Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-03-22
Exactly" :" said Mr.. Roland, "and share

! ITS confounded nuisance :" said tn
kind hearted but rough Herman. ''We can
have her here. Can't she be pastured ou
somewhere? Amt there boarding schools fo
such young animals, wonder But then. ;
he added, correcting himself, "the girl i
poor, it seems, and she mustn't want for
! living"
"She's a Rutherfold," said Mr.. Olive
grandly; "and she must not want for a hom,
to shelter her.
She's woman" said the chivalric Ro
land " and she must not want for pro
tector"
'Of course not" said they ell. There i;
no help for it; she must come"
" But what house for lady to come
into 90 sighed Roland. Think of our
drawing ng-rooms-scarcely opened since Kate
was married. Think of our chambers-des-
olate bowers for young lady to inhabit,
truly ~
"Oh, don t care for that" said Oliver ;
ga little money can soon rectify all that.
But the ehouse-keeping-ah there 8 the rub +,
how will Mrs. Harris stand lt2 She has
held undisputed sway for nearly 20 years,
with never a woman to say her nay What
| if she should leave -
cit is an awful bother" said Herman.
I" | suppose shall have to move all my traps
out of the library; and then to have young
lady, all founces and furbelows, always
about the house meddling and interfering in
every thing! can hear her now. mincing
and wincing '0h, Uncle Herman, see here
You've flung down your hat and gloves on
my jiggermerees, and tumbled all the ruffles
of my thingumbobs, and crushed theribbands
on my what.do-you-call-it! Lord, l
never can stand it, know And then the
lady's maid. prancing round in her double
flounces and her hooped petticoats, like a
ring tailed baboon know can't stand 1t.
I'll 90 of-I'll 60 to California"
"And to have to dress for dinner every
day." broke in Mr.. Roland. " No more
lOunging round in dressing gown and slip
pers."
"And the dinners, too,' mourned out
Mr.. Oliver What do young ladies eat, l
wonder? suppose she'd faint away at a
boiled leg of mutton, or a corned shoulder of
pork. No more deviled turkey, and beef
steak, and hot bread for breakfast" he con-
tinued, ruefully cycling the plentiful table
before him. 1.-The wing Of partridge, pos
sibly, sloppy tea, rolled bread and butter, and
marmalade; and for dinner-let me see
white soups, sillabubs and triae Well,
boys, how do you like the bill of fare?"
"And TO come upon us SO suddenly, too,
said Mr.. Herman. L" No mercy shown US
no warning-no preparation !"
True" said Roland. "And to come
upon US poor fellows full grown, too, in all
the white muslin terrors of young ladyism
If we had only known her as child-lf she
had grown up among US as Kate did, Iwould
not mind it so much she would not be half
so awful !"
81 know it," laughed Herman. 4" We
should be like the old woman who, having
lifted her calf every day Of its life, continued
able to lift it when it was cow"
"Just So" said Roland. g could not
express it half SO WE'LL
But now, boys said Mr.. Oliver, "leaye
of fooling, and attend TO business. The
young lady is coming there is no escape
from it and must all do our best to pro-
pare for her. The time is short, and much
is to be done
We need not give in detail all the CONVEX
sation which ensued. Fortunately the
Ruthertords were wealthy and liberal. The
needed expenditure Of their money on the
occasion was thing Of no moment to them
and the debate ended by each one taking his
part Of the general preparation, and working
upon his own responsibility.
Mr.. divers 6rst step was to see Mrs.
Harris, and confer with her. He approached
the subject with cautious delicacy and many
misgiyings; but, to his great surprise, and
still greater relief, the faithful housekeeper
took the idea kindly.
at was full time" she said, "that there
was a young lady in the house. The young
gentlemen had lived like heatheners ever
since their ma died and Miss Kate got mar
ried. She had hoped one of 'um would bring
home young lady of his own; but If that
wasn't to be, who'd better right there than
Mr. Toms daughter? ? Remember Mr.. Tom ?
Yes, indeed, she guessed she did He wasn't
a gentleman to be forgotten. Yes, indeed,
she'd like to see Mr.. Toms daughter. She
wondered if she looked like him, and had
such bright eyes, and his merry laugh. Poor
MIR. Tom -
This wonderfully lightened Mr.. Oliver
Rutherford's burden of care; and although
he had great deal to do indOctrinating John
II. all the little minutie of etiquette, which
had gradually fallen into desuetude in their
free, sans ceren,onie, bachelor mode of life,
and had to make sundry visits to the city,
and lay in stores Of foreign fruits, preserves,
wine biscuits, anchovies, sweet wines, and
various other condiments, and little dellca-
cies for the table, suited, as ne supposed, to
the very refined appetite of young lady
still, with Mrs. uarris's advice, co-opera-
| ton, and encouragement, he got along IA
mously.
Mr.. Roland had harder task. lie under
took the reftting OF the drawing rooms, and
the new furnishing of the suit of rooms up
stairs, for the use of Miss Rutherford and
| her maid.
Back and forth to the city went he-back
and forth from the city came the uphols-
terer. Long conversations they held, with
| closed doors, and with doors open. Then
came various artifcers, and pots of paint,
and whitewash and varnish and next, great
vans and furniture wagons came and went,
depositing fat rolls of carpeting, and long,
slim rolls of mating and canvass, and now
| furniture, carefully vailed from vulgar eyes
in mats and boxes and then the noise OF
hammers was heard in the land, and dusty
looking men, in paper caps and short aprons,
were seen at intervals, and the stately draw
ing-rooms shone out in renewed splendor.
EEThe Corinthian capitals of the white pill
asters had all been regilded the draperies
all taken down and renovated splendid new
carpets replaced the time-faded old ones ;
the furniture had been newly polished, the
couches and chairs rew-covered and few
new articles tasteiully selected ; the pictures
were revarnished, their frames, and the
sconces, and mirror frames newly FURNISHED;
the grand piano tuned, and supplied with
new music the leathern cover taken from
the harp and brave new ribband hung to
| Sister X ate $ Ouitar
But it was in the upper rooms that Broth
er Roland had laid out his utmost skill and
taste. Rumor said that Roland had been
deeply in love in early life, and death had
deprived him of his hearts tenderness; and
this might account for his chivalrous deyo-
ton to woman in general, although he re-
mained unwedded and it was perhaps as
much IN memory for the past as in prepar,a-
ton for the future that he furnished the
rooms-layishing upon the apartments OF
the expected Miss Rutherford all the CON-
forts and ornaments which his love had once
designed for the intended Mrs. Rutherford OF
long ago.
feet bower of beauty from the soft carpet oi
r;cbIv blended moses, whose varied greens
! douar or hripht t-c0l-