Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-12-25

The treacherous ashes nurses
"CAN'T you let our folks have some eggs ?'
said Daniel Webster Larkins opening the door,
and putting in little straw.colored head and n
pair of very mild blue eyes just far enough to re-
connoitre "can't you let our folks have some eggs
Our old hen don't lay nothing but chickens now,
and mother can't eat pork, and she ant had no
breakfast and the baby amt drest, nor nothin'!"
"What is the matter, Webster? Where's your
girl?"
ooh we ha'u't no girl but father, and he's had
10 go way to a rasin'-and mother wants to know
II you can't tell her WHARF to get a Girl %
Poor Mrs. Larkins Her husband makes but
very indifferent girl" being remarkably public
spirited person. The good lady is in very delicate
health, and having an incredible number of little
blue eyes constantly making fresh demands upon
time and strength, she usually keeps girl when
she can get one. When she cannot which is I'M
fortunately the largest part OF the time, her hus-
band dresses the chiIdren--milks the cow-feeds
the pgs-and then goes TO his business" which
we have supposed to consist principally in helping
at raisngs, wood bees, huskngs, and such like i'm
portant affairs and "girl' hunting the most i'm
portaut and arduous, and proftess of all
Yet it must be owned that Mr. Larkins is toler-
able carpenter, and that he buys as many comforts
for his family as most of his neighbors The main
difficulty seems TO be that "help' is not often pur-
chaseable. The very small portion of our damsels
who will consent to enter anybody's doors for paw
makes the chase after them quite interesting from
its uncertainty and the damses themselves, sub
ject to well known foible of their sex, become
very coy from being over-courted Such racing
and chasing, and begging and praying, to get girl
for month They are often got for life with hall
the trouble. But TO return.
Having an esteem for Mrs. Larkns, and sin
cere experimental pity for the fororn condition OF
"no girl hut father" set out at once to try if e.
male tact and perseverance might not lrove eff.
fectual in ferreting out "help," though mere in
dustry had not succeeded. For this purpose made
a list in my mind of those neighbors, IN the first
place, whose daughters sometimes condescended
to be girls and secondly of the few who were en-
aoled by good luck, good management, and GOOD
pay to keep them. If failed in my attempts upon
the one class, ! hoped for some new lights from
the other. When the bject is of such importance
it is well to string ones bow donbe.
In the first category stood Mrs. Lowndes, whose
forlorn log house had never known door or window
blanket supplying the place of one, and the Other
being represented by a crevice between the logs
Lifting the sooty curtain with some timidity, found
the dame with sort of reel before her, trying tc
wind some dirty, tangled yarn, and ever and amor
kicking at basket which hung suspended from the
beam overhead by means of a strip of hickory bark
This basket contained nest of rags and an indies
crbable baby; and in the ashes on the rough
hearth played several dingy objects, which haC
once been babies.
"ls your daughter at home now, Mrs. Lowndes !?
SWELL yes! M'randy's to hum but she's out now
Did you want her 2"
81 came to see if she could go to Mrs. Larkins
who is very unwell, and sadly in want of help.n
Mrs. Larkins why, do tel want 10 know
Is she sick agin? and her gal gomez Why wan
to know; | thought she had Lo--sy Paddon! |
Lo-i-sy Paddon gomez"
81 suppose SO. You will let Miranda go to Mr..
= Larkins will YOU"
"Well, donnow but would let her 90 for
n data
she's mind ter. She incident live out unless sh
chooses She's got a comfortable home, and n
thanks to nobody?"
"a dollar week.
Eat at the table?'
ooh certainly"
Shave Sundays"
"Why mol believe not the whole of Sunda
the children, you know"
Oh no." interrupted Mrs. Lowndes. with
most dsdanfu toss Of the head, giving at tn
same time vigorous impulse to the cradle, :"
inps how is, Mrandy don't stir a step She don
ivy .Nwhare If she can't come home on Saturda
hight al stay till Monday morning"
l tooH m; leave without farther parley, hayin
gotlatons ~
my next effort, was pretty looking cattag
WHOSE oVerhahs,ng ,ioof and neat outer arrange
heht spoke OF English ownership. The interiC
~ no lneuhs eorIesPohded with the exterior aspec
Deng even more bare than Usual. and far from nea
The presiding power was a prodipious creatnr
who looked like man in woman's clothes IN
whose blazing face ornamented here and there h
great hair moles, spoke very inteligiblv Of ,I
er-barrel, if of nothing more exciting < dnuaI
ter OF this virago had once lived in our family, an
the mother met me with an AIR of defiance, as
she though, | had come with an accusation
,When unfolded my errand her abord softened
niue, but she scornfully rejected the idea of h,
Lucy living with any more Yankees.
you pretend to think everybody alike ;" sal
she, shut when it comes to the pint you're sigl
more uppish and saucy than the ra'al quality
home ; and I'll see the whole Yankee race to
l made my exit without waiting for the concl,
sion OF the complimentary observations and til
less reluctantly for having observed on the tabl
the lower part of one Of my silver teaspoons, tn