The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-10-27
&C . U r q A L 20


of "our GAL as Harry calls her.
"Our GAL first made her appearance il
the house two weeks ago last Monday
and l hailed her broad face aud stou
figure with most hearty welcome. Littl'
did realize-but to begin at the begin
ming. / was, ] am, avery young house
keeper; yet, theoretically, l do know
something of the arts and sciences there
unto appertaining. | was married abou
two years ago but we have always board
ed until now, and when l started in my
pretty house, with two good girls, ant
everything new, | fancied clock-worl
would be mere wandering vagrant com
pared with the regularity of my proceed
ings.
"'Twas on a Sunday morning. as th'
song says, that my troubles began. wa
dressing for church, when my chamber
maid came up with rueful countenance
"If you please, Mrs. Harvey, I'm go
ing"
"Goingn exclaimed "Where ?"
''To leave, ma'am Home. I've go
a spell of neuralgia coming on, and In
going home to lay by"
"But you can lie down here if you ar
sick"
"Well ma'am amt to say sick, ex
actly; but I'm fixing for turn"
"a turn?''
eyes. l have neuralgia in spells, ant
1 always feel 'em coming"
Words were vain. Go she would, ant
90 she did. l went into the kitchen tt
explain to the cook that she must dc
double duty for time. She was a per
feet termagant, and to my utter amaze
ment. she wheeled round with the cry:
"Gone! Jane gone! Will you sc
another girl?"
"Certainly."
Today"
"How can 1 get girl on Sunday p
"And to morrow is wash day! Well
I'm not going to stay to do all the work
You'll either get another girl early to.
morrow, orI'll leave"
"With many insolent speeches she de
parted, and, inconvenient as it was,
was glad to see her go.
Of course there was no church, and
began to get dinner. Harry, like mas
culine angel as he was, took off his coat
and came down to help me, with an as
surance that he actually could not sit
still and hear the cook use the tone she
did one instant longer. 1t was merry
day. Harry raked the fire till his glossy
brown curls were powdered with gray,
which premature sin of age was produc,
ed, he assured me, by scare, and not the
weight of years. He peeled potatoes
so beautifully that they were about as
big as bullets, after he had taken off the
skin an inch thick all round. Pies were
the only article Of cookery with which l
was particularly acquainted, so I made a
meat pie, two apple pies and a short-cake
for supper, which we ate with the dinner
at six o'clock. 1t was late enough when
we cleared up, but at last all was
done but one thing. Harry was in the
bath room refreshing himself,when / dis
covered that the coal was all gone. |
hated to call him down, for he had work
ed hard all day, so took the scuttle and
went down into the cellar myself, laugh
ing to think how he would scold when he
knew it. / am weak woman, and not
very strong, but l filled the big scuttle
and tugging away with both hands, star
ted up stairs.
l was at the top, my labor nearly over,
when somehow, l cannot tell how, | lost
my balance. l reeled over and the heavy
thing came with me down to the bottom
of the stairs. 1 felt it crushing my foot.
l heard Harry's call, and then tainted. l
know now, though l did not then, how
he lifted me in his strong arms, and car
ried me up stairs, and the touch of the
cold water which he poured over me is
the next thing 1 remember. As soon as
l was conscious and able to speak, let
him go for the doctor, lamenting that
mother and Lou were both out of town
for the summer.
Well, well; it was weary night; no
time to scold, Harry said, so he petted,
nursed, and tended me, till my heart
ached with It's fullness of love and graf
itude. Morning found me, my fractured
ankle in box, lying helpless in bed, land
Harry promised to send me girl imme-
diately. Scatter this long prelude i come
to ''our gal" OH l must tell you how
Harry made me a slice of buttered toast
for breakfast by buttering the bread on
both sides and then toasting it.
1t was about nine o'clock when my new
girl came Harry had given her dead
latch key, so she entered and came up to
my door. Her knock was the first pecu-
liarity that startled Iue one rap, loud as
a pistol shot, and as abrupt.
"Come in!''
With a swing the door flew back, and
in the space stood my new acquisition.
Stop moment! l must describe her
She was vary tall, very robust, and very
ugly. Her thick hair grew low on her
forehead, and her complexion was uni
formly red Her features were very
large, and her mouth full of cher only
beauty white, even teeth Still, her face
was far from stupid. The mouth, though
large, was flexible and impressive, and
the big black eyes promised intelligence.
But, oh how can describe her ''ways,
as Harry calls them? She stood for an
instant perfectly motionless, then she
swept down in low, and really not un-
graceful courtesy.
MADAM" she said in deep voice,
''your most obedient."
You are l said questioningly.
"Your humble servant"
This was not "getting on bit; SO l
said:
"You are the girl Mr.. Harvey sent
from the Intelligence Office ?"
81 am that woman" she said with a
flourish of her shawl, land here is my
certificate of merit;'' and she tooka a pa
per from her pocket Advancing with
q long step, a stop, another step and
stop, until she reached my bedside, she
handed me the paper with low bow,a
then stepping back three steps she stood
waiting for me to read it, with hands
clasped and dropping, and her head bent
as if IL were her death warrant.