Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-09-09


was left Of an old silk pocket handkerchief.
preparatory to speaking. while The young lady
opened her month wider, and looked around
with frightened air. as If medItaing al es.
cape. After some prellminaries, however, !
found out that my old woman was Mrs. lib
bins, and my liebes name was Kottcrln
also thu, she knew more Dutch than Eng lsh
and uot any too much Of either. The old
lady was The cook; ] ventured few lnqllir
ies-"Had she ever cookcd?"
ayes ma'aIn, sartln; she had lived at TIVE
or three places in the city"
Il "l expect, my DEAR" said my husband, con.
hdenlly, 'thot she - an experienced cook
and all your troubles are over" aud he wen,
To- reading the newspaper. ] said no more
but determined 10 wait till morning. Th
breakfast, To be sure, did not do much hono'
to the talents of my official, but it was ih'
first time, aud the place was new to her,
After breakfast was cleared away, proceed
ed to give directions for dinner; il was mere
ly q plain joint Of meat, said, to be roasted
IN the oven. The experienced cook looked
al me with n stare OF entire vacuity "the III
oven,"I repeated ''stands there" pointing
TO II.
She walked up to it and touched IT witt
such an appearance of suspicion, as lfit had
been an electrical battery, and then looking
round at me with look Of such helpless IL
norance that my soul was moved. 81 never
see one, 81 one Of them things before" SAID
she.
"Never saw a tin oven" exclaimed 81
thought you said you had cooked IN two o.
three families"
"They doesn't have such things as them,
rejoned the Did lady, Nothing was to BE-
done Of course, but to instruct her into the
! philosophy of the case, and having spitted
the Joint, and gave numberless directions, |
walked off TO superintend tho operations of
| Koiterin, to whom | had committed the
making of my bed, and the sweeping OF my
room; it had never come into my head that
there could be wrong way Of making bed
and TO this day It Is marvel to me how aty
one could arrange pillows and Quilts to make
such nondescrpt appearance as mine nov
| presented. One glance showed Inc that Kut.
term was lust caught" and that ] had a"
much % do in her department as that Of my
old lady.
Just then the door bell rang; ''Oh, there is
the door BELL" | exclaimed, "run Ketterin.
and show them into the parlor."
II KoucriR started to run as directed, and
then stopped and looking round on all I'll,
doors, and on me with wofuIy puzzled air
"The street door" said !, pointing toward ,he
! entry. Kotterin blnndored into the entr,
and stood gazing up with a look of stupid
wonder at the bell ringing without hands.
while ] went to the door and let in the com
psny, before she could fairly be made TO un-
derstand the connection between the ringing
and the phenomena of admission.
Il As dinner time approached, | sent word
into my kitchen To have 1t sent on, but recol.
lecting the state Of the head Of the depart
ment there, soon followed my own orders
found the tin oven standing out in the mid
die of the kitchen, and my cook standing q la
| Turk in front of IT, contemplating the roast
beef, with full as puzzled an air as in the
morning. | once more explained the lnys
terry of taking it out, and assisting her TO gel
1t on the platter, though somewhat cooled by
having been 50 long set out for Inspection
| was standing holding the spit in my hand :,
when Kottern, who had heard the door bel
ringing, and was determined this time 10 b.
in season, ran into the hall, and soon return
ing, opened the kitchen door, and ppliie,
ushcring in three or four fashionable looking
ladies, exclaimed "herc she is - As thes
were strangers from the city, who had come
to make their first call, this introduction was
far from being an eligible one-the look Of
thunderstruck astonishInent with which ]
greeted their first appearance, as | stood
brandishing the spit, and the terrified snuffing
and staring OF poor Mrs. Tibbins who agaiI
had recourse 80 her old pocket handkerchief
almost eDtliely vanished their gravity, and it
was evident they we're Oh the point of n broad
laugh so, recovering my sef-possessiOn,
npoogizcd, aud led the way into the parlor.
Let these few moments be a specimen OF
four mortal weeks that | spent with these
"helps," during which time did almost a.
much work with twice as much anxiety as
when there was nobody here, and yet every
thing went wrong beside. The young gen |
tIemen complained Of The patches OF starch
griInmed TO their collars, and the streaks OF
black coal ironed into their dickeys, while
one week every pocket handkerchief abon,
the house was starched so stiff,that you might
as well have carried al earthen plate in your
pocket-the tumblers looked muddy, tb.
plates we're never washed clean or wiped dry
unless attended to each one and rs to eai
ing and drinking, that we had not before
considered possible.
AT length the old woman vanished from
the stage, and was succeeded by a knowing
active, capable damsel, with temper like II
steel trap, who remained with me Just one
week, and then went off in vent of SPITE
10 ncr succeeueuulo rosy, goou natured, merry
lass, who broke the crUckery, burnt the din
ner, tore the clothes in ironing them, and
knocked down everything that stood in her
way about the house, without at all discom
posing herself about The matter. One night
she took the stopper from the barrel Of mo
lasses, and came singing off up stairs, whl'
the molasses ran soberly out into the celia
bottom all night, ull by morning it was in II
state Of universal emancipation. Having
done this and also despatched an entire sci
Of tea things, by letting the waiter fall, shc
one day made her disappearance.
Then, Tor a wonder, there fell to my lot
tidy, efficient, trained, English gnl-prpuy
genteel, and neat, and knowing how t. dol
everything, aud with the sweetest temper H.
the world. "Now," said to myself II sha
rest from all my labors" Every thing about
the house began to go right and looked q,
clean and genteel as Marys own self. Bw
alas this period was interrupted by the Wis
ion OF a clever, trim looking young nan, who
for some weeks could be heard scraping his
feet at the kitchen door every Sunday night
and at last, Miss Mary, with some smiling
and blushiDg gave me to understand that she
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