Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-06-24

"The i'm pressions made on young childre,
last for ever, and they tend to good or t.
evil !" remarked Annis, in low voico. "Bn
let me 20 on. ANNE breakfasts with us
the other two with nurse in the kitchen; the
arc too young for that to hurt thcm," sh,
added, in meaning tone. "Afterward. whei
Geoiiry is gone, | read to Annie for five min
utcs, or so----''
'Read what?' asked Mrs, Courtonay, ii
surprise: "Fairy tales"
" Bible storics,'' answered Mrs Lance
gravcly. "What would become Of me, o
them, 1t did not strive to train my children
to God? How should answer for it here
aitar? Then begins the business of the day.
| occupy myself in the nursery and mind the
children. while nurse helps with beds; and
| then -
Making yourself nurse the first thing in
the morning - grolncl Mrs Courtcnav,
I'm sure can never bring myself to do
that
" Everybody to their tlstc,' laughed An
mis-. would rather be nurse in the morn
ing than in the evening. When the beds are
made nurse relieves me, and 90 down and
help Mary in the kitchen. Sometimes wash
the breakfast things and make pudding
sometimes iron the fine things; in short.
| | do what there is to do of the work have
| apportioned to myself. BY II or II O'clock.
as it may happen, it is all done. and am At
liberty for the day, to sit down in my drawng =
| room, to my sewing, and chat with any
friends who may call to see me- Useful
sewing now, Augusta she laughed " no
longer embroidery, or drawing, or painting,
or wax flowers -
" Have you given up all those pleasant
recrcations %
| 81 really fear have. find no time for
| them. | make all my children things, and
part ofmy own and my husbands. On
washng-days am in the nursery until din
ner time, and we always that day have Il
cold dinner, that both servants may help.
You see | manage as | used to, and it is on
| ly repeating what have told you before
"You do seem to have such super-oxcclent
| servants - exclaimed Mrs Courtenay, in
sarcastic tone.
"Yes, have very good ones Servants
are much cried ont against, aud no doubt
| some are good and some are bad, but they
should be carefully chosen before admitted
to the house. and think that a good mis-
tress generally meets with good servants. |
do not mean that mine are taultless two'd
indeed be n miracle but they know they
are well off with me, for though | am reso-
lutte in having their duties thoroughly per-
formed | am considerate mistress, anxious
for their own comfort and welfare
"And you never have but one dinner.
Aunt Clem went on so to to me once, in the
| other house, about my having two dinners,
| one for ourselves and another for the servants
She called it waste.
at is So answered Mrs. Lance, "both in
timo and provisions. The children have
theirs in the middle of the day; they are too
young to wait but that is not much troub-
lie. A rice pudding, perhaps, and bit Of
steak, or two mutton chops: the baby does
not eat meat yet
"But my servants grumblc my life out
when order only one dinner: it was my
| saying they must wait to-day, and dine after
us, that put Susan out about the meat
81 do not wonder at it. with such irrcgu
larity, which to them most appear like ca
| price, how can you expect cheerful obedience?
| Let them understand once forall, that they
dine after you and if they persist in being
discontented, the best plan will be to
| change
Change! lam always changing you
know am, Annis. And then the taking
out the chldren--oh, the worry it is OF
course am not going streaming out with
them. and Susan can't go and do the work. so
hire girl, the greengrocer daughter, and
give her sixpcnce time, but the nurse does
not choose to approve of it, and says she is
more plague than help"
"Ah, we are well off in that respect, said
| Mrs. Lance, with animation. "We have
no right to the square, not absolutely living
| in it, but somehow we are popular in the
| neghbc corhood, and have had key given to
us. 1t is 50 useful: the nurse goes there
with all three children, and can sit down
with the baby whilst Annie and the boy run
about
Gan things seem to turn up well for you"
rejoined Mrs. Courtcnay, querulously; II In
| sure they don't for most people. ! wish |
| could get key of the square,
| 81 think TINT when people set their faces
resolutcly to their duty and strive to make
the best Of it, humbly trusting to be helped
in 1t, that many things do turn up for them
quite wonderfully answered Mrs Lance,
gently.
"Annis the idea of your mixing up re-
| ligious notions with the petty concerns of
| life 1t is quite methodistical.
| Rather high church, OF the two. fancy"
responded Annis, good humoredly. "But rely
upon it, Augusta, that until people have
| learnt to remember that Gods eye is upon
them in all the trihes of daily life, they have
not learnt how to live
you harp, too upon system and re-
gularity.' know | shall never learn to
practice either"
"But you must for the comfort Of u fam
lily mainly depends upon that. At five,
while we dine, the children take their tea in
the nursery, and when we have finished,
they come to US while the servants dine.
By seven the children are in bed"
"And then you sit stitching away here all
the evening ~ said Mrs. Courtcnay.
VERY often do, and Geoffry reads to me:
the newspaper, or our periodicals. And nurse
does her part to the stitching in the nursery
"Such' humdrum, Darby-and sort
of life ~
"We would not change it for yours, Au-
gusta, laughed Annis. "ButI do not work
always: sometimes read or we play at chess,
or cribbage, and now and then friend drops
in, OF we drop in to friends. Believe me
we are thoroughly happy and contented.
told mamma | knew we could manage we'll
on three hundred year, and we have done
, so, and are fully satisfied. All Of you, except
papa, have spoken scornfully of my lowering
myself to two servants, and one of those
f nurse, but have more regularity and com
fort in my house than you had with your four
No one who comes hero sees them otherwls,
than perfectly neat and tidy for both the
servants understand that were they to ap
/ pear otherwise they must look out for frcsl
situations
? "Do your servants have meat at lunch
/ con ?"
S "Never. They have it at one meal only
dinner They eat as much as they please
c | then. Believe me, Augusta, we have n
stintng in necessaries, though we canno
c afford uxuries.' ~
"You are not too luxurious in dress, that