The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-05-25
COMPANY EVERY DAY"


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i-''fhrrr- ~ no piurr-iIigr tTuurr, EHtti tiIr
song but what say our youth aud maldcns
The family of Mr. Elton, with the oxccp.
ton of the eldest son, were assembled, one
cold winters evening, IN whni wins styled by
: the household rhc little back chamber. They
called It little, not only because its dimcn.
sions fairly entitled It TO that adjective, but
also to Distinguished from the back chamber
of tho main house. The ltlIe Que was in an
cll directly over The kitchen, and originally
designed, one Inighf suppose, % snrvo in tile
capacity ofn snirty.valyo for II, az whenever
the steam, smoke, odor, or heat, (which last,
thouglN wus not oncn The cnsc) became disa.
grccnhc 10 the hired help she had ouly to
open the hnck stair door and the luwor room
was speedily relieved orits surplus moisture,
ynpur smell, Qr caloric, ns The case might
be-
'rhi. litlo back room,. which, hy tho way,
hnd hrru the cuusc of considerable ronicu-
liun during tho ilron yest- NJ Elton ltud uc-
cupird the house, wns of an indc6ncablc
shape. II was neither square nor round, yet
Il had both straight lines md curves The
ceiling was low, aud, in consequence ofthc
culinary clouds which swrpt so often urrosF
II, ofnn iron grey huci while ihc.Nalls. which
IN common pnrlauco werr'ichiieicashed yaiier,'
had from the same cHusc assumed Il shade
similar 10 that which distinguishes u! old
cent.
The furniture was very sinple, nothing
hut what seemed actually Ecccssnry finding
n Ttncp thcrc. 'fhc floor, or middle portion
uf II rather, was covered with rag carpet,
IN which one might see, not ouly every col.
or. but every shade oEcolor under the sun;
Mhilc The monks and earueE- lsaEa i1iaeed e'1t
with hits of oilcloth, green bnize, aud worn
out dfuggcis.
An old.hshioncd urn.up hcdscad occupi-
ed Que corner, concealed by curtains made
from old calico dresses, aud like drapcry
shaded the Two windows, A three legged
stand, which had been the crowning ornn-
ment of Mrs Elton's grnndmothcr's squire
room; five chnirsno two Of which were alike,
aud all SO nntiquaicd aud Eotling MS to lend
one TO suspect they came out of the May
flower it not ont OF the Ark; dumb stove,
and "A couple of wooden stools, comprised
lhn inventory,
Everything was scrupulously neat. except
the ceiling mud walls; everything wnH in per-
feet order, and yet the room wore anything
hui mn iuYiiing look, and produced any o,iess
than pleasant sensation upon entering it
One felt, when scntcd there, ihnt lac had a
roorto shelter him; hut as to farther sense of
comfort, thcrC was none. YET Tins roOn--
this lNtle, low, ugly, chilling, grease scented
hole, with it's dingy, sweaty walls ana anti
delHviatt like tttruituru-wus, during tho dHy
rand evening, used as pnrlor and sitting room
by all the members Of MIR Elton's family, and
in the night at sleeping room for the two
daughters
Why, think you? Because il wns the
poorest, mcnucst apartment IN the whole
house. and il saved labor, time light, fuel
wear aud ,cnr, aud ct cctctns innumernblc,
to occupy it Ms they did, And, moreover
aud this WAS the climax Of all the reasons,
and had been advanced time and again by
Mrs Ehou--'it kept tho front part Of the
house in such nice order for company!
This Mrs Elton was woman ofmnny eN-
cellent qualities. She was pattern house
kecrcr, active, industrious, frugal, neat 1t
would have been difficult, to havo gathered
"A spoonful of dirt in her whole house, there
was never a dish appeared on her table
spoiled in the cooking; never garment laid
away unmendcd; never anything lost or was
ted She was called, too, model wife aud
mother There Was no man III the town
whose linen was 20 white, or whose clothes
were so we'll brushed and cared for, her
husbands; there were no children who IN APP
pearanee or behavior excelled hers. Were
her family i'll, she forgot her own existence
in the care she bestowed upon thom, aud,
whether sick or we'll herself, lnborod loC them