Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-06-04
EXPERIENCE WITH BORROWERS.


Miss sends her compliments, and says,
please maam lend her pitcher of milk,
peck of hominy, glass of cranberry Jelly,
and paper of number nine needles. She
wants you to come over after breakfast
and show her how to cut a Ristori Jacket
for Miss Medora; and be sure to bring
your patterns and your big scissors for
her patterns is lost, and her scissors is
loose in the rivet;" saying which, Angel
Ca, the mulatto waiting -maid of my neigh
Dor next door, dropped one of her most
graceful courtesies, and stood holding up
her f1ounces.
| was sitting at the breakfast-tabie, sip
ping my chocolate, an occupation in which
[ especially dislIBed to be disturbed NV
husband, through with his breakfast, lean
ing back in his arm chair, was glancing
over the columns of the last newspaper,
while mother still fingered over her tea
cup and sailor cracker. The old lady
looked up and smiled peculiar smile on
hearing Angelica's message, but I COM
pressed my lips, slightly provoked; for
this was not the first time by many a score
that / had been victimized by the negotia-
ton of such loans. However, the loan was
effected
had been married some four months,
and after spending the first in travelling,
we had gone to housekeeping in little
rented cottage, the prettiest, L thought, in
the village. 1t was a spreading, low
rooted dwelling, painted a delicate cream
color, with green blinds was recessed
from the street in a yard shaded with
Water-oak and mimora trees; luXuriant
wOodbine, the trysting- place of pair of
humming- birds, and festooning the porch.
Installed mistress Of this pretty home by
a fond husband, my happiness was rem
dered more complete by the. company of
my beloved mother, whom my husband
had insisted should live with us, I being
her only child
For three weeks I was entirely content,
busy as bird building its nest or a bee
gathering materials for wax and honey
making. How delightful were the lessons
| received IN housekeeping from nv
mother! how instructive her lectures on
the principles regulating its complicated
machinery! An accomplished artistic in
home economy herself she was fully
competent to post me in the details; and
with her example and instructions [ soon
found my domestic machine in good run
ming order, regulated by due adjustment
of the mainsprings, system and punctu-
atty.
One afternoon | was in the front yard,
training q white tea-rOse on heart-shaped
frame my husband had made for me, when
my attention was attracted by the sound
of wheels, and looking up [ saw several
wagons loaded with furniture approach
ing, and observed that they stopped at the
gate of the tall house that lowered next
door. Later IN the evening a carriage ar
rived, from which descended two ladies
and some children. I was at once excit-
ed and rather pleased at the idea of hav-
ing such near neighbors, and when Edgar
came IN to tea from the store, eagerly in
quired the name Of tie strangers. They
were "the Dorseys from Greene County,"
he told me, people of good standing, had
beauty, all of which interested me so that
| dreamed about them that night.
Next morning, after breakfast, | was
out in my vegetable garden with Lucy,
my maid-ofall-work, helping her SOW
some seeds. She, with hoe and [ fol-
lowing with small rake, had got the bed
IN nice order, and had just begun care
fully putting IN my beet seed when, hear
ing the garden gate unlatch, [ looked up
and saw mulatto girl approaching, whose
coarse, black curly hair was tucked up
with broken comb, while a dirty. torn.
and draggled pink silk dress was pinned
up over faded balmoral With a very
bold, mincing air, she approached where
/ was at work in my dark calico and
gingham apron, and, dropping courtesy,
said, in an affected voice
miss sends her compliments, and wish
es to know how you are this morning,
ma'am?"
"Who is your mistress?" asked, while
my surprised thoughts telegraphed a con
lecture.
"Oh, Mrs Dorsey, ma'am, what moved
yesterday; she's very tired after all the
travelin', and says won't you lend her your
smelling-salts and a drawing of green
tea?n
"Oh, yes, of course; [ expect she is ia
ugued indeed" my thoughts recurring to
my own sense of WEAKNESS when I came
home from my wedding tour; and then |
remembered how perplexed [ felt the day
began housekeeping, and what a search