Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-05-30
Miscellany.
ONE OF MY WHlMS.
BY ROsELLA RICE.

ONE OF MY WHlMS.
BY RosELLA RICE
"Well, guess I'll have to try my cure
again." said, wearily, as I slipped nv
half cup of coffee at breakfast, and leaned
on the corner of the table with one elbow.
Its the best and surest cure for low
spirits that | know Of"
What is thats" said Helen, looking up
brightly.
'Why," said I, "when [ become low
spirited and sad, and everything about
home looks common and desolate, I Just
go abroad among my neighbors, and am
sure to come back ready to rejoice that
mine is such a pleasant CHEEKY home,
quiet, and clean, and beautiful.
The family all Joined in laughing at
one of my "whims," as they called it,
but indeed it was no whim, and if any of
you women readers, who have good
homes, ever get to thinking that the wall
paper in your rooms is decidedly ugly,
the pictures on your walls common, your
books old and uninteresting, nothing good
to eat, your beds too hard, or too soft,
your clothes ill-fitting, your children cross
and lll-bred, your servant sulky, your
husband morose, do beg of you to try
my cure.
Everything had been going wrong with
me for two or three weeks, and so that
morning was really obliged to try the
cure. The girls combed my hair nicely, but
I Iwouldn't let them divide it and put it up,
coil around coil, that would appear stylish,
and would not be half so comfortable as
to wind it up loosely and softly, quite low
down. Then if l took notion, while
resting on log out in the woods, to
throw off my bonnet, and shake my head
freely, there would be no elaborate fix
ing to come down, little by little, pin
here, and a pin there. l don't understand
why, but it has become a habit with
me, if l am out in the woods, my
first impulse is to let my hair down all in
heap, loosely and freely, until the first
sitting is over.
Soon | concluded to go across the creek,
where lives one of my old nelghbors on
whom I wanted to CALL Katy Raymond.
Katy used to work for me when she was
a girl-she married the young carpenter
who boarded with US at the time Her
first children were sickly little things, and
her married life was not very pleasant
One of her little girls had an affection of
the lower limbs and never walked step,
and just when she had regained her health
and began to be playful and happy, she
had the scarlet fever, and before she re-
CONC1CO llOu IL SuC GOOk d StNCTG COlu
which settled in her eyes, and she lost the
use of them
A sweet, little, blind, fair-haired girl,
who could not walk a step, was great
and loving charge for the poor, impatient
young mother. The other three children
were puny and fretful with their white
faces.
Katy was very glad to seeme She was
one of those women whose home and
family were her world-her all in all.
She was remarkable cleanly housekeeper.
The outside walls, beside her door and
windows, were made useful in every
sense of the word.
Beside the window, which was shaded by
morning glory vine, hung her big, iron
frying-pan, spider, griddle, big baking
pan, mop, scrubbing- broom, and all such
kitchen paraphernalia that should have
been out of sight, no matter how clean,
or how honorable they were to the repu-
tation of good housekeeper.
=" Come in, If you can get in for the
dirt" was Katy's salutation, and I found
her with her dress pinned up, her sleeves
rolled up to the elbows, her hair lifted
clear out of the way onto the top of her
head, busy making bread She always
did make as much fuss when she mixed
or moulded bread as an ordinary woman
would, if she were going to Europe to
stay all summer.
-. How are you, Katy ?" said as 1 sat
down in her cushioned rocking chair.
Oh, pretty well, but I'm head over
ears in work The baby was teething last
week, and was so cross and fretful that
didn't get much done,S and that makes
SO much more to do now," and she flew
about so briskly that she made the dishes
rattle in the cupboard As soon as the
bread was fixed she washed her hands and
said: "Come into the parlor, my kitch-
ems not fit to sit down in, it's so dirty and
dusty" and all the time Katy knew that
there wasn't speck of dirt in her sweet
smelling, tidy kitchen
She led the way into the room she dig
nifled by the name of parlor.
| should have called it a hospital, in
stead, for it had three beds in it, draped
IN snow-white counterpanes, and ruffied
pillows; a trundle bed, and the babv's
cradle, big bureau, chest, stand, table,
clock, and a set of chairs, including the
two easy rocking chairs.
:. Some people must have parlors, though,
because it is the custom. What bur-
lesque on that empty fashion was Katy's
we'll arranged store-room. She sat down
wearily, while a glance of her keen, sharp
eye swept around the room and over the
Hoor to see il all were we'll
Julie" she said, sI see a bit of white
yarn ravelling, sticking on the CARPET
pick it up and burn it, will you? Dear
me!''F said she, 'tit's nothing but dirt, dirt
I cannot keep everything nice with these
young un's about all the timer
"Well, you have none to spare out OF
your mother-love," said /, little nettled
at her useless fretting.
No, not unless I'd give them to the
rag man." she answered, apologetically.
Oh, I'll be so glad when school begins,
and everything is quiet and clean once
more. Don't come in here on the carpet,
Marlerp' she screamed out shrilly to a
sad-eyed, yellow-faced child, who peeped
in at the door with a bunch of flowers in
her hand "throw away that truck, and
don't go tracking around where mopped
this morning-oh, dcar!' and she lifted
her eyebrows dolorously.
See what Bessie wants, Marier. y
Bessie, the little blind, crippled child,
wanted piece, and Katy told Maria to
spllt cod biscuit and give her the top
part, spread with some of the jam that
was in the little, notched glass dish in
the bottom of the cupboard.
And be careful, Marier, and dom,
scatter crumb, and if you break that dish
III take your head off in a trice, now see
if I DON'T"
Maria was busy at the cupboard GETTING
the piece, and Bessie was saying, sshurry
oh do hurry, Pm SO hungryp'