Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-01
Mrs. Stanleys than one, though on small.

Mrs. Stanleys than one, though on small
er scale.
Mr., and Mrs, Stanley, during my stay,
invited me to accompany them on steam
boat excursion, but unfortunately when the
day arrived | was suffering from headache
and so remained at home, but urged their
enjoying the relaxation the jaunt might
afford them and allow me to be housekeep-
er. Harry and Lucy begged hard to ac-
company their parents MIR. Stanley
seemed disposed to favor their wishes, and
as L looked into their earnest, pleading
faces, | could not forbear speaking a word
in their behalf
Well, Mr.. Stanley, if you prefer Har-
ry and Lucy's company to mine, you may
take them but | have no idea of seeing
them running about steamboats, deck,
as dirty as two little street beggars. l
could not be easy minute" was Mrs
Stanleys answer.
This reply decided the matter at once,
and as | saw Harry's lip culver while
he bravely strove to keep back his tears,
and little Lucy hiding her moist eyes in
her two little dimpled hands, could
not check the tears that came to my
own. and | thought as | drew them both
to my bosom and said kind words of
cheer to them - As much as your
mother loves you, your happiness is but
secondary to cleanliness-her idol
What shall we do, Harry, all day.
asked Lucy. If we could only pick
flowers and make wreaths as the other
girls and boys do, or if | could take my
pIaythings out Of my playhouse and
play with them as LILY Green and Susy
Waters do, or if you could have a tub
Of water, and sail your boat Uncle Billy
gave you, we would have such a nice
time but we can't do anything. Harry,
you know, for mamma does not like it.
No, we can't do anything, that's a
fact said Harry When | grow big
man Iii have a house of my own, and you
shall live with me, Lucy, ard we'll have
wooden chairs and no carpets, like Mrs
Sand, and you shall play and run and jump
Just as much as you please and nobody
shall keep crying, don't. don't, don't all
the time
"Oh, that will be nice, Harry! shall
like it dearly exclaimed Lucy, with
Frightening face, her sorrows all forgot
ten
Dear little children" said to my
self, = your ideas of happiness are all cen
tering IN house not too good to use, and
for this you wou d gladly leave your beau
tiiuI home, with its rich carpets, long
mirrors, rosewood furniture, its dainty-la d
| tables, its choice conservatory and exten-
sive garden" and as | thought, | came to
the conclusion that in many cases there
was more happiness to be found in the
| dwellings Of earth's lowly ones than in
| the mansions of wealth and pride where
you almost felt that the inhabitants were
made for the house, instead of the house
for the inhabitants
did not wish to teach barry and
Lucy to disregard their parents wishes, so
| told them that their mother had told me
to do just what pleased to make them
happy, and then | took them into the
garden, and we gathered flowers and made
wreatbs to our hearts content. | procured
a large tub. filled it with water, and we
spent an hour and more sailing the beauti-
ful boat ncIe Billy had given to Harry
then we went to the play-room, got
together all the costly and choice toys,
dressed and undressed the large wax doll,
and had miniature tea-party, as much
of a child-tor the time--as either Harry
or Lucy. In the course of the day | dis
covered little vase of flowers in the cor
ner of the room, at the heai of Lucy 5
small French bedstead
20, do not take them away" cried
Lucy, for do so love to have them
there. [ wake sometimes and think about
them, and it makes me so glad. Julia the
| chambermaid, knows all about it, and she
puts fresh ones in, and water too, every
day. Isn't she good? But please do not
tell mamma, for she would throw them out
at once, for she calls them dirty things
promised Lucy all she desire d, think
ing how unwise in a mother to thus strive
to crush out from the young heart of a
child lis - love for the flowers" ," thus silent
ly-eloquent emblems of the goodness of our
Heavenly Father SO profusely scattered
up and down the wide earth-so evidently
intended to administer alone to our love
for the :" beautiful" and [ repeated in
wardIy those sweet lines of one Of our
sweetest poets -
% God might have made the earth biin., forth
Enough for great and small,
The oak tree and the cedar tree,
Nithou' flower at all.
| He might have made enough-enough
For every want of ours,
For luxury, medicine and toll,
And yet have made no flow ers.'
That night, when | saw little Harry and
Lucy into their beds, felt more than re.
paid for any little trouble l had taken, as
they drew their arms about my neck and
said =" Dear Hattie, for so they had
ventured to call me during the day we
shall remember to day as long as we live >
As | passed through the hall to 90 be.
low, [ met Susan, the cook, who told me
she was going to seek a new place on the
morrow.
But why?" L said, &" do you leave
Is not Mrs. Stanley kind mistress?"
" Very kind, indeed, ma am barring one
thing. 'Tis fret, fret, fret, from morning
e.! night. | can live in one place as long
as auy Que can, and bear as much. [ fat.
ter my self, but Mrs. Stanley I cannot get
along with another day My last mistress
was not half so good woman as Mrs
Stanley, with her seven years. She was
unreasonable and passionate, but she was
nothing, as Mrs. Stanley is. L would not
stay another week here if they would give
me ten dollars"
Here was another trouble Mrs Stanley
brought upon herself by undue anxiety to
keep up her credit as a model house.
keeper" Her help invariably became
dissatisfied and left after few weeks