Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-04-19

y more or less mattered nothing, so Sh
hung her sombre waterproof by tn
> stove, and settled herself in an cas-
chair, putting on her spectacles, an
drawing out her. work. She had brough
J two dresses to b" made over, hat t.
be trimmed, g all the weeks mend
ing. Bell gr, ed, but Nell smiled
and we all got our scissors and th1m
bles and needles, and went to work
Mother and ripped seams; Nell Gu
out and basted, and Bell stitched will
the machine Friday was very sociable
and entertained us with long accoun
of disasters that had happened to peo
pie she knew. 1t was always her luck
she said, to be in the way when trotlbl,
came, and mother said she believed it
when few minutes after, Ben cam,
running in with torn jacket, and the
best umbrella turned inside out by the
wind.
! "Make your fingers fly, girls, !" sale
Friday, peering over the top Of hel
spectacles. 81 want to get both Of
these done by noon, overskirts, founces
and all. If it was ball dress now
you'd be spry enough about it -
We worked with all our might, but
one of us had TO go out to see to dinner.
and so the sashes got put off till after
noon. We had a fish dinner on that
day, because we had heard that Friday
always liked fish; but she looked rather
disappointed when she sat down to the
table, and said it was a long time since
she had had anything hearty 50 Nell
found some cold ham and brought it tc
her
In the afternoon Bell and darned
stockings, and sewed OH buttons, while
Nell helped Friday by making he1
sashes and trimming her hat.
''Good girls, good girls - said Fri
day, nodding at us approvingly. cit
is well you have got along SO well with
your work, for Mrs. Smith and her
daughter are just coming to stay to
tea!''
Sure enough, they were that moment
entering the gate, and came directly
into the house. They had been in
tending to visit us for some days, they
said, but could not find time for it be-
| fore
So then we had to get up a company
supper, and it was nice one, with the
best cake and preserves from the store
room, and some of Nell's light biscuit,
and cream toast got up in a twinkling
We had pleasant time, and were eager
to have Friday stay late that evening,
! but she SAID she must be Off She put
/ her head back through the door as she
/ started, to tell us there was new moon,
and we must be careful not to look at
1t over our left shoulder or we should
/ lose our wish. Nell went sidelong up
| to the window, and stock there long
time wishing in silence
"Now make haste to bed,o said
mother, for Saturday is coming to-
morrow.
And sh e did come. She came early
in bustling mood, bringing bread to
be baked, cookies and pies to be made,
pork and beans to be cooked, crullers
to be fried, and any amount of sweeping
/ to be done We all went to work with
energy, though Bell was accused of
putting more berries in her mouth than
she did into the pies. We had warm
work that day and plenty of it; but the
apetizing odor that hoated through the
/ kitchen encouraged us, and Ben ateso
much of the fresh hot crullers that he
had no appetite for dinner We did
not have very much of dinner, how
ever, for Saturday said she liked to
take her heartiest meal toward evening
when the beans came out of the oven.
Z" declare" F" said Bell, laughing, cit
is a fact, isn't it, the old saying I have
heard SO often, that Every day brings
/ its own work =
And we agreed with her emphatically.
/ But after Saturday had gone, what
peace and rest stole over the house, and
next morning when we awoke every
| thing seemed so quiet, except the sweet
| singing of the birds. There were no
carts or wagons rumbling through the
street, no boys playing and shouting,
no people hurrying to the store on
errands.
Gone can really draw long breath, ="
said Bell. g should know Sunday
had come, even if I had forgotten all
| that is in the almanac!n And when we
went down stairs we found that dear,
quiet Sunday was there Ben, with an
unusually neat appearance, sat study
ing his Bible lesson earnestly, and
mother, with folded hands, was looking
out at the peaceful morning sky. There
was no work to be done-nothing but
the meals, and they were light and SIM
pie, for Sunday said she had something
else to think of besides what she ate,
aid she wanted us all to have time to
go to church.
We went, all of rs, both morning and
afternoon, and heard our dear old cler-
gyman speak words that went straight
! to our hearts. His texts were, "Day
unto day uttereth speech, and night un-
to night showeth knowledge - and $50
teach us to number our days that we
may apply our hearts unto wisdom"
1t was SO pleasant as we all walked
slowly home, our whole family together.
Nell came last and Bob Garter was with
her. When we reached the gate, and
| paused, he came up to us all, in his
bright, honest way, and said we were
the happiest family he knew of, and he
hoped we would let him become one OF
us. How Ben started! But mother
smiled very kindly, and when Bell and
turned suddenly to look at Nell, she
stood there blushing, with ring on
her finger which we had never seen be-
fore
What day of the month is your
birthday, Nell ~ asked Ben. ---
"The twelfth, y said Nell.
Well, now I'm going to find youi
verse, !" and hastily turning the leaves
OF the Bible, he came to the oft-read
thlrty-first chapter of Proverbs, and
read us the twelfth verse
"Me e0iU do him good and not euiI
dN the days Of her Ite."
Then we all went happily into the
house, still enjoying the quiet presence
of Sunday.
Remarkable Spring.
A correspondent sends to the Jour