The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-07-16
MAY. AND DECEMBER.

81 never did see such a sight in all my
life," quoth Mrs. Marley, elevating her
two rheumatism-twisted old hands in the
air. "Dust on them beautiful carpets
glass in the conservatory window all
broken; chickens scratching up all the
geraniums on the front lawn, and the
lazy servants dawdling away their pre-
cious time, while poor, dear Mr.. Ave
mel and Harry don't know any more
what's going on than if they were boar
ders. Says !, Dear heart alive, Mr..
Avenel, this is enough to make your
poor wife turn in her grave Says he
you know his pleasant way-'Well,
know it isn't just right, Mrs. Marley, but
what can do7' And 1 answers, says 1,
Get housekeeper.' Says he, Where p
Says I, Advertise Says he, Mrs. Mar.
ley, you've hit the nail on the head. I'll
advertise to morrow And that's how
the paragraph happened to be in the pa.
pers." r -
Here Mrs. Marley stopped to catch
breath and nodded emphatically at her
auditor, pale woman dressed in deep
mourning, with the unbecoming frame
work of a widows cap around her face.
"And do you think I should suit the
gentleman ?" the latter asked family. lo
"You can but try" was Mrs. Narley's
encouraging response. "Mr. Avenel is
as easy as lamb, and not one of them
as is everlastingly checking off bills and
counting nickel pennies, and Harry's
dreadful pleasant tempered. Any way,
if was you, Mrs. Hawkhurst, I'd 60
and see." ~
And Mrs. Hawkhurst holding her pref.
ty little daughter by the hand, went up
accordingly to the handsome stone house
on the hill. t.' .
There she found Mr.. Avenel in state
of temporary siege, for others beside
herself had seen the tempting advertise
ment end made haste to answer it. There
were fat women and lean, tall women
and short, Scotch women and German
smiling, slovenly women and trim, sharp
visaged women; women who had seen
better days, and women who evidently
hadn't.
Mrs. Hawkhurst looked around some.
what discouraged by the formidable ar
ray of rivals. ti #r. ~
"There's no hope for me-" she thought
despairingly, and was just about to turn
away with jmid Juliet clinging to bel
hand, when Harry Avenel advanced.
"Did you wish to see my uncle, mad
ann" he asked courteous]y.
ell called to see abont the house
keepers situation," meekly murmured
the widow. 4sa e,efh-
And Harry showed her in at once.
The fat and the tall, the German and
the Scotch, the sour and the sweet went
Mr.. Avsnel decided to engage Mrs
Hawkhurst as his housekeeper, with per
mission to keep Juliet with her.
"She is all 1 have, sir" said the house
keeper apologetically, "and she will try
to be useful about the house."
"How old is she ?" asked Mr.. Ave
mel '''.' '"'
"Fifteen, sir,
"Well let her stay" said the widower
good humoredly. "She'll eat no more
than chicken, ,and I dare say she can d.
a great many odd things about th'
house."
Mrs. Hawkhurst proved herself an ex
ecutive officeress Of the greatest ability
Gradually the ''chaos and old night o
Avenel place was reduced to system ant
order. The wheels of housekeeping re
volved 50 softly that no one knew the,
moved, yet those were the results. Yo,
scarce ever saw the housekeeper gliding
about the halls,yet the servants declared
she was omnipresent. Mr.. Avenel fount
himself actually the inhabitant of
home once more as the years slowly
passed away. .' ''
He was sitting on the piazza one day
smoking his cigar. and watching th'
graceful movements of Juliet Hawkhurs
as she was planting trailing vines in
marble vase that occupied the center o
the lawn, when Mrs. Marley came out.
| "a nice evening, SIR said Mrs. Mar
ley. "Oh, there she is!' ''
"Who?" Mr.. Avenel asked. i''
"Why, that foolish child, Juliet an
swered the old lady sharply. 81 han
no patience with her, that l han't."
'What has she been doing now p ask
ed :he widower with an amused face.
"Why, she's refused Ben Nicholas
Oldest son, as likely and forehanded
young feller as there is in the country.
Mr.. Avenel started
"Ben Nicholas! Why, Mrs. Marley y
she is orly child
"She's seventeen next week." nodded
Mrs. Marley, "and high time she though
settling"
! Mr.. Avenel looked across to wher
Juliet stood, in her pink gingham dress
the soft summer winds stirring her curls
and her cheeks as softly tinted as tn
standard moss rose on the lawn Seven
teen! Was it possible that little Julie
Hawkhurst had grown to be seventee
years old 2 Oh, relentless time tina
would not stand still Oh, ever crue
years, that went by and stole the fai
brightness of childhood away! So Be
Nicholas had actually asked Juliet Hawk
hurst to be his wife! -.
81 wish you an Harry'd talk seriou
to her about it," went on Mrs. Marley
"Tain't likely she'll hev many more sue
chances as that ....+..
"No; to be sure not" said Mr.. Ave
mel, abstractedly.'t9r aa.. .t f.
! "And O course she ought to think
over WE'LL" added Mrs. Marley. IA.
80, certainly-to be sure!' ~
| When Harry Avenel came home fror