Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-10-12

| OvtC ~ VI VI ulluC.
So long as Charlie and I were in Para
disc the house k pit itself, and very nicely
it did it too, but by the time We were
ready to come back to earth the perfect
servants who had been taking such good
care of themselves, and our two daft selves
| into the bargain, were found to be sadly
demoralized. The discovery came upoI
us gradually. thind my husband noticed
the decadence ss soon as l did, but
wasn't going 10 invite his attention to the
fact; and he, suppose, thought that
thought that every thing was just as i,
should be.
One of Charles inherited manias was
! for early rIsinx-a habit which would
have been highly commendable and un.
denia'ly invaluable in laboring man, but
which struck inc, who had an equally
strong mania for not rising early, as ex.
tremely inconvenient and the least little
bit absurd. Charlie got up early simply
because "mother did it before him; and
after he had ri en- at earliest dawn and
dressed himself, he had nothing better to
10 than walk out on the front gallery,
locate himself in big wicker chair, tilt
his chsr back and elevate his feet to the
top Of the banisters, and stare out over the
co ton fields This position he would
maintain, probably, about twenty minutes.
Then the pangs of hunger would render
him restless, and he would draw out his
watch to note the time Of day. The next
step in the formula would bring him back
to my room door whie was still sleepily
try ing to reconneet the broken links of q
dream, from which vain effort he would
startie me into wide awake reality by q
stentori.n "Lulie, Lulie! Come. wife
it's break fast ,ime."
unon which, instead of "heroic forti-
tudt:," would treat him to little cross
please yell at the cook, Charlie, and
not at me. I'm sure If people soaN get
up at such unearthly hours, they should
expect to be kept waiting for their break
fas,."
Then the spirit of unrest would impel
Charlie toward the back door, where I
would hear him commanding, exhorting,
entreatng.
Mentally registering VOW to give my
husband dose of Mrs. Winslow's sooth-
ing syrup on tho coming night, would
re]inguish al hope Of another nap, get up
and dress myself, and join my roaring lion
on the front gallery, where we would
both sit meekly waiting for the allied
forces Of kitchen and dining room 30 de-
eide upon The QUESTION of revictualing us.
AulxOs St!u OudlllC w WC OuO uOA
ing at the breakfast table, things are get
ting all out of gear about this house, some
how or other"
l nut down the coffee-pot'with re-
signed thump, and asked my lord, with an
injured air, to please explain himself.
swell, when mother was alive never
knew what 1t was to sit down to my break
fast later than six o'clock in summer or
seven in winter"
How did she manage it, Charlie ," l
asked, very meekly.
Why, by getting up early herself. No
servant on the face of the globe il going
to get up at daybreak and 60 to work in
earnest when she knows her mistress is
sound asleep in bed. will tell you no w
mother did: she had pretty good sized
bell that she kept on table by her bedside,
and every morning, as coon as her eyes
we're open, she would give such peal
with that old bell that every servant on
the premises knew that Mistiss was awake
and up and bestirred themselves accord
ingly. There was no discount on mother !;
that was the way she made father rich
man, too"
"But, Charlie, you're already rich
man, and why on earth should we get
out Of bed at daybreak just because your
AAOIuc4 6uu l0tAOA uAu 81 UCAOIt uS
"Of course. Lulie," said Charlie, the
the world to force you to conform to my
views; only told you how mother did it."
Reader, you know how loved Charlie Q,
and after that l out-larked the lark:in early
rising; and although Charlie and did lit
tie more than cape in each others faces
for an hour or two, and wish breakfast
would come, and wonder what made them
take so long, he was perfectly satisfied
that we were both on the road that was to
make us healthier, wealthier and wiser.
Among other points on which my hus-
band and were mutually agreed was =
liking for good strong coffee, and we also
held in common one decided opinion, and
that was, that our coffee was gradually
becoming anything but good and strong.
Charlie broached the subject first. "Lu.
lie, our coffee is getting to be perfectly un-
drinkable," said he one morning, putting
his cup down with face of disgust.
1t is, indeed, Charlie; it's perfectly
villainous M,lly ought to he ashamed Of
herself. | shall speak to her again after
MAYBE you don't give out enough cof-
fee?" suggested Charlie.
I" don't know how much Milly takes"
l replied, innocently
Takes! Do you mean to say that you
don't know how much coffee goes out of
your pantry, Lulie? l don't wonder we
never have any fit to drink!'
Ill had been of an argumentative turn,
would have asked Charlie to explain how
giving the cook carte blanche in the mat
terof quantity should have such disas-
trous effect in the matter Of quality. But I
was not Of an argumentative turn, so I
TOOK no nOlicr Of his queer logic
why should bother about every
spoonful of coffee, Charley? You assured
me, when first came here, that every ser
want you had was as honest as you or I,
and Pm sure Milly knows better than do
how much coffee she ought to take"
"Well," said Charlie, with a sigh of
mock resignation, "that may be the way
they do things now a-days, but remem-
ber exactly how mother managed to have
good coffee" Here the hobby broke into
b isk canter. II recollect she had
little oval wooden box, that held, I sup
pose, about d quart-or two, aybe-of
roasted coffee, and that box stood on the
mantelpiece in her room; and every
morning, as soon as her bell rang, Milly
woald come with cup and spoon, and
mother would measure out two table
spoonfuls of coffee with her own hands
ana give it to the cook, and the cook knew
De,1. thaa Mt to have good coffee, l can
tell you"
Are you sure it was only two spoon
tuls, Charlie?'
EMMY. ~
AS good-luck would have it, while rum.
mnaglng in the store room q day or two
after that coffee talk, came upon little
ot' oval wooden box, the lid of which I
detached with some difficulty, and as the
scent Of the roses hung round it still, | had
no difficulty in Identifying my treasure.
trove with the wooden box that had play.
ed such distinguished part in the good
old times when cooks "knew better than
not to have good coffee, can tell YOU"
Hoping that some relic Of my dea pre-
decesEor might prove moro awo-inspiring
to contunAcious Milly than my own do: