Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-10-30
INDIANA STATE SENTINEL,
From Arthur's Home Gazeue.l
The Young Housekeeper.
BY oRNE.

when we commence keeping house, said George Bren-
ton to his young wife.
This remark was made as he left the room, in reply to
something which Emily had been saying relative to their
projected plan Of housekeeping. Mrs Anderson her
mother, entered the parlor at one door as her son.ln-law
left il By another. q" And i hope" said she, " that Tor
your own sake, as well as your husbands, you will not
think OF fulfilling his expeetations-that Is, strictly
speaking"
" And why not ? George is always pleased to have
any suggestion Of his attended to, however indirectly it
may be made"
dHe would not be pleased, if on trial, il should COM
promise any oths customary enjoyments. Georges IN
come, is not %sufiient to authorize you to keep more than
one girl, who must be the maid OF all work and even
# you should be so fortunate as TO procure one, who IN
derstands the different kinds Of household labor there
viii be times when il will be necessary Tor yon TO per-
form some part Of it yourself-much more to SuPerin-
tend il.
q But mother, you know how I always hated the
kitchen"
" This 5 a dislike which necessity will, or at least
ought to overcome. You have never felt that there was
much responsibility attached TO the performance OF such
household tasks as | have always required oil you, ana,
in truth there has never been, as | could always have
very well dispensed with them. 1 required them for
your own good, rather than my own. Before habits oil
industry are formed, necessity is the only thing which
will overcome our natural propensity 10 indulge IN indo-
lence."
81 am sure that l am not indolent. J always have my
music, embroidery, or reading to attend TO. As to being
chained down to household drudgery, I cannot think of
it, and | am certain that it would be as much against
Georges wishes as mine"
" Ii would undoubtedly be gratifying 10 MN ~Heh-
ever he had an hour or two, which he could spend at
home to see you tastefully dressed, and TO have You at
leisure so as to devote your time wholly to HIM"
"YOu make George out to be extremely selfish, which
/ am sure he is not"
"a No, not more so, than We all are"
Why, mother, l am sure you are not selfish You
are always ready to sacrifice your own enjoyment for
the sake of promoting that of others"
" l have been subjected to a longer course OF disci-
pine than either you or George. / have lived long
enough to know, that the true secret OF making our
II. - - 70 .lon- 80 rnaE nthQrG n This
is, at least, the case with all those whose finer senslbill-
ties have not been blunted, or more properly speaking,
have been rightly cultivated. But 1t will do no good TO
enter into a metaphysical discussion oil the suDlect. Inc
course proper to be pursued by a woman whose husbands
income is limited, appears to me, perfectly plain"
+" The course proper for me TO pursue, IS that which
will best please George"
- Certainly, and that is precisely what / would advise
YOU to do but don't think that literally acting upon
this suggestion OF his, respecting domestic duties, will
please him for any length of time"
Emily made no reply to this. She had decided in her
own mind to obey the wishes Of George, more especial
ly as they exactly accorded with her own.
A few weeks from the time of the foregoing CONVEX
sation, George and Emily Brenton commenced house
keeping. Their house was neatly and handsomely FUR
nished, and through the influence Of Emily's mother.
Experience Breck, a gIrl of thirty-fve years old, who
well understood domestic labor undertook to perform the
duties of chambermaid, laundress, and cook, for what
all concerned considered a reasonable compensation.
Their home, to make use of Georges words, the first
time he saw Emily's parents, after everything was ar
ranged, % was a little paradise. Pedy (the dImInutive
for Experienced was the best of cooks and clear-starch-
ers, and never had he tasted such savory soups, and meat
roasted so exactly 10 a turn, or such puddlngs, and such
pastry and never had it been his fortune TO wear shirt
bosoms and collars which so completely emulated the
drilted snow"
and Emily too-she was the dearest and most cheer
ful of wives, and so bright an atmosphere always sur
rounded her, that one might always imagine that she
was a bundle Of animated sunbeams. She was always
ready to sing and play TO him or to listen while he read
10 her from some fayorite author"
This eulooy was succeeded by an invitation 10 Mr..
and Mrs. Anderson TO dine with them the ensuing day,
that he did not color the picture of their domestic bliss
too highly.
The invitation was accepted, and Emily could not help
taking her mother aside to tell her that since they saw
each other she had done nothing but read and play on
the beautiful harp her uncle gave her, except that when
she grew tired Of these, she sewed a little, " and yet"
she added with a bright smile, /" George has never given
me an unkind look-much less an unkind word"
And you have been housekeeping four whole days"
Eight days, mother"
"It is only four days since everything was arranged,
and you commenced taking your meals regularly at
home"
81 know, but then if we can live happily four days,
wa can four years"
eyes if Pedy could always live with You"
I" She appears TO be quite well satisfied with her stu.
aron," was Emily's answer.
There was one at work, however, though neither he
nor they realized it, who was sapping their happiness at
its very foundation. This was an honest intelligent farm
err, BY the name of Simon Lundley, who while one day
IN the city, happened to overhear the praises bestowed
on Pedy Breck by George Brenton, touching her excel.
lence as q COOK AMI clear Stdrcher.
If" thought he, " she could do these well, the same
good judgement would direct her how TO excelin making
butter and cheese; and as his mother who kept his house,
was growing old and infrm, it appeard 10 him that il
would be convenient TO have some person TO assist her IN
the performance Of these and other onorous duties be-
longing to the in-door-work of a farm. He had seen
Pedy a few months previous, when on a visit TO a sister
who resided in the neIghborhood Of his home, and re-
membered of having thought IL strange that she had
never married as we'll as her sister, as she was remark
ably . good looking" Simon Lundley, therefore, the
next Sunday, about sunset, arrayed in a suit OF sub
stantial blue broadcloth, boldly presented himself at
George Brenton's front door, and inquired if Miss Breck
was at home. IL proved TO be a fortunate as well as a
bold step. Pedy recognized him at once, and had a kind
OF a vague prescience, as TO the object of his visit, if
such might have been the inference drawn from the deep
crimson which suddenly sufused her cheeks.
From that time, he visited her regularly every Sunday,
and it was soon decided that they should be married in
time to pack the fall butter. This decision she for some
time delayed to communicate to Emily, from sheer BASH
iulness. She could not, she said, when she had wrought
herself up to what appeared to her the very pinnacle Of
holiness, make up her mind to tell her before, for the
life Of her, but then she did suppose that Simon kind Of
had her promise that she should be married to him in
just three weeks from the next Sunday.
Emily Immediately called on her mother TO communi-
cate to her the melancholy information. Mrs. Ander-
son saw that these were what might be termed "minor
trials for her daughter in prospective. She hoped that
she would be discreet enough not to allow them to be
magnihed into what might more appropriately be called
major trials.
"Don't you think, mother !" said Emily, "that you can
manage to ind me a girl as good as Pedy7'
81 think it will be impossible. Pedy is a kind Of rara
avis in all that appertains to good housekeeping. She
it your expectations. If you can obtain a girl who
knows how to cook well, il is the best you can hope to
do. Even that l am afraid will prove very difficult"
at appears TO me, that If girls who are obliged to