Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24
MRS. Ll.us.v-s GIRL.
ny !. u. T. MARSH.

mTs. Lyman. L say our, IOr lnslst tnat
after a summer with teething baby, she
needs vacation from housekeeping AZ
much as do from office wear and, "Sep-
tember" because we have learned that
home Is the most comfortable place we can
find during July and August. We have
planned for a trip to the old home on the
Sound. 1t Is great luxury for us to idle
away September afternoon on Its rocky
headland, to develop good back ache dig
glng clans In the cove, to take a humping
ride over its stony, chestnut shaded roads.
But my cousins hearty Invitation to spend
week with them switched us off. We
knew we should have pleasant visit, and
we wanted TO run up an account for them
to settle at our house sometime.
My cousin was educated at a Philadelphia
boarding school, and when she graduated
she could swim, sketch off-hand, apalyze
any wild flower, and enter drawing room
with the most approved bend and bow.
But she was as ignorant of all the details of
housekeeping as Of army tactics-making
cocoanut cake excepted. That was picnic
accomplishment she had picked up of
which she was quite proud. And it was
her cocoanut cake that, at the Sunday
school festival the very week after she
reached home, entrapped Mr.. Lyman, the
thrifty young bank teller, who for some
time had had his eye on a neat little cot
tage in the edge OF the town, which he
could buy at bargain whenever he could
find the right person "to run It," Six
months after her graduation she was in
stalled as its mistress. or course, marry
ing at such short notice, 1t took every min
ute OF her time "to get her sewing done;"
and, concerning the simplest processes of
the kitchen, she went into the c, ttage as ig-
norant as she came out Of the boarding
school. 1t was sorry time she had for
while with sour bread, muddy Coffee ILL
favored puddings, and shiftless girls whom
she could not teach to do better, because
she did not know how herself. Even the
fact that she could make cocoa nut cake oc-
casionally failed to keep tea-table cloud
from crossing her husbands brow during
that trying honeymoon, as he now pen-
tenty oonfesses. But 1t was not the first
time the schoolgirl has proved equal to
the same emergency and long ago Mrs.
Lyman's friends concluded that what she
does not know about good cookery and
management of babies Is hardly worth
knowing.
Telling US, last night, the serio-comical
experience of her self-apprenticeship at
housekeeping, the talk turned on "girls,"
at my wife's remark that she must have
treasure in Emily, who had been sitting
with us on the porch, but had bade us
goodnight to go to her room. And then
she gave us another chapter Of experience
and opinion, part of which 1 am moved
to strain off into this sketch.
"Yes," she replied, ~ have had more or
less trouble with help, and always expect
TO have, but 1 get along better than 1 used
to. Emily was in my young woman's BIZ
ble-class, and found out she was farmers
| girl, with two sisters at home to help about
the work, and wanted to do something for
self-support. She had tried teaching dis
trict school, one summer, but didn't enjoy
1t, and 1 proposed that she should come in
to our family and help me, and 1 would
pay her the same that she could get at
teaching. treat her as one of the family,
and she axes as much interest in our af-
fairs as though she were. Generally she
does the kitchen work, and look after the
beds and keeping the rest OF the house in
order. But she helps me about the sweep
ing, and do the cooking on washing days.
In the coolest mornings Mr.. Lyman gets
up and builds the kitchen fire, and on Mon
days all of US make an early start 30 that
he can take turn or two at the washing
machine before he goes to the bank. In
winter he makes II point to come home
earlier on that day, If he can, and bring
in the frozen clothes. Most husbands
wouldn't do that, but he thinks he would
be willing to do the whole washing rather
than go through with the trouble that sc
many people have with girls. Bessy sets
the table, and Johnny Is charged with see.
ing that kindlings are on hand and that the
wood-box Is not empty. Both of them are
old enough to be learning such little re-
sponsibilites. Unless there are cakes 10 bt
cooked, or company to be waited on, Emf
ly sits with us at the table, and Is Away,
welcome, In the evening to a chair in oui
sitting room circle. She sits In our pew
church, and we shall take her along in ou
little family trip to Niagara some day thi
fall. / doubt whether there Is another
family in town where she would consent I,
go and do house work. But think sh,
prefers her home hero to ono at he
fathers, where life has more drudgery
than poetry. or course she Is ont of sort
sometimes. suppose there are few peo
pie with whom the wind does not get int
the east now and then. And don't know
but l have occasion to ask her pardon a
often as she needs to apologize to mo-"
"But every one can't get sensible, saw
ing, church-going American girls" sal,
my wife. "I am afraid you would not ge
along so pleasantly with Bridget
"Every one would not want them or
these terms, suppose" replied Mrs Lv
man. "If the demand was larger the sup
ply would be better I think. At any rat
prefer these terms to the armed peace o
open war that prevails In so many kitchens
As to Bridget. have had her and had m,
troubles. So long as my children are young
will not have any one in the house who |
untruthful or light fingered. But that poin
settled, try to remember, ms Emerson
says, that cannot get an angel at thre
dollars a week, and then try to treat he
with a sisterly consideration for the fault
that are 40 largely due to her ancestry an
her education. We greet her with as pleas
ant "good morning as we do each other
and the children as much expect to pref
the please Ia asking favor Of her. as G
their father. II any one OF them has julc
California pear to divide with tho family
she receives a slice with the rest. We re
member her birthday with little gifts a
rnnnd and give her An a1fra holiday thar