Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-11-06

to seriously discommode our old Mexl-
can veteran, for he had to do all the
cooking. Although he was not in
love with cooking, he did not mind
getting upin his rude way the homely
meals to which he and his partner sat
down; but when it came to appeasing
the hunger of half a dozen others
and some of them sometimes ladies'
he demurred exceedingly to the re-
quirement, and bethought himself if
there was not some way out OF the
difficulty. He could have hired a
Chinese cook, but bis soul abhorred
the thought of having a moon-eyed
heather around the place. 'Here,
he soliloquized, as his eye lighted on
the advertisement, sis just the thing.
| will write to Mrs. Chatiller, and if
she proves to be respectable woman,
and can take charge of our dining
room and kitchen, we will send for
her"
Accordingly he wrote and IN d few
days received an answer requesting
further particulars. Several letters of
business pissed between them and
finally she agreed to come down and
take a look at the place and convent
ences, preparatory to a final decision
on the part of each whether or not she
should consider herself engaged as a
housekeeper. SO one day ealy in
July beautiful woman, apparently
under thirty years of age, with dark
hair and black, expressive eyes, a
lighted from the coach and introduced
herself to Mr.. Sausman as "Alrs. Chat
illier.' She was a woman of more
than ordinary attractions and one to
whom nature had evidently given
great power of command. MIR. Saus-
man welcomed her cordially and i'm
mediately introduced her to the mys
teries of the dining room and kitchen.
The conveniences were quite rnde,
but Mrs. Chatillier took hold with a
will and soon evolved order out Of
chaos.
There was at that time camping
within few hundred yards of the
store the Rev. Mr.. Baker and family,
the Rev. E. X. Noble, pastor Of the
Second Congregational church of this
city, and his family, besides Others,
friends of theirs, making in all party
of dozen or more. The daughter
of Mr.. Baker was taken sick in camp,
and Mrs. Baker had solicited the con-
veniences of Sausman and Sayres
house for the comfort of her daugh-
ter the day before Mrs. Chatillier ar
rived. Mrs. Baker was therefore,
there when Mrs. Chatillier arrived.
Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Chatillier took
hold of the housework together. and
made so decided a change in the
hitherto un!nviting appearance of the
bachelors home that Messrs Sausman
and Sayres thought themselves trans
ferred by fairy hands into Paradise.
Sausman pondered much over the
curious circumstance of lovely, re6n-
ed and educated woman, such as Mrs.
Chatillier undoubtedly was seeking a
situation as a housekeeper, and ac,
cepting one temporarily in such an
out of the way place as that. He was
not exactly satisfied. He believed
that the woman had a history which,
if known, would shed flood of light
on the interesting subject One day
he said to her, "Mrs. Chatillier, that
is not your real name" "No.:: she re-
piled, "it is not. Some time, perhaps,
I will tell you what it is, but not now.
But aside from that, be assured, Mr..
Sausman, that l am just what I profess
to be. | am widow. | have some
property, but it is incumbered by
mortgage, and l cannot realize any.
thing from it at present without max.
ing great sacrifice. In time it will
come around all right, but now l have
nothing to live on. / must live by
honest respectable means if at all.
have acqualntances In Dan FRANCISCO
whom I do not care to have know the
; depth of poverty to which l am at
present reduced. | received score
or more answers to my advertisement
in the Chronicle, some Of them evi.
'dently written for anything but an
honorable purpose. l looked the
most favorably on yours because
felt convinced that would be treated
with respect here and also because
this locality would take me away from
my acquaintances. So, good Mr.
Sausman, keep my secret, so far as