The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-02-27
WORK VERSUS HERB.TEA.
BY p. THORNE,

Mrs. Whitaker was much troubled
about Susan. All summer she had been
in pale, languid half-live condition, with
no strength, no appetite, no interest in
anything.
Mrs. Whitaker, having a never-suffi-
GENTLY gratified passion for doctoring,
had at first rather enjoyed this opportu-
nifty of trying the virtues of the various
roots and herbs that hung in dry. dusty
bundles from the garret rafters. Susan's
life had been made burden to her with
doses of ofthOroughwort, pennyroyal, tansy,
dandelion and burdock. There was
always big bowl of black, bitter herb
tea standing in the pantry, which it was
equally the object of Mrs. Whitaker's life
to induce Susan to take, and the object of
Susan's to escape.
And still Susan lay around the house in
an exceedingly limp state, reading novels
with languid interest, studying her
symptoms in the 'Family Adviser" and
cutting out such scraps of poetry from
the newspapers as dwelt on the hollow
ness of the world, nappreciated lowell
ness, and early death.
Ned Whitaker, Susan's younger brother,
was decidedly skeptical on the subject of
her illness. cts enough to make any
one sick to do as Sue does,'' said he, en-
ergejically. "If she'd get up little ear
lier in the morning and do little house
work she'd get well twice as quick as she
will now, dosing and coddling."
"A great deal you know about it," re-
torted Susan, with considerable vigor for
an invalid; 81 like to hear boys talk.
They know so much-in their own esti-
nation"
.sSee here, Sue! What if that interest
ing young school-master should hear you
speak so TO your dear brother! 1t don't
sound VerV anpelicp
Sue said nothing, only blushed little,
and assumed that plaintive, meekly in
jured look, which says plainly, " You'll
be sorry for this when Pm gone.''
"Fudge, Sue!' said Ned, quite unim-
pressed. "Don't look so spooney," and
off he went, whistling and banging the
door.
1t was fact that there had been good
looking young school-master, the previ-
GUS winter, school-master who had not
loved, but flirted and rode away" Per-
haps Susan, having nothing else to do,
had pleased herself by fancying she was
in love with this gay deceiver. A girl
must do something. Mrs. Whitaker was
one of those indefatigable, irrepressible
women, a scrupulously neat and exact
housekeeper, who loved hard work for its
own sake, and didn't want any one both
ering round" {.
At one time, Sue had quite a mania for
cooking, but Mrs. Whitaker, after wit
Messing her awkward struggles with the
bread dough said -
"Come, let me take it. It's easier for
me to do it myself than to see you. If
you'll keep the sittipg-room in order. and
take care of your own room, it's all I'll
ask
And now Mrs. Whitaker thought Susan
so delicate she reliev, d her of even these
light duties, and left her with nothing to
do but realize, in her own experience, the
truth of the saying,
ga mill-stone and the human heart are ever
If they have nothing else to grind, they must
themselves be ground, -
to know all the WEAKNESS of an empty,
aimless life.
September came, and yet Susan remain
ed in state of discouraging about-the-
sameness. Mrs. Whitaker thought she
would drive over and consult Aunt Deb
bic Dunbar.
Aunt Debbie was woman of vast ex-
perience in sickness. She had brought a
large family of her own successfully
through all the mumps, measles, and 9TH
er ills infant flesh is heir to, and was now
experimenting on yearly increasing Cir
Gle of grandchildren, besides acting as
adviser-general for the whole neighbor-
hood. What Aunt Debbie didn't know
about doctoring was generally considered
not worth knowing at all.
As Mrs. Whitaker drove up she deserted
Aunt Debbie's ample form out in the
garden, bending over the sage bed. All
the sound of wheels, she Strengthened up,
pushed her sun-bonnet back and peered
sharply through her spectacles to see who
was going by.
swell, / never!" she exclaimed, as Mrs
Whitaker drove into the yard. "If it ant
you, Miss Whitaker! l was jest thinkin
about you. How de0 ye do? Seems a;