Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-06-20
mily. In fact, he never has really under

| $1,000 IL.
There were long and frequent consultations
between Mrs. Elliott and her daughters, and
each tried to Tighten the others burdens.
"Mother," said Grace, "I think every day
of something MI. Henry said when he was here.
1t seems to me he anticipated something like
this, and tried to prepare US for it; but our ears
were so dull that we could not hear, and our
eyes were closed that we could not see; and
now stern necessity is trying to make us COM
prehend."
eyes. have thought of it, too; but hope
we may not see so many hardships as his fam
lily did. 1t is bad enough now"
"His wife and daughters had to cook, wash
and do everything, you know, at one time; !;
and had wounded soldiers to take care of
at the same time, and all their bloody, fl
thy clothes to wash, too. We don't have any
thing so disagreeable as that"
"And I pray you never may, my child"
at is for you and father, miss our SER
wants more than myself; shouldn't mind
what have to do, if 1 knew how. When
used to give out the meals and direct what was
to be done, I thought was good house-keep.
er and knew great deal; but now when lind
it so difficult to do what was so easy to tell, l
see Ineed instruction and practice to get along
we'll in the simplest every day duties am
educating myself in house-work, branch 80
useful to our comfort, but so trying to tyro."
Yet for all that, Grace went round the house
singing and keeping her mothers spirits up
by her constant cheerfulness.
An unusually long time between visits had
occurred, when Mrs. Wright took couple of
children and walked over to see if any one
was sick, and learned what "bseak" in the
establishment was caused by old Dicks "spell
of rheumatic"
"She heard with sympathy, some of the
household trials, and, with inward contempt,
Mr.. Elliott's ineficiency in what she consider
ed it 80 easy for man to know all about.
The ladies were trying to do all they could,
and he was neglecting every thing.
After listening awhile, she gave an account
of some of her domestic affairs.
"We have to make every edge cut" said
she. "There are so few of our best negroes
left, Mr.. Wright has to have all at work in
the crop who can use plough or hoe. Only
one is left to cook, wash, and help about the
cleaning. The milking isn't much so few Of
the COWS are left out of all our large fine stock.
Ellen makes beds, sweeps the whole house and
then sews, except on ironing days, when
share Of that work falls to her. Julia sets the
tables, washes dishes, takes charge of the
poultry and helps me about mixing biscuit,
bread, or anything like that. We have all
our dough made up by white hands. Susan
hunts eggs and is handy about little things.
johnny brings wood and water. Albert and
Henry work with their father, and I do all
sorts of things. 1t looks as if there were
enough of US to have plenty of leisure; but we
are busy all the time, for the garden takes us
when every thing else is DONE"
eve all keep busy as we can, too" said
Mrs. Elliott, "and never get through" There
is an old saying
-
But woman's work is never done,'
and it is very true. No sooner is one thing
done than dozen are ready to claim atten-
ton and there are thousand nameless things
in housekeeping which are never counted,
though they take time and strength"
"That's what makes it such trying, discour-
aging work, Mrs. Wright" said Grace.
"But what part do you think is the most
laborious?"
eff had it all to do myself, I should say
the washing but Ellen declares there's moth.
ing more hard and trying than the ironing,
and that she shall never again think a badly
ironed shirt-bosom is sign of culpable care
lessness and laziness. She says, every week,
% dreaded shirts, are you never going to be
smooth and glossy! Must my fingers 60
through fiery ordeals before they become skill
ed in such a little thing as ironing shirt-bos.
om."
"O," said Grace, "I can sympathize with
her; for could not bear to see Lance make
such horrid work with fathers shirts, and I
undertook them. You should have seen the
first ones I tried-they were sights. The iron
would stick to them and then cover them with
brown scales of something I'm sure were not
there when begun ; and then I'd burn great
yellow spot on some; and at last sat down
and took hearty cry. think, though, I
shall keep trying till I succeed, it, like Miss
Ellen, do have to 60 through fiery ordeals.
If the head is willing the hand ought to be-"
and sheheld up the little white one which was
such help in the house.
"You'll never find ironing easy work, even
when you can do it to suit you; but you'll
never regret knowing how" said Mrs. Wright
II used to do nearly all my own work when
I was first married, and had time to read and
visit, too + sometimes think I've been to
blame in not making Ellen and Julia do
more. 1t comes harder to them now than if
made to do it from childhood"
"I thought" remarked Conway, "that Miss
Ellen was perfectly au tat in every depart
ment of housekeeping"
"She ought to have been; but she was at
school all the time till we came here to live,
and then she continued her studies with her
father. She has done the sewing for the fam
lily and helped make bread, pies and cakes 5;
but not much other work, for Mr.. Wright
thought, after using the sewing-machine so
constantly, she ought to be great deal out of
doors, and riding and gardening filled all her
leisure hours