Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-06-01
4 Glimpse of Two Homes.
D., MARY w. erASlrY alnsoN.

cl;n,,o or Vr,o uoo,og
ny MAN, NJ. .rANLry aIpsoN
1t was Monday morning, 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.
l. Oh :" 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 a bit Of comfort or
/ pleasure by the way. Mr.. Jones Mr.. Jones,
| / saw do for mercvs sake. get up aud make
| the fire, if YOU are ever going to Those
young ones will all be awake in ten minutes
more and fighting and quarreing with each
other tin / get time 10 dress them. Mr..
Jones. are your erer going to get up
Thus sweetly adiured Mr.. Jones sprang
out of bed. dressed himself and went down to
kiude the kitchen fire, saving a naughty
word or two to him,efby the way.
Mrs. Jones rose more leisurely. and COM
pleted her toilet with many yawn and sigh
and proan. She twisted her hair up into
tight. hard knot behind. and fastened it Sc
curely with broken.tooth comb. Donning
soiied and ragged calico wrapper. and A
pair of coarse lrish.lookipp " bootees." she
went down stairs. 1t was the washing
day,' aud she was not disposed to sacrifice
to the eraces, with all those clothes wait
ING for her below.
% Now. Mr.. Jones. YOU must lust pick up
your own breakfast. then be off out of my
way :" she exclaimed to her better half as
she entered the kitchen. I've got to keen
house without girl, and do my own wash
ing into the bargain. can't fuss about
breakfast Monday morning; or dinner either.
for the matter of that. You had better yet
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. as YOU often do. | shall be too
tired to stir hand or foot for YOU. after all
this washing is done"
Poor Mr.. Jones! Ii teqs rather hard on
him. to be sure He had secured the citv for
servant all the week before. and his wife
had rejected every candidate he presented for
the vacant placr as fast ns he brought them
20 her. And he lal Drought home reulrka-
bly fine trout lust once. during that whole
month and then had cooked them himself at
the kitchen fire. for fear of giving his spouse
extra trouble IN. b. Mrs. Jones ate her
share Of those trout, mind you.
Mr.. Jones meekly got his own breakfast,
and dispatched it Standing; some sour bread.
salt butter, and coffee, the latter made from
water 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 assembled to
the scene of action. armed with an old slim
per. Ringing blows or slaps. and louder
cries. were speedily heard Then Bobby.
Sally and johnny had yellow soap scrubbed
into their eyes and noses and mouths, were
rasped with rough crash towel. and basted
and scarrifed with 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 a
pieee of gingerbread and an apple for YOUR
lunch. each of Won and there are your
school books. Make a bee.line the moment
YOU swallow the last crumb and if | see one
of your faces here before five O'Clock this af.
tcrnoon, il will be the worse for you, that's
Ian I'm poinp to get this washing done
some time today in spite of all the Young
ones this side of Jericho ~
The children ate and drank in haste. and
took tbeir hooks and ran away. only too eager
and glad 10 oet a lonc 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 6reakfastess to his business and
must dine down town. her children played
two or three hours with the rough street bows
and qrls. because thew dared not 90 home
nm NE time named
What of that She rot her clothes all out
nm The lines in the bsck vard ouite three
boprs hefore Mrs Nav her noxt door neigh.
bor had ba,,,n IN bang ont even so mucb as
nocLot bsnIkorcbief mr. n collar surely
,hpt w,s a tr;n,n,b NAT m,do amends Gor
aIi
nd what all litte Mrs Nav do9
She too had tbroo children and a husband