The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-25
From the Sunday Magazine.
LAURA RICHMOND.
BY JEAN INGELOW.

matter. and was vexed that they should
bring Interested motives to bear on 1T.
Mixed motives neve answer when
charity is in question. If people will
not give money for the love of God and
their fellow creatures, 1t is cruel to
them to let them think that what they
give under a promise that some good
to themselves will come of it, is char
ity at all. However" she reflected,
Il have not a large young family to
bring up, nor have | small means, as
these have. | could afford to raise my
housemaid, Elizabeth's. wages to any
sum that she is likely to ask without
Inconvenience so perhaps, | ought
not to say anything. But if all the
members of the committee take this
view it will be very awkward; and |
do not see how the funds of the school
can be kept up"
1T really is most difficult" pursued
Mrs. Chamberlain, Ito get and to re-
tain tolerable servants"
so my wife says" observed the
Vicar, but this is not a new com
plant; / can remember hearing my
worthy mother make the same when [
was in the nursery. Now, ifthe com
plant is a just one. it must have a
cause, and [ think that cause is not
far to seek. 1t is, that our interest
and that of the servants clash: we
want good servants and low wages.
they want good mistresses and high
wages" -. II
But no wages will induce them to
attach themselves to families as they
used to do in the good old lays" said
Mrs. Randolph, Il mean, no wages
that We should think of giving" sra
Then" observed the Vicar, Il
suppose we shall have to do more for
ourselves. [ have never doubted that
as knowledge was spread and emigra-
ton went,on, we should not have SO
many servants; what we have are SUI
perior and are more costly Injuries.
In some things, therefore, we should
learn to be Independent of them.
Suppose we start a philanthopic school
for young gentlewomcn, and teach
them how to practice various fem
mime arts neatly and becomingly."
At this moment pretty Miss Rich
mond, drawing a long tendrill of
woodbine after her, came wandering
by, and stopped to listen to the con-
versation. An expression of great
surprise and a certain disapproval ap-
peared in her face when she heard the
Wears answer; probably she thought
it very wide of the mark.
His eyes fell upon her as he con-
eluded, and she thought he was d
dressing her In particular. She did
not look as if any kind of domestic
art was at all in her line, and she re-
piled with a quiet smile, Il do not see
how what does not become our station
could possibly be done becomingly."
You play with my words, Miss
Richmond, and beg the question tool
But If you went as much as [ do into
the classes below us-into small
tradesmen's families, for instance, and
there saw the one little drudge serv-
ing the Woodworking masters unpala-
table dinner, while his daughter sat
feet on the fender reading novels. you
would wish as [ do that it was still the
custom for young women, whose faith
ers are not rich, to do the more deli
cate parts of the family cooking and
ironing, and so forth. Now suppose
we have a school to teach these things
at least for such folks as | have
mentioned it would be useful"
The ladies of the committee were
not prepared to entertain this new
proposition so, like the prime minis
ter in the poem, they smiling put the
question by" The difficulty was not
solved, nor likely to be; and after all,
what do men know about ~housekeep-
ing, and all the trouble it causes, and
the thought it demands? So thought
the two younger members OF the COM
mittee. The elder, Mrs. Richmond,
sat plaeidly enjoying the scene, but
then she was at that time in total ig-
norance of some little events with
which / am about to make you &C
quainted, and with a scene which had
taken place in her own orchard that
very day.
1t has before been mentioned that
when Mrs. Richmond stepped into the
boat which was to convey her to the
picnic, her house maid, Elizabeth, was
left at the brink of the little river.
looking on.
Don't forget the hydrangeas," said
the mistress, repeating her desire that
her flowers might be watered, and the
maid answered-"Oh no, ma'am, |
shall be sure to remember them"
But the boats had been slowly row.
ed away, and the rocking lilies had
swung into their places again, and the
widening rings IN the water had
spread out and lost themselves among
the flags, and the figure of Elizabeth
was distinctly reflected on the water,
before she reused herself from her
meditations and thought about return
ing to the house.
Il willjust watch them till they are
out of sight" thought Elizabeth. and