Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-10-31

the summer at Newport.
Could give it up, and stay shut up
in this little, "pokey," unfinished West
ern village, teaching Cousin Belle what
was as easy to me as Mother Goose's mel
odies and the alphabet2
That night, when l went up to my
room, put on my thinking cap" and
set down to make my decision.
All at once the true question at stake
flashed across my consciousness. My
pleasure, against another's need. And
so this is your Christianity, said | to
myself, severely this is the " enthusiasm
for humanity which you talk about so
loftily Whereupon, ! gave myself as
sound fagellation, morally, as any
monk ever gave himself physically with
a knotted cord, and, the question being
settled, retired tn sweet slumber and
peaceful dreams.
Belle" said l, the next morning at
breakfas :" / think there is way out of
your trouble"
"Ohl" said she, radiantly, if you
only could help me-
"But, Belle, if we find way out you
will have to abdicate, and let me be a
kind of absolute Empress of China for
yuAnlI ltlyn
tbat?" said l, a little doubtfully, for
Belle was several years my senior, and
matron's dignity must be very tender
ly approached.
Kitty, you've no idea how heavenly
it would be to me, to have some one tell
me every day just what to do, again.
That is one of my worst troubles. To
think every morning when | get up that
l must tell myself and everybody else
what to do, when don't know what |
want done myself
"Well, then" said /, " we'll begin to-
day"
Listen, Harry, and children" said
Belle, clapping her hands gleefully,
you must all mind Cousin Kitty, and
so must l. Well all be young together.
| begin to feel restored already"
Every well,'' said l, judicially, " to-
day is Thursday. We will devote the
rest of the week to getting the house in
perfect order. We must have clean
casket to put our jewel of home in"
Talk about gymnastics! There may
be great pleasure in throwing out pair
of wooden dumb bells and then drawing
them back again, but how can it posi-
bly, compare with flying around room
and putting it in exquisite order, that
those you love may be comfortable in it !?
To enjoy your work thoroughly you
must idealize it, and who could idealize
pair of dumb bells?
Saturday night came. and the house
was like a bandbox. Then l put my
finger on tender spot in the house.
hold economy.
About one fourth Of the needless work
was caused by lack of order. The
Lord of Misrule was sovereign, and it
sometimes looked as if hats, and coats,
dresses and playthings had rained down.
"Now," said /, quoting my mother,
the house cannot be untidy if every
person puts his or her own things in
place.
Hear hear! shouted Cousin Harry,
Bellies husband, mschievously.
You may laugh, Harry" said |,
shaking my head at him, but it is true.
That's sc" he replied, there is con-
siderable sense in that curly head of
yours, after all.
Very well" said |, "what is the use
of sense if it won't help US out of our
troubles Now | am going to draw up
a-what do you call it?-an agreement,
by which each member of the family
binds himself to keep his or her things
in perfect order"
All entered merrily into the arrange
ment. Harry drew up formidable
looking document. He and Belle signed
first; underneath the children wrote in
regular order, and one of them gleefully
put the pen between the baby's chubby
fingers and guided them to make g his
mark"
Then we reduced the regular routine
of the work to perfect system, and ev-
cry day Cousin Belle was to devote her
spare time to learning some one thing.
Monday morning came. The house
was in perfect order. Belle says, cheer
lily:
"Well, Kitty, what is the juvenile
pupil to learn to-day?"
"What would you like ?"
"If l could only make such bread as
you used TO have at your house 1t was
the very poetry of food ] Mine is sour,
or it won't rise, or something is the mat
ter with it half the time, SO that it isn't
fit to eat"