Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-11-24

all doubts to flight.
Mrs. Spangler remembered that ii
was baking day, aud that her "helpn
was not to I've depended upon. So |
she stepped round The house and |
looked Ia at the culinary department.
There was cloud upon her face
when she entered the room, where
Minerva was busy with paste pot |
and scissors covering some books for
the Sunday school library.
Dear me suds ~ she cried -
There Glory Ann has gone and let
the bread burn to cinder. She
will keep up a fire big enough To
roast an OK, and, when speak to
her about heating up the house at
night, she vows there's only spark
In the Kitchen. MRS. Spangler was
not aware that the spark was six feet
high, dressed in coat and trowers. -
shall have to send her adrift, for
she's a perfect sozzle and then what
are we geing to DO ASath this great
house to keep clean, and company
liable to come in upon us unexpected
any minuteT' And she sighed, half
wishing herself back I'm the little
house where she had been accustom.
ed to do her own work, before Hiram
grew to be Sd well off.
Law. MAJ returned Minerva,
shipping away leisurely at a sheet of
paper, "you ought not to fret 10 about
things. For my part. I'd be content
with crust of bread. Just think
what beautiful sermon Elder Bruce
preached last sunday about "Con>
slider the lilies"
"Fiddlesticks, Minerva! Don't
talk to me about considering lilies,
when the weeks ironing is behind
hand, and a batch of bread all burnt
to crisp on the Kitchen table. 1t
rifles me If it is out Of Scriptur.'-
And you must take hold yourself
and do that ruffied petticoat of
your'n. Its an aw ful piece OF work,
and besides ] know you relish your
dinner as well as most folks. When
you have plenty to eat and drink and
wear, and don't have to exert your
self to get 1t, you're ready to consider
the lilies but i guess you'd play
another tune If you was het up over
the stove half the day and suffered
from prickly heat every time you
went into the kitchen. never
could understand what it means
where IL says In the Bible, Take no
thought for the morrow What a
pickle things would be I'm AZ we
didRt have TO get three meals regu-
lar. and there, WEREN'T men folks
coming round and 7seelding unless
they had tteir victuals up to the |
inmate. Folks must have picked
their living then along by the road. |
But was going to tell you, Minerva,
that I've been into the Widow Wal
colts, and it's my opinion she's set
ting her cap for the elder. She's one
OF them sly, quiet kind, that you
never can know; but IL looks to me
as III she meant to get into the par
sonage. And then she don't seem
quite sound in her religious views.-
rguess she's little srfak ey on some
doctrInal points; for when spoke
about revival she Didn't seem to
encourage 1t, and you know she has |
lived up Clinton way, where there g
good many Universalists Ishouldn't
wonder IL she'd been diawed In, Mi
nervs. must speak to the elder,
and let him know she amt quite
sound" H w -.s.
The Widow Walcott's cottage stood
exactly opposite the ssarsonage. 1t
was little, low, brown house, with
q neat yard, bright with flowers, a
large spreading maple tree at the
gate, and a tidy bit of kitchen, garden,
where the widow 's~5haker bonnet
might be seen at very early hour of
the morning. The parson had not |
yet called upon his neighbor, FOR she
was comparative stranger in Skit>
tletos and, like some others of his
cloth, he was poor visitor. But
the parsons boys and the widows
little girl had got acquainted. The
lads were fond of little Mary. and
delighted to give her q swing under
the tall trees, and to show her the
tricks of their tame squirrel, and to
let her help them In their hunt for
hens nests through the great old par
soBage barn, where swallows nested
under the even.
The pafson, plain. featured, abb
sent-minded man, with near sighted
eyes and an odd stoop in the shout
ders, had more than once noticed the
little, blue-eyed, fiaxen-haired girl
that always seemed to have CLEAN
Of sunshine about her. and, coming
out Of his shady dwelling, had given
her now and then a friendly pat on
the heal with his big hand; and
when he learned that her name was
Walcott had remembered that Widow
Walcott lived across the street, and
that he meant 10 call some day.
But, once among his books, such
neighborly intentions slipped his
mind.
Sally Reynolds was acknowledge
to be the smartest hired girl in Skit-
Teton, and she ruled supreme In the
minister's kitchen. 1t was general
ly supposed that the late Mrs. Bruce.
who was timid woman, not very
strong In health. had regarded Sally
with awe; and she was certainly 40
regarded by the greater part of the
village people. Even Mrs. SpangIer
quailed little before her sharp
tongue and unwavering pluck. She
kept the parsonage as neat as wax,
and attended To all her masters bodi-
ly wants, and took good care of the
boys, who were old enough not to
render mothers care indispensable.
Every bright Monday morning Sal
ly's wash was seen fiuttering on
the line before other people were well
out Of bed. and soon after the mid
day meal she spread her table and
began ironing. with the clothes
smelling of grass and clover neatly
rolled and packed into the basket,
and the 'thorse" set out before the
fire. to give gentle airing to the