Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-10-11
Lottie and I are In.

OF course we arc IN, nowadays iOr our res
pective husbands are of to the Thou'and
Islands, drowning their grief at our days alb
sence in the noble st. Lawrence. We are
keeping the hens off our gardens by day and
the frost by night Lotte is getting her els
tern repaired, and our lclky roof. Charm
ing letters we get by every post breathing OF
love, high living and good fishing. The fall
sewing and soap-making andcleaning are upon
us. making things lively between the epistles.
It has got out somehow that Lcttie and were
out with our sketch books. All the women
in town are sympathizins with John Smith
and Fred Boyd-"such nice men, but so neg
lected r L,ttie has just been in, and says
Mother Dibble is around anil busy. She'll
find as busy when she calls, if two women are
worth anything at planning. 0 0 1t
rained fercely yesterday afternoon. put on
an old calico dress, Johns old coat, aud went
out to gather rain water for loe have no cis,ern.
| lodged about right lively, putting pail un-
der here, a tub under there, pan over yonder,
and boiler somewhere else. Then taking
Johns dull,axe. commenced pounding an old,
leaky cave trough, 80 makeit leak faster.
saw large umbrella coming, with a woman
under t-Mrs Dibble; was glad. She ran in
at the front door anl at the back, ostensibly
to get cut Of the rain, both us.
"What is up, Mrs Smith You out in this
rain ?"
ayes and you too see, Mrs. Dbble.1 Glad
to see you Sitdown." Il 'cas glad that time J
proceeded -" I've gathered five barrels Of
rain water Mrs. Dbble. shall need it about
my soap and cleaning. I count myself good
on soft soap, Mrs Dibble. See there" and
held a spoonful Of soap up before her astonish-
ed vision, and let it drizzle down into the sau-
Ger, the old fashioned way. Johns old coat,
yes, and hat, and my bcdrabbled skirts, gave
me the appearance ofa genuine soap boiler.
We'll, now, III give it mp, Mrs. smith
Can you set up laach, tend it, keep up the
fires, thin and thicken. till the soap is just
right? I'm astonished."
"Oh, that's nothing, Mrs. Dibble; I'm used
to it. But really, I must get off these wei
clothes and attend to my bread-my girl i'
gone to-day" You see sent her away oil
purpose.l
soon made myselftiiy, and returned with :
NICE warm, white loaf to show to Mrs Dibbl,
-woman-faslion.
"And you make sich bread ?"
"Yes and the butter we eat on it too, Mrs
( Dibblew
Can you say, conscientously, that you car
strain, skim, churn, gather, pat, wash down
take up and work over-do the whole thing ?
"Of course, Mrs. Dibble Is that considere,
a feat in Tannerfed ?'
No Mrs. Smith. Most women here know
how to do al these .hings-but then-some
j how-wel there-we all thought you and tha
little Mrs Boyd didn't know nothin' but pic
lures and stories. And now don't be mad
but there's lots said about it, and I'll blow ny
trumpet for you hereafter-see if don't
just laughed, and proposed walk over t,
I.ottie's as the shower was over, and she wa
about to 60 home. What plight we founC
Lottie in ! Carpet rags a foot deep scattered
over the floor. 1ottie seated us and kept righ
on tearing. had to bite my lips, however, al
| saw. sticking out from under the cushion o
the lounge-where she had hastily tucked il
when she saw US coming-her sketch book
Lottie saw it too, and throwing the skirtof he
dress over it, asked me-"Does your roof leal
now % took the hint aud complained oftbc
porpexities of a woman being obliged to order
shingles and q shinger, sand lime and plas.
terer "But," said, q hate leaky roof
and I thought I would do it while Mr.. Smitl
was gone. A man 50 hates to get at any sucl
thing
THAT woman beats all, said Mrs. Dibblc
to Lottie, wipng her spectacles
She can't begin with me, Mrs. Dibble
said Lottie, augbingly. got 1cater lime
think of that-saud, ladder, and man TO fix
our cistern, and it don't leak a bit now and
we are scrimpng on tsa, to make things come
out even :"
Waal. tea is thing won't be scrimped
on. I'll have ny tea-two dollar tea-green
tea-as long as my names Dibbe," and she
looked at the clock, smacked her lips, and went
home to put the tea-kettie on After she had
gone, Lotte said, halt pettishly:
Do help me get these rags pscl:ol back
in Aunt James chest don't know what she
would say to see her carpet rags strewn around
in this manner, she's SO old-maidsh. They
served my purpose well. Guess our reputa-
ton is established now but do wish we could
be allowed to serve GoD, cur families aud No
fear of being dicussed by the Tanner6eld tea
party folks. .7-Rwal Ne,c Yorker.
Care of the Hands.
Harper's Bazar says SO make the hands
-.e, o,J ,rLto o,a of tho hos. fhinre Il IN wear