Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-07
A Glimpse of Two Homes.
BY MARY W. STANLEY GIBSON.

BY MARY W. STANLEY GIBSON.
1t was Monday morning--a bright,
sunny, cheerful looking day; just the
weather to dry clothes nicely, and to
make people feel pleasant and happy, if
weather has ever the power of doing
that.
Mrs. Jones woke exactly as the clock
struck six.
ugh !" she groaned to herself. "Here's
another week begun, and shall have to
delve aud toll and slave through it, from
now till Saturday night, without bit of
comfort or pleasure by the way. Mr..
Jones Mr.. Jones, say do, for mercy's
sake, get up and make the fire, if you are
ever going to Those young ones will
all be awake in ten minutes more, and
fighting and quarrelling with each other
till get time to dress them. Mr.. Jones,
are you eoer going to get up?"
Thus sweetly adjured, Mr.. Jones sprang
out of bed, dressed himself and went
down to kindle the kitchen fire, saying
naughty word or two to himself by the
way.
Mrs Jones rose more leisurely, and
completed her toilet with many yawn
and sigh and groan. She twisted her
hair up into "A tight hard knot behind, and
fastened it securely with broken-toothed
comb. Downing a soiled and ragged
calico wrapper, and pair of coarse, Irish
looking "bootees," she went down stairs.
1t was "washing-day," and she was not
disposed to sacrifice to the graces, with
"all those clothes" waiting for her below.
"Now, Mr.. Jones, You must just pick up
your own breakfast, and then be off out of
my way" she exclaim I'D to her better
half, AZ she entered the kitchen. 1--we
got to keep house without girl, and do
my own washing into the bargain. L
can't fuss about breakfast Monday morn
ing; or dinner either, for the matter of
that. You had better get some lunch
down town to-day, And don't, for mercy
sake, bring home forty thousand things
Tonight and want them cooked for your
tea, az you often do. I shall be too tired
to stir hand or foot for you, after all this
washing is done
Poor Mr.. Jonesl 1t loaS rather hard
on him, to be sure. He had secured the
city for a servant all the week before, and
his wife had rejected every candidate he
presented for the vacant place as fast as
he brought them to her And he had
brought home some remarkably fine trout
Just once, during that whole month and
then had cooked them himself at the
kitchen fire, for fear of giving his spouse
extra trouble. n. b. Mrs. Jones ate
her share of those trout, mind you.
Mr.. Jones meekly got his own break
fast, and dispatched it standing: some
sour bread, salt butter. and coffee, the
latter made from water only half boiled !!
Having swallowed this hastily, he lodged
for his hat, and bolted "down town"
Meanwhile the children were heard in
loud strife above. Mrs. Jones briskly as
cended to the scene of action, armed aotHb
an old slipper. Ringing blows or slaps,
and louder cries, were speedily heard.
Then Bobby, Sally and Johnny had vel.
low soap scrubbed into their eyes and
noses and mouths, were rasped with a
rough crash towel, and basted and scarf
fed with a stiff bristled hair brush then
marched down stairs, and furnished with
thick slice of bread and butter, and
a mug of warm milk and water each.
EAT and drink that, and be off with
you," said the long suffering mother.
''There's piece of gingerbread and an ap-
pie for your lunch, each of you; and there
are your school books Make bee-line
tie moment you swallow the last crumb {;
and il | see one of your faces here before
five o'clock this afternoon, it will be the
worse for you, that's all I'm going to
get this washing done some time to-day,
in spite of all the young ones this side of
Jerichow
The children ate and drank in haste,
and took their books and ran away, only
too eager and glad to get a long distance
from their mother and their home.
The house once clear, Mrs. Jones locked
the front and the side doors, and "went
at her washing in good earnest. Her
husband had gone breakfastless to his
business, and must dine down town; her
children played two or three hours with
the rough street boys and girls, because
they dared not 90 homo till the time she
had named.
What OF that She got her clothes all
out on the lines in the back yard quite
three hours before Mrs. May, her next
door neighbor, had begun to hang out
even so much as pocket handkerchief or
collar. Surely that was a triumph that
made amends for ALL
And what did little Mrs. May do?
She too had three children and a hus-
band to care for. She too had a washiny
and she also was without girl at that
particular time.
Monday morning, however, found her
astir at five o'clock, before her husband
or her children were awake. Mr.. May
had complained of severe headache on
the previous day and evening. So she
slipped quietly out of bed, without wax.
ing him, and lit the kitchen fire herself
The boiler had been filled by her husband
late on Saturday evening and by the
time he came down, with loving scold.
ing to her for leaving him asleep, the
water was hot, and the breakfast table
stood nicely spread in the sitting-room
Gold bread, cold ham, some boiled eggs
and a delicious cup of coffee-that was
the bill Of fare; bat Mrs. May sat at the
head OF the table, in a neat, dark colored
calico wrapper, and snowy linen collar,
and smoothly braided hair, even though
1t was shat dreadful washing day."
After breakfast the children were called
Tommy dressed himself, and little Mary