The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-02-28

ITO suit,with help in the city. But, i
siyoa have mind to, you can try th,
place, and if you can stay with hel
one month will charge you the usu
al fee; if not, i will get you anotheI
place
The woman was satisfied to try
and a boy was sent to show her The
lady's residence.
Mrs. Smith, soliloquized the wo
man, az she walked up town toward:
the mansion; Mrs. Smith,, pale
ness oyerspread her face as SHE
caught glimpse of Mrs. Smith thro
the window, when she turned into the
basement of the house; but with al
effort she gathered courage, and hel
,cheek grew red with the returning
flush.
'Mr. - sent this woman said
the boy to Mrs. Smith, as they enter.
ed the breakfast room, where tho
children were making boats out oi
egg-shells, and floating them in ponds
OF coffee.
Another woman,' cried Ed, run.
ming up to her, and catching hold oi
her gown.
Another wom'n, lisped little Kate
as she followed her brothers exam
lple.
Woman, never mind them,' said
Mrs. Smith, as the,woman placed hel
hands upon their heads. Ed and
Kate she continued, go and be
dressed-go this instant, or I'll whip
Iyou.4
The children did not heed the
mother, and the woman was hardly
conscious of either. She seemed all
attention to other thoughts--perhaps
her own children, or those she loved
and left behind--the office boy, the
while, saying:
And Mr.. - says he hopes she
will suit you-and since there has
been so much said about girls wages
in the papers they are ali going off in
the country--and this one came on
the steamer yesterday from the Bay
State
The boys errand done, he left the
mistress with the woman. Mrs.
Smith seated herself upon the lounge,
while the woman stood gazing with
apparent astonishment around her.
what countrywoman are you p
Mrs. Smith inquired, as she began
the formula OF her accustomed cate
chism.
American the woman articulated,
in reply, as if afraid to speak.
How old are you ?
'Twenty-two.'
Maid or widow p
Widow
Can you take good care of child
ren Ed and Kate.are two dear,
sweet children; and if you are any
ways cross, l fear you will not suit
me-
! Il am very fond of children, mad
am and the woman fairly shudder
/ ed as she uttered the word madam
Can you wash for the family
there are only four of us?'
Il can try
Can you cook a good dinnerl If our
servant man helps you; for some
times we have company-at other
times we are not particular 2
Il believe ] can. Ny sister used
to praise me for being good cook
Your sister! Poor soul, perhaps
she was not q judge
The woman bit her lips until the
blood fairly started from their trem-
bling veins.
'Well, / want you to do the cham
Der work besides, and make yourself
generally useful about the house
Now, what wages do you expect?
'Thirty-five dollars a month
sThirty-five dollars a month"; and
Mrs. Smith raised her eyes in sur
prise. tWhy you must mean twenty
! five dollars that is the highest wag-
es ever paid,' she exclaimed. And
Mrs. Smith again raise ber eyes snd
smled, for she had heard the boy
say that the woman had just arrived,
and she was one of those women op-
posed to high wages for servants
Il suppose it must be twenty-five
said the woman timidly. i do not
know what wages are paid help; l
only arrived yesterday
Il can assure you Bridget, that
Twenty five dollars a month is wages,
and if that will do you, why-I'll try
you
Bridget, Mrs. Smith had called ev-
ery girl or woman of the fifty she
had had. Bridget's first duty was to
wash and dress little Ed and Kate
and somehow or other the children
were made to look unusually neat
that morning. and Bridget's eyes
were red as if from weeping; and Ed
and Kate each had a valuable story
to tell their mother an hour after-
wards, 'how the new woman had hug
ged them and kissed them most to
pieces
When Mr.. Smith returned to din
ner that evening, he was agreeably
surprised to find the house in unusu-
ally good order. Mrs. Smith was in
unusually good spirits, for she found
less to do about the house that day
than she had for a long time before.
Bridget seemed to be ahead of her in
feverytling and anticipate her wants.
The children minded her by instinct,
and Mr.. Smith declared that if Bird
get was as good every day in produc-
ing comfort in the household as on
; the first of her introduction, he would
not part with her for twice the wag-
es.
Two months rolled around, and
Mrs. Smith began to feel very
uneasy in her situation, for she had
no occasion to direct or superintend
the affairs of her household, and hav-
ling less to complain of, she became
Irritable and nervous. One day there
had been quite an unusual number oi
|, visitors, and whatever went wrong IN
the parlor that raised Mrs. Smiths
!, ire was visited upon the head of the
, unoffepding Bridget.
q Husband was Mrs. Smiths ejac
, ulatlon of complaint, as soon as Smitl
entered that evening, tomorrow