American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-12-01
From Mrs. Kirklands Western Clearngs.l
GIRL HUNTING.
A HALF LENGTH PROFILE.
BY MRS. C. II, KIRKLAND.
theme Of p rlous risk

Thos handlest, and hot fires beneath thy path
The ueacherous ashes nurse.
Can't you let our folks have some eggs;' said
Daniel Webster Larkins, and opening the door,
putting in little straw colored head and pair
of very mild blue eyes just fat enough to recon-
noitre; cant 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 amt
had no breakfast, and the baby amt dressed,
nor nothnH'
what is the matter, Webster? Where's your
grip
ooh! we ha'n't no girl but father, and he's
had to 60 way to-day to raisn'-and moth
er wants to know if you can't tell her where to
get girl'
Poor Mrs. Laikins Her husband makes but
a very Indifferent girl being remarkably
public spirited person. The good lady is IN
very delicate health, and having an incredible
number of little blues eyes constantly making
fresh demands on her time and strength, and
she usually keeps girl when she can get one.
When she cannot, Which is unfortunately the
larger part of the time, her husband dresses
the children-mixes stir-cakes for the eldest
blue eyes to bake ON griddle, which is never
at rest-miks the cow-feeds the pg-and
then goes to his business which we have sup
posed to consist principally in helping at rails
lngs, wood-bees, huskings, and such like i'm
protant affairs; and girl huntng-the most
important and arduous, and profitIess of all.
Yet it must be owned that Mr. Larkins is
tolerable carpenter, and that he buys as many
comforts for his family as most of his neighbors.
The main difference appears to be that help
is not often purchasabe. The very small por-
ton of our damsels who will consent to enter
anybody's doors for pay, makes the chase after
them quite interesting from its uncertainty and
the damses themselves, subject to we'll known
foible of their sex, become very coy from being
over-courted. Such racing and chasing, and
begging and praying, 10 get girl for month!
They are often got for life with half the trou-
BILE But TO return.
Having an esteem for Mrs. Larkns, and
sincere experimental pity for the forlorn condi-
ton of mo girl but father set out at once to
Try if female tact and perseverance might not
prove effectual in ferreting out hep, though
mere industry had not succeeded. For this
purpose | made list in my mind of those
neghbors, i'll the first place, whose daughters
sometimes eondescended to be glrls; and, Sc
condly, of the few who were enabled by good
luck, good management and good pay, to keep
them. If | failed in my attempts upon one
class, hope for some new lights from the 9th
err. When the object is of such Importance, it
In the first category stood Mrs. Lowndes,
whose forlorn log house had never known door
OF window; blanket supplying the place of
the one, and the other being represented by
crevice between the logs Lifting up the SCAN
ty curran with some timidty, | found the
dame with a sort of reel before her, trying to
wind some dirty, tangled yarn; and ever and
anon kicking at basket which hung suspend
ed from the beam overhead by means of a strip
of hickory bark. This basket contained nest
efrags and an indescrbable baby; and in the
ashes on the rough hearth played several dingy
objects, which suppose had once been babies.
lis your daughter at home now, Mrs. Lown-
DESC
well, yes M'randy's to hum, but she's out
now. Did you want herr
Il came to see if she could go to Mrs Lar
kins, who is very unwell, and sadly in want of
help"
Miss Larkins! why, do tell want to
know! Is she sick again. and is her gal gomez
why, want to know! | thought she had Lo-
,-sy 'Paddon! Is Lo-i-sy gomez
i suppose so. You will let Miranda 60 to
Mrs. Larklns, will yong
We'll, donncw but would let her 90 fora
sDeu, lust to commodate 'eu. Mraudy may
90 if she's mind ter, Sac needn't live ont
unless she chooses. She's got comfortable
home, and no thanks to noboiy. What wages
DO they gIve:'
a dollar week.
Eat at the tabe!'
'OlI! certainly
Have SuudaysH
'Whv mol believe not the whole Of Sun
dav--the children you, know
ooh, hon interrupted Mrs. Lowndes, with
most dlsdainul toss of the head, giving at the
same time a vigorous impulse to the cradle, if
that's how it is, Mrandy don't stir step! She
don't live nowhere if she can't come home Sa-
turday night and stay till Monday morning
touk my leave without further parley, haV-
ing often found this point the sine qua non IN
such negotiations.
NV next effort was at pretty looking cot
tage, whose overhanging roof and neat outer
arrangements, spoke of English ownership
The interior by no means correspondent with
the exterior aspect, being even more bare than
usual, and far from neat The presiding pow
err was prodigious creature, who looked Ike
man in woman's clothes, and whose blazing
face, ornamcnted here and there by great hair
moles, spoke very mtelhgibly of the beer bar
rel, if OF nothing more exciting. A daughter
Of this virapo had once lived in my family, and
the mother met me with an air OF defiance, as
if she thought had come with an accusation.
When had unfolded my errahd, her abow
softened little, but she scorntully rejected the
idea of her Lucy living with any more Yam
KEGS.
"You pretend to think every body alike"
said she, tbnt when il comes to the pint, you re
sight more uppish and saucy than the raal
quality at home; and I'll see the whole Yankee
race to"
made my exit without waiting for the con-
clusion of this complimentary observation; ana
the less reluctantly for having observed on the
table the lower part of one of my SILVER tea
spoons, the top of which had been violently
wIenched off This spoon was well-remem-
hered nss duriup l,Icy's adm istratlOn, aud |