Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-11


her daughters broad, white forehead, a
very fair forehead, too, notwithstanding Its
"steaminess" little while ago.
"Is my Halle so very much agiiated by
late dinnerf"
"Wait a minute, till I've weeped my lit
tie weep, Mother Nell, then I shall make
some remarks" said Halle choked with
great sob, that wanted to be laugh.
"Mother, this is the way we shall tell Of
It: We had unexpected company TO dinner,
and because the hall clock was slow, and
the meatman late, we were very much bur-
ried when we learned the time. Now,
won't that be mean way OF expressing
how much I've suffered in this little whilei
! Wasn't II the whole world to me whether
the butcher came or not3 Didn't I feel
| terribly guilty because dinner wasn't ready,
and experience just as deep emotions Of
| despair, joy, anxiety, and the reaction, as
any girl who had accidentally murdered
somebody, and then found that her victim
wasn't dead after all ? Yet she would think
she had cause to have Mysteries for week
-and-and-what I mean TO say, is, that
we Bridgets, Lady Bridgets, like you and
me, ma, who take an interest in things,
find the most of our hard work In anxiety
the for fear,' the hurrying one minute,
and waiting the next. Some people may
do housework like acknowledgements that
is what they mean by taking things easy !;
but we go heart deep into 1t, you see, and
carry all our emotions and reasoning into
making pies, or settling the ohildrens
quarrels You provoking woman You
shouldn't laugh when an experienced wo-
man like me, discourses 10 an innocent like
you'll You've only done housework for
forty years, you know Now, If II had been
anybody but you, your education and ac-
complishments. would have got crowded
out How did you keep them up? How
shall I? Fathers given me every advant-
age, and Mrs. Grundy says Halle Darton
is an accomplished young lady, and has An
ished her education. But know better |;
for am deep in tho "art culinary" now,
and confess that 1t does seem little alb
surd for us to try and keep up our music
and literature in the midst ofso much dish
water! Don't you think there's danger
that our struggles for Mrs. Browning and
Shakespeare will grow fainter ::and fainter,
and-and-oh here's striking figure,
Mother Nell, entirely original, and our Sci
ence and poetry will get so diluted with
dish-water, that, way up on this Vermont
hill, where we cannot get help, we shall
submit to be flooded with dish-water; in
short, dsh-water will beat"
IIallie's eyes were big and shining now.
They had shot out her idea, before her hy-
periodic little sentence could half convey
1t. MIS-. Darton was an experienced lady.
She herself had dreamed dreams, and sigh
cd for life to which she was fitted, and at
last learned to be content with what she
had. But now there was no time for much
of an answer to Hallie's indignant appeal,
30 she only sang lightly,
"Do you think that Katie guessed
Half the wisdom she eIpressed?"
and began to peel the potatoes.
Halle peeped into the oven.
"Oh, my pudding looks like great gold
puff ball Mamma, isn't General Trefet-
hen that man with the curly mustache, who
used to call me 'Nellies blue ,eyci baby
when he came to see you and papa and
wasn't he the nice boy you've told me a.
bout, who used TO play little brother to
your 'sistering,' when you was his teacher
in Boston?"
"Yes, DEAR" said Mrs. Darton, posing a
potato on her fork, and standing still, with
a happy, far-away look on her worn face.
~ am proud to claim Irving Trefethen as
an old friend. He was a frank, generous
boy, and is brave, noble gentleman.
wonder If there'll be any silver in that
brown mustache Of hisr"
Hadn't better put on my white mus
lin before dinner ?" asked Halle blush
| ing.
Mrs. Darton looked her over, as mothers
will, in their kindly "What can make you
prettier ?" way.
"Tbat dark calico suits your rosy face,
daughter" was all she said, but Halle
knew by the look that her face was not too
rosy, nor her dress too dark, and by sud-
den impulse mother and daughter turned
and kissed each other.
Oh, you mothers and daughters who talk
of "proving your love by Deeds" and "be-
ing sickened by sentiment over cook
stove," can you think OF this kiss, this con-
fiding, impulsive love-kiss, without d ten
der throb in your hearts? Oh, mothers,
these girls would love you all, where now
they love you half, If you were not asham-
ed Of any interest in their girlish sontimen-
talism! Oh, girls, these mothers are not
staid and sober matrons, caring only for
your dress and your mannersl They have
warm, girlisli impulses, and sometimes a
great yearning to have you girls talk love
| 10 them.
While they were taking up dinner, Ma
jor Darton brought the general out into the
dining-roon. Mrs. Darton wiped her
hands and went forward to greet him, say
ing cordially, "Irving, am very glad to
see you here" .rt.
"Thank you, Nellie" he said, and she
noticed that his mustache was as brown as
ever, and his face only little paler and
thinner than II used to be. ~ have wish
ed for long time to visit your home In
the mountains"
Here little Dode came in, with the three
children following. She had made great
effort on this extraordinary occasion TO ex-
ercise some motherly care over her little
sisters, and they really looked very sleek
and denure; but the poor child had for
gotten herself, with her uncombed hair,
and long-sleeved apron. and as she march
ed in with such an important look on hel
little tanned face, Mrs. Darton laughed
she couldn't help It, She hadn't intended
TO present the little ones until after dinner
and this move Of Dode's amused her. But
the general kissed them, and said some ethine
pretty about them, and Dode found conf.
dence to blurt out one of her dreadful lit,
lie speeches, as Halle knew she would