South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1868-04-03
LOU h GAL,

Our gal hrst made her appearance In the
house two weeks ago last Monday, and
hailed her broad face and stout figure with
hearty welcome. Little did realize-but
to begin at the beginning.
was-l am very young housekeeper,
yet theoretically do know something of the
arts and sciences thereunto appertaining.
L was married about two years ago, but
have always boarded until now and when
started in my pretty house, with two girls
and everything new, fancied that clock
work would be mere wandering vagrant
compared to the regularity of my proceeding.
Twas on Sunday morning. as the
song says, that my troubles bagan. | was
dressing for church, when my chamber
maid came up with rueful countenauce.
| IF you please, Mrs. Harvey I'm going
Going" / exclaimed, where 2
TO leave, maam. Home. I've got n
spell of neuralgia coming on, and I'm going
home to lay by
but you can lie down here if you are sick
We'll, ma'am, amt to say sick, exactly,
but I'm fixing for turn
| 81 turn? p
'les. | have neuralgia in spells, and l
always feel 'em coming
Words were vain. Go she would, and 90
she did. | went into the kitchen to ex-
plain to the cook that she must do double
duty for timo She was a perfect terrna-
CANT, and to.my utter amazemcnt she wheel
ed around with the cry:
Gone. Jane gone. Will you get ano-
Their girl?'
Certainly
To-day?'
How can I get another girl on Sunday !?
'And Tomorrow wash day" Well, | am
not going to stay TO do all the work You'll
either get another girl early tomorrow, or
I'll leave
You'll leave now, in the shortest space
of time it takes to 60 from here to the door,
cried Harry from the sitting room, where
be had overheard us.
With many insolent speeches she dcpar-
ted ; and announcement as it was, | was glad
to see her 60.
OF course there was no church. and be-
gan to get dinner. Harry, like a mascu-
line angel as he was, took off his coat and
came down to help me, with an assurance
that he actually could not sit still and hear
the cook use the tone she did one instant
longer 1t was merry day. Harry rak-
ed the fire till his glossy brown curls were
powdered with gray, which premature sign
of age was produced, he assured me, by
cure, and not the weight of years. He peeled
potatoes so BEAUTIFULLY that they were as big as
bullets, after he had taken off the skin about
an inch thick all around Pies were the
only article of cookery with which was
particularly acquainted, so | made meat
| pie, two apple pies, and short cakes for
supper, which we ate with the dinner at
o'clock. 1t was late enough when we clear
! ed up, but at last all was done but one
thing. Harry was in the bath room re-
/ freshing himself when | discovered that
the coal was all gone. hated to call him
down, for he had worked hard all day so
! took the scuttle and went down into the
cellar myself, laughing to think how he
would scold when he knew it. am wee
woman, and not over strong, but | filled the
big scuttle, and tugging away with both
hInds, started upstairs.
was at the top, my labor nearly over,
when somehow cannot tell howl lost
| my balance. / rceled over, and the heavy
thing came with inc down to the bottom Of
the stairs. | felt it crushing my foot.
heard lIarry's call, then tainted | know
now, though | did not then, how he lifted
me in his strong arms and carried me up
! stairs, and the touch Of the cold water which
he poured over me is the next thing which
| | remember. As soon as / was conscious
and able to speak, let him 20 for a doctor,
regretting that mother and Lou were both
out Of town for the summer
Well, we'll; it was weary night; no
time to scold Harry said, so he pettcd
nurscd, and tended me, till my heart ached
with its fullness of love and gratitude
Morning found me, my fractured ankle in
a box, lying helpless in bed, and Harry
promised To send me a girl immediately
80 after all this long prelude come to our
gal Oh, | must tell you how Harry made
me n slice Of buttered toast for breakfast,
by buttering the bread on both sides, and
then toasting il.
1t was about nine o'clock when my new
girl came. Harry had given her a night
latch key, so sho entered aud came up to
my door. Her knock was the FIRST peculia-
rity that startled me. One rap, loud as
pistol shot, and as abrupt
Come in
With a sweep the door flew back, md in
the space stood my new acquisition. Stop
a moment. | must describe her. She was
very tall, very robust, and very ugly. Her
thick black hair grew low on her forehead,
aud her complexion was uniformly red
Her features were very large, and her mouth
full Of her only beauty, white, even teeth.
Still, the face was far from stupid The
mouth, though large, was flexible and ox-