Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-11
The Leisure Hour.
PB.1RLs .s.vD DISH-Iy:aTER.
ny KATHIE KEENE.

And still the generations Of the birds
Sing through our sighng, and the focks and herds
Scarcely nve while we keeping strife
with Heavens true purpose in us, as knife
Against which we may struggle"
"Nine hundred and sixty-threc women,
and five thousand seven hundred and for
ty-one children!'
That was all the major said, when he
opened the kitchen door, and saw three of
his little girls taking bath in one corner
of the room; little Dodie in another, de-
vouring the doughnuts which rosy-faced
Halle was frying over very hot stove;
while Bessie sliced apples in very little
closet, and Mrs. Major superintended the
whole, and darted TO and fro so swiftly,
that I think that the major must have
counted her four or five times to make out
his number.
Halle looked up and caught the look Of
dubiousness on her fathers face.
"Why, Papa Major, you're too bad
there's only mamma, and Bessie, and Do
die, and Lilly, and Jen, and Millie, and
myself, and we can get along very COM
fortably in this dear little place by going
sideways" And then papa had 10 laugh
at Hallie's red face and beaded forehead.
Twas in the middle of July, girls, when,
you know, every effort costs perspiration
drop, and she did look funny, but her
spirit was up, and she went on: II know
it's warm, pa, dear, but take spteful
satisfaction in proving TO myself, that we
girls, that's mamma and I, cannot cook
over the stove with hand and face as white
as Mrs. Holabrd's,' or checks as pink as
'Rosamond's.'
She was obliged to raise her voice at the
last, for the three little girls In the bath-tub
had kept up deafening screams for papa TO
Ego way! we're washing us-'ts not prop
err! Oh, go 'wayW
After vainly trying to hide behind each
other, they had apparently collapsed into
the bottom Of the tub, but their yellow
heads kept bobbing up 10 see If the coast
was clear, and so the major, looking very
much shocked, retired behind the door,
and talked through the crack.
"You know it's about dinner timer
"Oh, why no II can't be-we're not near
ly readyW
"But it is, and what's more" here the
door opened little wider, and bob went
the three "Graces" in state of nudity.
''What's more, &C General Trefethen has come
to dinner"
Everybody dropped everything and
screamed. Nobody says anything Instant
ly after thunder-clap, you know there's
a seconds silence, before the confusion
comes. Dode clutched theatrically at her
nd m Hrof
"Good land OF Goshen! The butcher
and the baker haven't been near us to-day,
and there isn't scrap of meat for dinner"
"Well," frowned the major, "this is the
| beauty of living in country village where
we have no market. If was only farm
| er independent of meat-men! Anything
but poor lawyer, in aplace where don't
belong! What shall We do?
Then Mrs. Major began to give hurried
orders, and Halle dropped her doughnuts,
scattering her barred arms with the boiling
fat, and just darted out of the room, and
up over the stairs, into her own little cham
ber, and down on her knees. Please don't
laugh at what she said. insist that twas
prayer, only kitchenish, instead of pray
er-meetinGish.
| ooh, dear God, we're In such fuss down
stairs Nothing for dinner, and he's come!
oh, please do send the meat-man or some-
thing, and oh, do help us hurry-quick
| Amen"
Then down stairs again went the brown
calico and flushed face, and reached the
foot just in timo TO answer a knock at the
porch door. OF course we knew II was the
butcher, and we should have done the
proper thing, but Halle, in her excitement
held out both hands to him, and, with a
beaming countenance, told him, she was
$50 glad to see him Why didn't he come
before2 Sit fright down. She would take
ten pounds of nice steak p and then eli
NAKED the poor mans establishment, by
bringing chair for the dripping slices.
The kitchen looked encouraging. Chill
dren aud doughnuts had been expelled
and mother was preparing the fresh veget-
ables, with a little amused smile on her
face, which Halllo's extravagant order fol
beefsteak had produced. Halle began to
stir up one of her favorte puddings, ex.
claiming "Mother Nell, you're the wonder
fullest woman for an emergency | believe
YOU Wouiu pe Periectiy NJ nome III aH
earthquake" when she found that Bess
was entertaining the general in the parlor
and Dode was arranging the china on the
table in the great, cool hall. "Thank Heav,
en- for one shady place in this dove-cote, y
she said.
That pudding was beaten feverishly
Halle fairly ran with II TO the oven. Their
she turned round, and seeing there was nc