Eastern times., 1855-08-30
GBe storp GelItr,
Girl Hunting:
A HALF LENGTH FROM LIFE
BY MRS. C. KIRKLAND.

lnou manifest, ana hot fires beneath thy path
The treacherous ashes nurse"
Can't you let our folks have some eggs =
said Daniel Webster Larkins, opening the
door and sticking in little straw-colored
head, and pair of very mild blue eyes, just
far enough to reconnoitre; 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 nothin'.
What is the matter, Webster! Where's
the young girl!
80, we amt got no girl but father, and he's
had to go way to a 'rasin'-and mother wants
to know if you can't tell her where to get
girl!'
Poor Mrs. Larkins Her husband makes
but very Indifferent girl, being remarka-
Bile public-spirited person. The good lady is
in very delicate health, and having an incred-
ible number of little blue eyes constantly max
ing fresh demands upon her time and strength,
she usually keeps girl when she can get
nately larger part of the time, her husband
dresses the children-mixes stir-cake for the
eldest blue eyes 10 bake on the gridde which
is never at rest-milks the cows-feeds the
pigs-and then goes to his business, which we
have supposed TO consist principally in help
ing at raisings, wood-bees, huskings, and such
like important affairs; and girl hunting
the most important and arduous, and proitless
of all.
Yet it must be owned that Mr.. Larkins is
tolerable carpenter, and that he buys as many
comforts as his neighbors. The main ditficul-
ty seems to be that 'help' is not often purchas-
able. The small portion of our damsels who
will consent to enter anybody's door for pay,
makes the chase after them quite interesting
from the uncertainty, and the damsels them
selves, subject 10 a well known foibe of their
sex, become very coy from being over courted.
Such racing and chasing, and begging and
praying TO get girl for a month they are
often got for life with less trouble But TO
return.
Having an esteem for Mrs. Larkins, and
sincere experimental pity for the forlorn con-
dition of mo girl but father set out at once
to try if female tact and perseverance might
not prove successful in ferreting out help
though mere industry had not succeeded. For
this purpose | made list in my mind of those
DplnhhorS in tho Grcf r,laoa
sometimes condescended to be girls; and sec
ondly, 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, hoped for some new light from the
other. When the object is of such impor-
tance, it well worthy to string ones bow quite
double.
In the first category stood Mrs. Lowndes,
whose forlorn Lighthouse had never known door
or window; blanket supplying the place of
one, and the other being represented by a
crevice in the logs. Lifting the sooty curtain
with some timidity, found the dame with a
sort of tangled reel before her, trying to wind
some dirty, tangled yarn; and ever and anon
kicking at basket which hung suspended
from the beam overhead by means of strap OF
hickory bark. The basket contained a nest
of rags and an indescribable baby; and in the
ashes on the rough hearth played several din
gy objects, which supposed had been babies
Is your daughter at home, Mrs. Lowndes
Well, yes; M'randy's to hum, but She
out now. Did you want her!'
Il came to see if she could not go 10 Mrs.
Larkins, who is very unweIl and sadly in want
of help
Mrs. Larkins Why, du tell ] 1 want
to know Is she sick again, and is her gal
gonel Why l want to know! thought
she had Lo-i-sy Poddon! Is Lo-i-sy gone g
/ suppose so. You will let Miranda 90 to
Mrs. Larkins, will you!'
well, don't know but would let her go
for spell just 10 accommodate Them M'ran-
dy may 60 if she's a mind ter. She needn't
live out unless she chooses. She's got COM
Portable home, and no thanks to nobody
What wages do they givep
A dollar week.
Eat at the table 2
80, certainly
Have Sundaysl'
sWhy, mol believe not the whole of Sun.
day; the children, you know
'Oh ho!' interrupted Mrs. Lowndes, with
disdainful toss of the head, giving at the
same time vigorous impulse to the cradle
III that's how it is, M'randy don't stir step
She don't live nowhere if she can't come
home on Saturday night and stay until Mon
day morning.
took my leave without farther parley, hav.
ing often found this point sine qua non in such
negotiations.
My next effort was at pretty little cot
tage, whose overhanging roof, and neater out
,er arrangements, spoke of English ownership
The Interior by no means corresponded with
the exterior aspect, being more bare than usu
al, and far from neat. The presiding powel
was prodigious creature, who looked like Z
man in woman's clothes, and whose blazing
face, ornamented here and there by great hail