Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-12-07
THE MINISTER'S HOUSEKEEPER.
by MRS. H. b. STOWE.

BY MRS. H. b. STOWE.
Lawson with the boys picking blucberries-
log.
oval, you see, boys,-'twas just
here-Parson Carryl's wife, she died in
the forepart of March my cousin Hul-
dy, she undertook to keep house for
him. The way ont was, that Huldy,
she went to take care of Miss Carryl
in the fust on't-when she fust took
sick. Huldy was tailoress by trade,
but then she was one of those facultise
persons, that has u gift for most any
thing, and that was how Miss Carryl
come to set sech store by her, that
when she was sick nothin would do for
her but she must have Huldy round all
the time, and the minister he said he'd
make it good to her all the same, and
she shouldn't lose nothin' by it, and so
Huldy she staid with Mis- Carryl full
three months afore she died, and got
to seein' to everything pretty much
round the place. Vol, arter Mis- Car
ryl died, Parson Carryl, he'd got so
kind O. used to havin' her round, takin'
care O things, that he wanted
her to stay along spell - and
so Huldy, she staid along a
spell and poured out his tea, and mend
ed his close, and made pies and cakes,
and cooked, and washed, and ironed,
and KEEP everything as neat as a pin
Huldy was dreffel clipper sort O. gal,
and work sort o. rolled off from her like
water off a ducks back. There warn't
no gal in Sherburne that could put
sicl q sight o work through as Huldy,
and yet, Sunday mornin', she always
como out in the singers seat like one
O. these ere June roses, lookin' so fresh
and smiling, and her voice was jest as
clear and sweet as meadow larks-
Lord y massy-I member how she used
to sing some O. them are places where
the treble and counter used to go to-
gether, her voice kind o. trembled a
little, and it sort o. went thro' and thro'
O feller! tuck him right where he
lived"
Here Sam leaned contemplatively
back with his head in clump of sweet
fern, and refreshed himself with chew
of young wintergrcen. "This ere
young wintergreen, boys, is Jest like
feller's thoughts O. things that hap
pened when he was young-it comes up
Jest so fresh and tender every year the
longest time you hev to live and you
can't help chawin' ont tho It's sort O.
stinging-I don't never get over likin'
young wintergreen."
But about Huldah, Sam?''
go yes-about Huldah- mas
sy when feller is Indianing round
these ere pleasant summer days, fel-
ler's thoughts gifts like flock of par
tridges-they's up and down and every
where, cause one place is jest about as
good as another, when they's all so
kind o comfortable and nice. Wal,
about Huldy, as 1 was sayin'. She was
jest as handsome gal to look at as Il
feller could have, and I think nice,
well-behaved young gal in the singers
seat OF Sunday is means O. grace,
it's sort O drawin' to the unregenerate,
you know. Why boys, in them days,
I've walked ten miles over to Sher-
burne of Sunday mornin' jest to play
the bass viol in the same seat with
Huldy. She was very much respected,
Hnldy was, and when she went out to
tailorin' she was allus bespoken six
months ahead, and sent for in waggins
up and down for ten miles round, for
the yonng fellers were allus amazin
anxious to be sent after Huldy, and
were quite free to offer to 60 for her
; Wal. after Miss Carryl died, Huldy got
to I've sort O. housekeepcr at tie minis
ter':', ana saw to everything and did