Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-06-25


impossible than usual. Nell, a brown
haired, black-eyed little gypsey, is the life
and fun-maker of the family, quick and
impulsive, but with a noble character !;
while Susie, our beautiful, fair-haired
darlng-iust budding into womanhood--
fades like a snow-wreath from our midst.
''The MOTHER whose placid, lovely face
is just shaded by soft, gray curls, is our
friend, confidant and counselor, entering
into all our plans with a zest prompted by
heart young and sweet to the core.
The conversation which | have given
above took place on Saturday, and the
next week, after the washing and ironing
was out of the way, bright and early
Wednesday morning the work began.
Mother always believed in taking hold of
the worst end ola job first; SO Kate and
Nell went up into the garnet, while mother
and [ undertook the cellar. It was love
ly, sunshiny day, and there was crisp
sparkle in the air that was wonderfully ex-
hilarating and everything went on as
''merry as marriage bell" So energeti-
cally did we work, that not only were the
two extremes Of the house set in order,
but the girls finished the spare chamber,
Susie's room and the upper hall taking
up no carpets) while mother and [ cleaned
the kitchen and dining-room, pantries and
the china closet. That evening, when we
gathered round the CRATE in the sitting
room, we felicitated ourselves greatly on
the wonderful success. of our plan; while
father, who now heard of the compact
for the first time, somewhat chilled our
enthusiasm by prophesying that every one
of us would have to pay forfeit before
the week was over and added, with a
81 Ill
| the dyspepsia"
The next morning I found, on rising,
that | had taken cold in my subterranean
labors, and was dreadfully stiff and lame,
and Hates heavy eyes and listless manner
at the breakfast table betrayed that one of
of her headaches was coming on We
fingered at the table, and after prayers
did not "spring to' as we had the day be-
fore. Still, Tom volunteered to stay at
home all day, and the way he beat carpets,
moved heavy furniture and made himself
generally useful, was quite overwhelming.
So, in spite of aching head and rheumatic
bones, we finished all the chambers, TAX
ing up the carpets. Susie, of course,
could not join in the work, but her trial
lay in her lonely hours and the inconveni-
ences she was often subjected to in the
general upheaval; and what wonder if the
poor helpless child sometimes grew q
little fretful [ was racing down stairs
for clean water that morning, when she
called from her room :--"Bessic, won't you
shut my door?"
eyes, in minute, Sue" I answered,
and hurried on.
While [ was in the kitchen, mother
wanted me to peel the potatoes for dinner,
and that done [ went up the back-stairs
to my cleaning, quite forgetting poor Sue.
In about half an hour I had occasion to
go down again, and as I passed through
the hall [ heard Susie's soft voice, this
time little tremulous:
"Bessie, dear, you forgot to shut my
door,"
"Why, bless your heart! so I didn' I
exclaimed, going in; and there the dear
child lay, curled up in heap, and with
a great newspaper spread over her.
cts lucky had this big paper" she
said, trying to smile; 'there is such a
draught and my fires all down''-and not
heart smote me as tucked the silk COM
Portable around the wasted FORM Ipoked
the fire, brought her a new book from the
sitting groom, and with penitent kiss left
her once more alone. .a.
Friday morning came dark and lower
ing, and we all felt the depressing effect
Of the general gloom. Tom declared he
had urgent business down town, and took
himself off right after breakfast; and
worst of all, Susie had taken cold, thanks
to my carelessness, and was suffering one
of her painful attacks, and mother could
only leave her a few minutes at time.
She gave us the hall, parior and sitting
room for that days work, and we knew it
was doubtful whether we could finish it
but we went to work with a sort of grim
determination that was quite contrast to
our frolicsome mood on the first day In
stead Of song and merry jest, almost COM
plete silence reigned among u.s. [ felt
myself growing sullen and irritable, and
thought despairingIy Of "Our Compact y
But [ shut my lips, firmly resolved that
however might feel inside, there should
be no outward sign; but towards noon, as
I was passing through the hall with my
arms full of blankets to be aired, Kate
called out: ,4.a%--ff
"Here, Bess, you may polish the stair
rods" -rs q. 49,.
Her authoritative tone irritated me. I
knew ''Lady Kate'' disliked staining her
white hands with such work, and would
have been glad to humor her had she asked
me kindly; but was about to make her
an angry retort, when caught roguish
glance from Nell, and checking myself
just in time, marched off without a word
| By the time [ had the blankets all hung
| out had recovered my equanimity, and
was able to speak pleasantly as I gathered
| up the stair rods, and Kate, whose back
had been turned, never knew how near I
came to mourning the forfeit.
Halfpast twelve came and we were still
hard at work. Nell, perched on the high
step-ladder, was busting books on the top
shelf of the secretary, Kate was mailing
down the drugget i'll the sitting -room while
| was oiling the furniture, when suddenly
Tom appeared in the doorway and sur
| veyed the scene with prolonged whistle
of establishment
"Ain't dinner ready YETI"
"No, it amt, sir" responded Nell curt
ly, but not offering to stir
"Well, step round lively, girls, for I'm
in an awful hurry" said he, roug hly, but
not ill-naturedly.
I was just leaving the room, but looked
back as Nell exclaimed with flashing
| eyes: