Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-09-13
AN UPPER WINDOW.
by KATE W. HAMILTON.

"YEs'M, nice, commogitious, einteel
departments as you'll find" said Mrs.
Grimp, buzzing about the narrow, dusty
windows like an immense fly, and flap
ping her apron over them in lieu of
wings. "And then the hairiness of 'eml
And the cheapness of email things con.
sidered"
Helen Mayne listened and looked about
her with the least bit of smile upon her
lips, and faint feeling of home sickness
creeping into her heart Her vision was
not sufficiently microscopic to discover
all the advantages of the situation as they
were announced by Mrs Grimp. She had
perverse suspicion that she did not like
this busy, narrow back street, this house
that stood in it, or these most excellent
departments" that were for rent Never.
theless, she had climbed so many flights
of stairs that day, and visited so many
low rooms with high recommendations,
and narrow rooms with broad prices, that
she was growing weary and discouraged;
and the little words "To Let" began to
assume threatening aspect, and give to
the windows in which they were placed,
the appearance of being iron barred.
These rooms might do" she remarked
to herself, rather doubtfully; and Mrs.
Grimp, like sl<illful general, caught the
words, and answered briskly: ''Yes'm.
w LSH IL yOu WISH W take pUSSeSSIOn!'
Helen glanced once more at the mosaic
ceilings, the subdued light shining through
the stained glass windows, and the won
derful bouquets of marigolds and blue
roses that decorated the paper on the
walls, and surrendered. What else could
she do?
"The first of next week." she said,
turning away.
Once across the street, she looked back
with momentary pang of regret that
Mrs. Grimp's view Of the genteel locality
would scarcely be generally accepted :;
and then suddenly curled her lip at find
ing herself caring for the opinion of. peo-
pie 4{aGr 4far' whose " selves she cared nothing.
Having decided the matter, she was not
one to turn back, though, to be sure, in
this case, there was nothing to turn back
to so, after much wear and tear of body
and vexatiun of spirit, the upturning of
all things movable-a furious skirmish
between draymen and furniture-th the fam
lily were deposited, bag and baggage, in
their new quarters. A family of four
they were, of which Helen was the osten-
sible head-head and shoulders, indeed,
since she was the general burden bearer
Next came Nan, the irrepressble fifteen
year-old, and in her own opinion, with
more wisdom slowed away in her curly
head than most people were possessed of
at fifty. The two children, Rue and Mar
gle, completed, or incompleted, the estab-
lishment-generally it was the latter.
Nan clambered valoriously over the
tables, pile of carpet, a wash-tub of
books, and basket of crockery, and
gaining the center of the room, seated
herself in the wash boiler and surveyed
the scene.
And this is the result of all your room
mating, is it, Nell? Dear me it is
street of apartments, sure enough Rear
windows afford a fine view of back-yards,
intersecting clothes.lines, and dingy linen
gently waving in the summer breeze
Views from front windows little
miXed-small groceries, small boys and
small dogs, principally. Humph !''-the
young lady's nose grew tritle more ele-
vated-' seems to me the place has per-
ennial odor of boiled cabbage"
Helen leaned back against the wall,
IN Fltz-James, folded her arms, and re-
sponded simply: 1T was the best could
do Nan"
Notwithstanding her resolute air, the
faintest suspicion of tremor found its
way into her voice. Mans quick ear de-
tected it, and her generous heart repented
at once.
"Well who said it wasn't better
enoughf" she asked, heroically, emerg-
ing from her boiler, and drawing off her
gloves for work. "Once more into the
breach, sweet friends! Those windows
will be deal more CHEEKY when they're
washed and curtained. The paper isn't
very handsome, that's fact; but it will
look better with that hole in the chimney
covered up. Here, I'll hang this picture
of Washington over it. First in war,
first in peace, and first-rate in covering
stove-pipe holes"
"Hoorayw burst forth Master Rue,
seized with a sudden and unaccountable
spasm of patriotism, attempting to stand
on his head in the middle of mattress,
and coming down with those joys of his
heart, his new boots, full into the basket
of crockery.
20 Ruelp' calculated Helen.
81 was maxim purtend twas Fourth of
July" exclaimed the somewhat discom-
fitted young gentleman.
And so you must send up your heels
like rockets, and use the dinner plates for
an explosion. He'd have been named
Ruin if appropriateness had been con-
sidered, said Nan, meditatively survey
ing the fragments.
The business Of unpacking and arrang-
ing, being thus successfully inaugurated,
was carried steadily forward; and, in
deed, though it seemed gigantic in its
Il.
there was mot so very much furniture to
dispose of, after all, as Nan remarked
in tone half cengratulatory, half pa
thetic, while smile and tear battled for
the right of lookout from her brown eyes.
Only little way back in the past there
had been more, filling larger and pleas
anter rooms.
Still, when all was in order, even to the
old sofa, chantably covering the faded
breath in the carpet, and the great Diction-
airy gravely concealing the ink spot on
the table cover, the place looked neither
uncomfortable nor unhomelike. Two
pairs of hands had wrought wonders,
though Mans plump and dimpled, Helen's
slender and blue-veined, scarcely looked
the sort to wage any fierce warfare with
opposing forces, and doubled into fists
would have been positively absurd.
"Settled and ready for work." Helen
said slowly. That was well, since short
counting would suffice for their available
funds, and income and expenditure could
hardly be coaxed into meeting smicably,
but were always. .disagreeing in the most
fat and uncourteous manner possible,
The work was making designs for the
print-mils.
Helen always spoke of it as the work,
never as her work-that expression meant
something more and different to her, and
was sacred TO an old hope laid aside.
While the brighter days lasted-while DR..
Mayne liYed-she had found abundant
occupation that suited her. She had de.
lighted in his books and studies and the
old physician, proud of his young daugh-
ter's clear head and quick, intelligent
comprehension, had encouraged the taste,
Ill n "a -. a. =.