Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-03-03
AN OLD MAIDS LECTURE.
BY AUNT NANCY.

BY AUNT NANCY.
Households have their disorders like
children. Ours had passed through q
series Of convulsions that might be COM
pared to teething or whooping-cough,
and things were just settling down again
to their own comfortable, easy fashion,
with what Bob called three square
meals a day.
James came back accommodating the
ground, to see whether he could venture
to stay over night in his own house, and
finding the coast clear and all pleasant,
his heart expanded toward us in an un-
usual manner. Things were lovely, and,
as Bob said, "the goose hung high, :"
which, in imitation of "truthful James,"
/ haven't the remotest idea Of what it
means.
II can't bear to live in jerky sort
of way" said Grace, in her pretty, posi-
tive little manner. "If the servants all
take it into their heads to leave, it's just
like a horse-car when it gets off the
track one never knows when it will get
on again."
Yes,'' said I, "and there's a good
deal of hard pushing and tugging in
volved." u don't mind the work." re-
turned Grace. . L rather like that.
Now that | take lessons at home this
winter, mean to do some of the bed
making and dusting for exercise. Mann
ma says, when she was young it was a
common saying that housework is the
healthiest kind of labor, and | don't
know but it is just the same nowadays,
even if we do keep pack Of servants. "
"And you think you would like to do
it, said I, coming in with my little dish
of cold water. But wait till you have
tried it awhile, and it has got to be an
old story. Things would come along to
interfere, and predict you would soon
be satisfied to see Ann taking upon her
self your self-imposed tasks"
81" need not let them be interfered
with unless I choose" said Grace, in a
tone indicating what the Rev. Robert
Collyer would call "clear grit
"But how about your friends?o | in
CURED "Would you like to let the
girls see you in a pair of old gloves, and,
with your head tied up in handker-
chief, dusting the parlor p
"Indeed, I would p cried Grace, with
spirit. "If they liked me any less be-
cause they happened to catch me doing
something useful, why then | should
know how to prize their friendship. [
hope my mother has taught me little
independence"
" If you are not a good, sensible wo-
man, Grace" said [, thoughtfully, Z" it
will not be your mothers fault"
She was standing by the sitting-room
fire, looking like picture in her pretty
comfortable skating suit of black and
scarlet with a pert red wing sticking up
in front of her cap, and the golden tress-
es showing underneath. Her skates were
on her arm she was waiting for Bob and
q friend, and her trim light-buttoned
boots seemed fairly to tingle with antici-
patton of the gloriour fun in store for
them.
"There is Minnie Thayer ringing
now" said she, as the door-bell tingled.
"What lazy-bones Bob is. I'm afraid
the ice will be cut up before we get to
the pond"
The door opened and Miss Thayer
walked in, and came shivering up to the
fire. She was not a pretty girl, but
stvlish. if anybody knows what that
means: am sure | don't unless it is
used to describe a bundle of artificial
airs and graces. She was dressed like
anv other fashionable idiot of the time
with an untidy cascade of hair rolling
down the back of her head; a low neck
saoue. a necklace, gewgaws and bows
and pair of long gold earrings. [ don't
remember the rest of the costume. The
fact of it is [ can't take in the whole Of
one of these girls rig at once.
"Ohr' said she, holding out he1
hands, that were squeezed into kid
gloves at least size too small, . how
awful cold it is to-day. [ was awful sick
yesterday, and mother did not want me
to come; but l knew you and Bob would
be awful sorry, and then It's such an
elegant day, and the skating is perfectly
splendid. Jenny Fink says we shall have
lovely time" She ran on with hel
conversation thickly peppered with
"awfuls," and " elegants," and "per
fectly splendids," until she was forced tt
stop for want of breath.
"Where is your shawl to wrap up in
when you come off the ice?'' said !, III
my abrupt, old maidish way, glancing al
the slender thing that looked as If she
would snap in two in the middle.
40, l cannot bear to carry shaw
round with me; mother is always
preaching about shawls and wraps; but
of course, a girl don't want to bundle
heIself up like a sausage" Then with
another little shiver she got nearer tc
the fire.
. No, of course she DON'T" said |, with
suppressed indignation. "She'd be
cheating the graveyard. Mime Thayer
| have known you ever since you were
a baby,-(thi is the formula people are
apt to use when they wish to give {
piece of their mind, )-and must say
that delicate girl like you, who goe: