Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-02-06
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For the journal.
MY EXPERIENCE.
BY OppZAST.

from my window were all clad in their
icy armor. and glistening in the sunlight,
as though touched by fairy's wand.
was deeply impressed with the beauty OF
the scene, but was compelled to leave it
at last, and return to my manuscript, and
congratulated myself that had only a few
more pages to write, and it would be
ready tor the publisher, when / was
suddenly recalled to the realities of life,
by the entrance Of Bridget, my maid of
all work" who exclaimed, in . loud voice, |
thus:
AN sure mum, an I'm going to leave
yes, and it's not meself will be after stop
ping wild yes longer, sure, and its q
wakes notice, that I'll give ye's!n
A moment j sal bewildered by the sud-
denness of it all. then / said as mildly as
could, "Why Bridget, what is the matter
why do you wish to leave '
IAN sure mum, it's no fault wild your
self, finds" said Bridget, ''but it's the
work yes be leaving me to do An faith
mum, it's company wants in the kitchen
as well as yesself likes it in the parlor,
an so because yes keep out the way. and
leaves me to the cooking, an ironing, an
washing, an ali the rest. while yes be
having nice time wild yes writing and
all. Why, I'll jest take meself of, an yes
can get another girl num-
"Well Bridget" said 7. amazed and
somewhat fris htened withal "You can
60 at once if you like and never mind the
notice. For felt could not keep her
q moment longer than necessary, after such
4 TRADE. She tossed her head, and after
asking for her weeks pay-which | very
gladly gave her--took herself off to the
upper regions of the house, where | soon
heard her stamping and pounding away
at an old diapidated trunk of hers, and
judged she was packing up. At last she
came to the door with her best bonnet and
shawl on. and exclaimed with grin:
AN is fine girl hope yes may get
mum! good bye to yes. An yen find
the mate in the cellar, num-"
And so Bridget went, and was left
alone with family of four to cook and
provide food for.
With sigh closed my dearly loved
manuscript which had served to beguile
many an Otherwise weary hour, and made
the long winter days pass more pleasantly
during the frequent absence OF my hus-
band, whose business took him from home
great part'of the time, and started for
the kitchen.
Oh, my dear reader! l need not weary
you with an account of the frantic exer-
tons I4nade to clear up that most impor-
tant part of a household, for Bridget had
left everything in disorder; suffice it to
say, washed dishes, / baked, l boiled, /
swept, in short, did wonders, in my own
estimation. And when dinner-time came.
and my little son George came in from
school thungry as bear" as he expressed
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the city, and as luck would have it, my
husband too, all hungry, and wholly I'M
aware Of my recent loss, had managed |
to get enough cooked for them to eat; it |
was all could Go. suddenly deprived of
help as l was, in the before mentioned, |
but Acknowledgements Bridget.
Well, my husband felt sorry for me and
wanted to send a girl from the Intelli-
gence office, but | felt so provoked at
Bridget's conduct that | felt disposed to
get along for while with the help of my
daughter Annie. thought l would do it,
but did not realize the situation, at least,
not then. We had a large house, heated
with steam, hot and cold water up stairs,
and all seemed convenient, so l thought,
with woman to wash and iron. would
try it. Our family consisted of my
husband and myself, a daughter and a
son. never could bear to get up earlyin
the morning so Annie said she would
get breakfast If would prepare it over
night, and so We worked and tugged at
the household reins for week or more
each day we thought to get little time to
rest. but no the work must be done; was
not strong, Annie was not used to work,
the weather was cold land the water pipes,
would freeze just when my husband had
gone on one of his weekly trips to
neighboring city; and then to crown all,
Annie took cold, and was threatened
with fever so then / had double duty to
perform.
When my husband came home it was 10
find us both sick in bed and my little son
chief nurse, as well as''maid of all work
He saw at glance that maid we must
have without delay, so the next morning
we were refreshed by the sight of a strong,
good natured girl direct from the Emer-
aid Isle, who answered to the name of
Norah: of course she was as green as her
native land, and we had no end Of trouble
teaching her; but that was better than do
ing the work ourselves. Well, Just as
things began to look clearer in our do
nestle horizon and we began to breathe
q little more freely, our good natured
maid let fall tray full of dishes, with
terrible crash! and when we fastened
to see what was the matter, she declared
with a merry laugh, THAT it was good
thing those old cracked dishes had got
smashed at lastr Just think of it dear
reader. A whole set of at least twenty
pieces of my best china gone in a mo-
ment it was too bad, but there was no
help, for it; she would have it ''they were
crackd when she came" so | told her to
be more careful in future and retired 10
the parlor. where l was soon disturbed by
George, who came in TO tell me that
"Old Tabby, (our cat whom we
had kept ia the family for years.
was dead-scalded to death by old Norah,
who had upset the kettle on the cat. Poor
George nearly cried himself sick. Norah
said the cat must have done it her
self, for she was black and black cats
were witches, and she was witch. and
she did not believe it hurt her bit. So
we had to lei that go, and l comforted
George by promising him "a nice little
dog to make up for the cat Poor old
Tab was decently laid away in the back
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