Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-02-14

Il
and the woman was hardly conscious of
either. She seemed all attention to other
thoughts--perhaps her two children, or
those she loved and left behind-the
Office boy the while, saying:
"And Mr.. - saysiLe hopes she will
suit you-and since there has been so
much said about girls wages in the pa
pers they are all going fin the country
but this one came on the steamer yester-
day from the Bay State"
The boys errand done, he left the mis-
tress with the woman. Mrs. Smith seat
ed herself upon the lounge, while the
woman stood gazing with apparent as
constituent around her.
What countrywoman are you ?" Mrs.
Smith inquired, as she began the formula
of her accustomed chaticism.
American" the woman articulated,
in reply as if afraid to speak.
How old are your"
Twenty-Five"
Maid or widow?"
"Widow."
"Can you take good care of children !?
Ed and Kate are two dear, sweet chill
dren and if you are always cross, fear
you will not suit me-"
:" / am very fond of children, madam"
and the woman fairly shuddered as she
uttered the word madam
Scan you wash for the family,-there
are only four of us ?"
I" can try"
"Can you cook good dinner if our
servant man helps you; for sometimes
we have company-at other times we are
not particular
Il believe | can. My sister use to
praise me for being good cook"
Your sister! Poor soul, perhaps she
was not judge"
The woman bit her lips until the blood
nairly slarted from tbei, .~enibIing veins.
"Well, | will want you to do the cham
Der work besides, and make yourself gen.
orally useful about the house. Now,
what wages do you expect?"
"Thirty-fve dollars MONTH" and
Mrs. Smith raised her eyes in surprise.
"Why, you must mean twenty-five
dollars that is the highest wages l ever
paid she exclaimed. And Mrs Smith
again raised her eyes and smiled, for she
had heard the boy say that the woman
had just arrived and she was one of those
women opposed to high wages for SER
wants.
:" suppose it must be twenty-five
said the woman timidly. 81 do not know
what wages are paid here for help;
only arrived here yesterday"
"I l can assure you Bridget, that twen-
ty-fve dollars month is good wages,
and if that will do you, why-Pll try
you."
Bridget, Mrs Smith had called every
girl and woman of the fifty she had had.
Bridget's first duty was to wash and
dress little Ed end Kate--and somehow
or other the children were made to look
unusually neat that morning and Brid-
gets eyes were red as if from weeping
and Ed and Kate each had valuable
story to tell their mother how the new
woman had hugged and kissed them
most to pieces"
When Mr.. Smith returned to dinner
thae evening, he was agreeably surprised
to find the house in unusually good Or
der. Mrs. Smith was in cheerful spirits,
for she had found less to do about the
house that day than she had for long
time before. Bridget seemed to be ahead
of her in everything and to anticipate
her wants. The children minded her by
instinct, and Mr.. Smith declared that if
Bridget was as good every day in produ-
cling comfort in the household as ON the
first day of her introduction, he would
not part with her for twice her wages.
Two months rolled around, and Mrs.
Smith began to become very uneasy in
her new situation, for she had no occasion
to direct or superintend the affairs of her
household. and having less to complain
of, she became irritable and nervous.
One day there had been quite an unusual
number of visitors, and whatever went
wrong in the parlor that raised Mrs.
Smiths ire was visited upon the head of
the unofending Bridget.
Husband" was Mrs. Smiths ejacula-
ton of complaint, as soon as Smith en-
tered that evening, tomorrow morning
when you 60 down town, leave a note at
the intelligence office, and tell him to
send me another woman. Bridget was
quite impudent and saucy to-day, and /
will not put up with a servants impu-
dence."
"But wife" was Mr.. Smiths remon-
STRANGE, "I thought that Bridget was the