The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-04-11
II III f N e w Err A
a PEEVISH DAY AND IT'S CONSE.
QUENCES
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

'ou"le; anu you Know can hardly hold my head
up
| Thus spoke Mrs Smith, in fretful voice. to
a quiet looking domestic, who had been called up
| from the kitchen TO supply some unimpurtant
omlssinn in the breakfast table arrangement
| Rachel looked hurt and robuked, hut made no
| reply.
How could you speak in that way TO Ra.
| chael, Lucinda 2 Mr. Smith said as soon as
The domestic had withdrawn
IL you felt just as do, Mr.. Smith you would
speak cross tou!' Mrs. Smith replied little
| warmly. feel just like ray and my head
aches as if it would burst
know you feel badly, and am very sorry
for it. But still suppose it is as easy 10 speak
kindly as harshy. Rachael is very obliging and
attentive and should be borne with in occasional
omissions, which you of course know are not
| wilful.'
II Is easy enough TO preach" Ietorted Mrs
Smith, whose temper, from bodily lassitude and
| pain, was in quite irritable state The reader
will understand al least one of the reasons of this
| when he is told that the scene here presented
occurred during the last oppressive week in Au-
gust.
Mr.. Smith said no more. He saw that TO do
81 would only be To provoke instead of que,ng
| his wlie's i'll humor. The morning meal went
| by in silence, but little food passed the Inns of
either. How could il, when the thermometer
was ninety four al eight o'cluck in the morning.
and the leaves upon the trees were as rnotioness
as If displayed in vacuum. Bodies and minds
were reaHed-and the turned from food as
the other did from thought-wiih an instructive
| aversion.
After FIR. Smith had left his home for his
| place of business, Mrs Smith went up into her
chamber. and threw herself upon the bed. her
head continued to ache with great violence. #
SO happened that week before, tho chatnbcr-
maid had gone away, sick and all the duties of
| the household had i'm
| Rachael, herself not very we'll Cheerfuily.
however, had she endeayored to discharge those
accunnIaiing duties, aud hut for the unhappy
pecvish state of mind in which Mrs Smith IN.
dnlged, would have discharged them without a
wavering thought. But, as she was faithful,
conscientious woman, and, wiihal, sensitive in her
feelings, To be found fault WITH worried her ex.
ceedingly or this Mrs. Smith was well aware
and had, until the latter part of the trying month
| OF August, acted towards Rachael " iih consldera-
ton aud iorhearance But the last week of Au-
| gust was TOO much: for her
The sickness Of the chamberInafd threw such
heavy duties upon Rachael, whose daily head
aches and nervous relaXations of body were borne
without complaint, that their perfect performance
was almost impossible. Slight omissions, which
were next Ia unavoidable, under the circum-
stances, became so annoying to Mrs Smith, her
self, as 1t has been seen, laborng under great
bodily and mental prostraioa, that she could not
| bear them.
She knows better, and she could do better.
II she chose was her rather unchartable CON
meni often inwafdly made on the occurrence Of
some trouble.
After MIR. Smith had taken his departure on
the morning just referred to, Mrs. Smith went np
lhio her chamber, as has been seen, pressing her
hands to her thrObbing temples, as she did So, and
murmurng.
can't live at this rate
AT the same time Rachael sat down in the
kitchen the large waiter upon which she had
ranged the dishes from The breakfast table, and
then sinking into chair pressed Zone hand upuD
her forehead, and sat for more than a minute in
troubled silence. 1t had been three days since she
mad received from Mrs. Smith pleasant word
and the last remark, made 10 her short time
bciure, had been the unkindest of ALL Atanothet
time, even all this would not have moved her
she could have perceived that Mrs. S. was mot in
a right siate-thal lassiude Of body and produced
a temporary infrmity of mind. But being her
self affected by tho oppressive season almost as
! much as her mistress. she could not make these
allowances. While still seated the chamber
bell was rung with quick, startling jerk.
What neXtP previously CIRCULATED Rachael
and then slowly proceeded To obey the summons
How could you leave my chamber in such
condition as this p was the saulatlon that met her
ear, as she entered the presence Of Mrs Smith.
who half raised upon the bed, and leaning nom
her band, looked the very personifcalion Of Ian
guOf. pccvlshnoss, and i'll humOr. You had
plenty ct time while VIC were eating breakfast to
have put things IitIlo TO rights !!
To this Rachael made no reply, but turned
away and went back INTO the Kitchen. She
| scarcely reached that spot before Tie bell ranC
again, louder and quicker than before but she
did not answer it. In about three minutes il was
jerked with an energy that snapped the wire, but
Rachael was lmmovabe. Five minutes eIapscd
and then Mrs. Smith, fully aroused from The leth
argy that had fallen over her, came down win
quick, firm step.
What was the reason that you didn't answer
my bell say y she asked in loud, angry voice
Rachael did not reply.
DO you hear me q
Rachael had never been so treated belorc-she
had lived with Mrs. Smith for thrco years and
had rarely been found fault with She had been
too strict in regard 10 the performance of her
duty, to leave much room for even more exact
ing mistress TO find fault bot now, 10 be over
taSked and sick, and To be- chidden, rebnked. and
even angnly assalIrd. was more than she coud
well hear. She did moi suffer herself 10 sneak
Tor some minutes. and then her voice trenilcd
IL