The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-09-17

SeoId. scold, thump. hump. scod. scold away!
There IS no comfort in the house upon a washing
day.
= NONSENSE! only wish the writer Of
these lines had been at our cottage by the
bridge on washing days; it would have
made him sing other words to the same
lively air, or am sadly mistaken.
Washing-day!i why it was the happiest
twelve hours in the week to "us children"
We could scarcely sleep all the night be-
fore from fervent anticipations of the frolic
which i, brought. 1t was astonishing how
our intellec,s were sharpened, and our in
genuty brought in force to devise ways
and means for escaping school on that
particular morning.
- - = A nice, tidy old crea-
ture was our washer-woman, one that an
artist would have sketched in spite of him.
self, had he seen her vending along the
shady path. in the cool morning, with
kerchief of brilliant cotton passed neatly
over her cap, and tied beneath the chin.
Guy or Page would have taken fancy to
the old woman, even before her sad, mild
face came in view. There was something
picturesque about her raiment, and her
movements were In fine keeping with the
dewy quietude reposing among the dark
green foliage through which she was who'll
" revealed, or seen only in glimPses as
she came toward the cottage. ~
But there was sometimes another object
which almost every young man OF TASTE
even though not an artist, would have fan
cied-for Ida was possessed of beauty
80 soft and delicate, that it seemed natu.
r.lsto the green woods, almost as the flow
ers that spring TO life and perish there,
Ida, sweet, pretty Ida. as we always
called her, was girl OF ten years old
when could remember Of her coming to
the house with her mother, and she is al.
most the first object can remember, for
she was just the creature to fashion herself
on the mind OF child whose instinct II
was 10 love the beautiful, and be grateful
fcrkindness. Ida came with her mother
for many year; and it was to her thai
our washing.day owed all its cheerfuness
The old woman brought her girl to stake
care of the children" she said, and sucl
care as she took to make us happy. wa'
never 90 successfully exerted by morta
being before or since.a ~ ~ ~ "a
"a chsnge fell upon our washing days
The old woman came as usual, but, alas
Ida, dear Ida, no longer helped US gath
or sticks from the drift heaps, or allowed
her ringing laugh to set the birds chirp
ing, from sympathy, in the pine woods
Ida was an apprentice now, learning tn
milliner's trade, on Falls Hill. - - y
asii !*ael*U But sometimes the young gir
would start early, and come with her mo
ther for a few moments Monday mornings
but she seemed more thoughtful than for
nerly, and there was something peculiar
" sweet in her smiles, which we're NOR
beautiful even, than her pure, bird-fk
laugh. Her complexion settled into this
clesr pearly white which carries the ide
Of mental purity with it, while It indicate
perfect hsslth quite as truly as the riches
bloom. Her eyes were very changeable
and shaded by the longest and most jet
lashes you ever saw; while her little mout
Vas bright and red as q ripe strawberry.
The milliner's shop where Ida worke
vas in the second story Of q dry good
store, near the Episcopal church. TheI
wsre two rooms in 'front.' separated by;
marrow entry; and as Miss Smith, the mi
e .Hiafinc ii,pg