The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-12-18
Bs1dy'S Troubles.

time I've been having since coming to this
house, twelve months agone this week
4 Thursday. Yer know that my fourth cous-
in, Ann Mccarthy, ricomminded me to
Mrs. W Whaler, and told the lady that
knew all about ginteel housework and the
likes; while, at the same time, had niver
seed inter an American lady's kitchen. So
she engaged me, and my heart was jlst
ready to burst with grief for the story that
Ann had told, for Mrs Whaler was swate
spoken lady, and niver looked cross like in
her life; that | knew by her kind, smooth
face Well, jist the first thing she told me
to do, after had dressed the children, was
to dress the ducks for dinner. l stood
looking at the lady a couple Of minutes be-
fore | could make out any meaning at all
to her words. Thin | went searching after
clothes, for the ducks; aud such time as
[ had, to be sure. High and low [ went,
till at last my mistress axed me what for |
was looking; and | told her the clothes for
the ducks, to be sure Och, and how she
screamed and laughed, till my face was rid
as the sun wild shame, and she showed me
in her kind, swate way what her meaning
was Then she told me how to air the
beds, and it was proud day for me, indade,
when | could 60 up chamber alone and
clare up the rooms. One day Mrs. Whaler
said to me-
"Biddy, an yer may give the baby an
aiIing, if yees will"
What should | do-and it is thrue, what
| am saying this blessed minute-but 90
up stairs wild the child, and shake it and
thin how'd it by its arms out of the cham
Der winder. Such a screaming and kicking
as that baby give but [ hid on to it the
harder livery man and woman in the
street looked up at me, and al last my
misthress came leaping up the stairs TO see
what for was so much noise.
u am thrying to air the baby" | said
1 bat it kicks and screams dridfuly."
There was company down below, and
whin Mrs Whaler told them what had
been afLher doing, thought they would
scare the folks in the strato wild their
scrameings
And then [ was told that I mnst do up
Mr.. Whaer's linen sharts one day, when
my misthress was out shopping. She
told me repeatedly to do them up nice, for
my master was goin' away, SO l takes the
sharts and did them all up in some paper
that was ahher bringing from the old
country wild me, and tied sCno bright
pink ribbon about the bundle.
Where are the sharts, Biddy?" axed
Mrs. Whaler, when she coined home.
Il have been atther doin' them up in d
GUAR nice way" l said, bringin' her the
bundle.
"Wi you iyer be done wild yer Crane
Z" she asked, with loud scrame
can't for the life of NE be telling what
their talking names. At home, we call
the likes of this work fine starching-and
a deal of it have done too Not long
ago. Mrs. Whaler was taching me to make
bread, she told me to wash my hands in
the wash-dish before putting them into the
dough Thin whin | washed the dish
cloth in the same dish; wid clane water,
got bit Of scolding, and my misthress
said it was not nate to be dom so. can't
tell, of truth [ can't, why the dish l
washed my hands in, when | was just put
ting them in the bread, was not cIane
enough fos the dish-cIolh that was only
mare the dishes. Och and may the bles-
sed vargin bity me, for l ncver'lI be cured
Of my graneness.