL would yet pull through worked
i'm more -four and soda. and hurried
four loaves of IL into the oven 20 bake.
Then IL was that the unleavencd
turpitudc of that microbe displayed the
full measure Of its maligulty. A bor-
riblc odor presently filed the place.
Stale eggs would have been Araby the
BEST beside Il.
The girls hastily shut the kitchen
doors, but doors would not hold IL in
II captured the whole house.
Aunt Nabbie. in the sitting room. per-
ceiyed IL. and came rushing out 10 give
motherly advice and assistance.
And IL chanced that while Theodora
was confdentially explaining IL to her.
the kitchen door leading to the front
piazza opened. and in walked Uncle
Pascal, and 0lin behind him. They
had been out in the garden. looking at
the fruit. and had come back to get
Aunt Nabbie TO see the bees.
When that awful odor smote them
they stopped short. Uncle Mowbray
was fastidious man. He sniIed and
turned up his nose.
lis 10 sink spoutsY'' he gasped. "Arc
the trans out OF ORDER"