Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-10-26
The HOusekeeper's Daughter.

my life," quoth Mrs. Marley, elevatrng
her two rheumatism twisted old hands
in the air. Dust on them beautiful
velvet carpets; glass in the Ccnserva-
tory windows all broken; chickens
scratching up all the geraniums on the
front lawn, and the lazy servants dwad
ling away their precious time; while
poor, dear Mr.. Avenel and Harry don't
know any more what's going on than
if they were boarders. Says I, Dear
heart alive, Mr.. Avenel, this is enough
to make your poor wife turn in her
grave Says he-you know his pleas
ant way-'Well 1 know it isn't just
right, Mrs Marley, but what can do ?
And l says, says I. Get a housekeep
err Says he, 'Where?' Says 1, 'Ad
vertise.' Says he, Mrs Marley, you We
hit the nail on the head I'll adver
tise tomorrow And that's how that
paragraph happened to be in the pa
pers."
Here Mrs. Marley stopped to catch
breath, and nodded emphatically AT
her auditor, pale woman dressed in
deep mourning, with the unbecoming
framework of a widows cap around
her face.
"And do you thing I would suit the
gentleman p the latter asked timidIy.
You can bat try was Mrs. Mar
ley's encouraging response. MIR
Ayeners as easy as a lamb, and moi
one O. them as is everlastingly check
ing off bills and counting nickel pen
nies, and Harry's dreadful pleasant
tempered. Any way, if I was you
Mrs. Hawkhurst, I'd go up and see
And Mrs. Hawkhurst, holding he
little daughter by the hand, went uy
accordingly to the handsome stont
house on the hill.
There she found Mr. Avenel in {
state of temporary siege, for other:
besides herself had seen the tempting
advertisement, and made haste to an
swer it. There were fat women anC
lean, tall women and short, Scotcl
women and Germans; smiling, SLOW
emily women, and trim, sharp visage(
women; women who had seen bette
days. and women who evidently
| hadn't.
Mrs. Hawkhurst looked arounC
somewhat discouraged by the formida
bic array of rivals.
"There's no hope for me-" she sal,
desparingly, and was just about to turl
away, with timid Juliet clInging to he
hand, when Harry Avenel advanced
did you wish to see my uncle
ma'am ?'' he asked courteousIy
IL called about the housekeep
er's situation" meekly murmured th
widow.
And Harry showed her in at once
The fat and the tall, the German an
The Scotch, the sour and the sweer
went away disappointed that day, fo
Mr., Avenel decided to engage Mr.:
Hawkhurst as his housekeeper, wit
permission to keep Juliet with her.
''She IS all I have, SIR" said tn
housekeeper apologetically, land sh
will try to be useful about the house.
How old is she ?'' asked Mr.. Ave
mel.
Fifteen, sir"
"Well, let her stay,' said the wild
over good humoredly. She'll eat n
more than chicken, and l dare sa
she can do great many odd thing
about the place"
Mrs, Hawkhurst proved herself q
executive of1iceress of the greatet
ability. Gradually the "chaos and ol
night of Avenel Place was reduced t
system and order. The wheels {
housekeeping revolved so softly tn
no one knew they moved, yet the:
were the results. You scarcely eve
saw the housekeeper gliding about Il
halls, yet the servants declared 81
was omnipresent. Mr.. Avenel four
himself actually the inhabitant of
> home once more, as the years sloWl
passed away.
5 He was sitting on the piazza OIL
day, smoking his cigar and watchir
! the graceful movements of JUL
Hawkins, as she was planting trailir
| vines in marble vase that oCcu ri,
the centre of the lawn, when Mr
/ Marley came out.
GA nice evening, SIR" said Ml
I Narley,-"Oh, there she is :"
: "Who ?" MIR. Aveuel asked.
''Why, that foolish child, Juliet
t answered the old lady sharply, II har
no patience with her, that I han't.
e "What has she been doing now
asked the widower, with an anus
f face.
"Why, she's refused Ben. Nicho
/, eldest son, as likely and forehanded
young feller as there is in the cou
i try
Mr. Avenel started.
1 Ben Nichols! Why. Mrs Narle
she is only a child"
Y "She's seventeen next week." no
ded Mrs. Marley, land high time S
$ thought o settling"
Y Mr.. Avenel looked across to whe
Juliet stood in her pink ginghan DIRE:
e the soft summer wind stirring
! curls, and her cheeks as softly tint
as the standard moss roses on t
o lawn. Seventeen! Was it possit
that little Juliet Hawkhurst had groy
D TO be seventeen years old p? Oh,
d lentless Time, that would not sta
still Oh, cruel years, that went
If and stole the fair brightness of chi
hood away! So Ben Nichols had a
l. ually asked Juliet Hawkhurst TO
te his wife!
II wish you an Harry stalk Sc
ous to her about it." went on NJ
Marley. "'Tain't likely she'll h
e many more such chances as that"
mo; to be sure not" said Mr.. A
re mel, abstractedly.
s. 'And o course she'd oughter thi
it over well" added Mrs. Marley.
10 "Oh, certainly-to be sure -
. Whom Horrr AvanoI csma hO