Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-12-20
HETTY HENDESON'S ERA.
BY R0SELLA RICE.

BY ROSELLA RICE.
Two neighbors, Mrs. Ray and Mrs.
Carter were taking tea with Hettv that
afternoon. Now Hetty, though in the
main a kind, prudent. good woman,
treasure of wife and mother, had one
bad fault, she was sloven.
Why. sometimes her hair would not
be combed for two days at time. and
as to wearing collar, while about her
work, she never thought of such
thingl Sometimes only her toes would
be thrust into her rundown, Tapping
slippers, and if she tore her dress she
always pinned up the rent and let it
go.
Now every tidy woman knows this is
a bad state of things-that if there's
hole in her dress no bigger than gim-
let hole, and she passes a barrel, or a
box, a loose end of a hoop. or a jagged
nail sticking out, will be sure to catch
in the hole and tearit worse. That thing
is conceded to be certainty-no sane
WOIldH uOuDuS unaC.
Hetty's tea-table looked tempting.
She occupied the post of honor at one
end.
Her face was flushed from the cook
ing-stove, and the rosy glow would have
been exceedingly becoming if her hair
had been smooth. and her dress fresh
ly clean, but the dress did not fit well
10 fha xroict onJ che hoI M oo1Jo. ~,
and her hair hung in little tagged.
slips about sneaking slips about her
neck. Poor Hetty! her punishment
was near.
Tea was over, but they still sat at
the table conversing.
" "Yes-yes. | think it was the winter
that young Wiltsee, from St Adams,
taught our school," said Mrs. Ray.
How pleasant the memories of that
winter" said Mrs. Carter; hardly
day passes in which | do not think of
the good times we enjoyed together. "
How much older are you, Hetty,
than Mrs. Ray?" said Mr.. Henderson,
looking first at one and then the other.
"Older why, husband I'm five
years younger, and three years younger
than Susie Carter, said the poor wife,
blushing.
." Why, Hetty Henderson l should
have thought from appearance thatyo
were ostold enoug h tobe their moth
er, step-mother, at least" said her as
tonished husband, smiling and looking
at the smooth, placid faces and neat
appearance of the visitors, and then at
the rumpled, creased head and face of
poor Hetty.
No wonder; she sat there stopped
over, her ill-itting waist hanging loose
ly about her, making her back seems
as broad as her husbands.
The untimely words only made her
face flush still redder yet.
She felt as if she had been stabbed
by the hand of friend.
" Your wife works too hard, and is
too loving and careful mother, said
Mrs. Ray, apologetically, although
Hetty fancied that she smirked little,
and relished the compliment so freely
and honestly given.
Now | never fuss much over my
children. | try to save myself" and
her eyer sparkled, and she really did
look winsome and pretty-that woman
of thirty three years.
On their way home the two visitors
talked of the painful affair.
" 1t was just enough for her." said
Mrs. Ray; mo woman has any right
to go looking like scare-crow. If |
went that way I'd hear from Ray, and
in no very measured terms either. He
has no patience with slOvenly woman;
he thinks all women are pretty if they
have a mind to be so"
Almost old enough to be our moth
er; well, she's tip-top cook, any
how" said Mrs. Carter; Il like her
good meals, and l know she's cleanly
about her work. She don't seem to
care much for herself, only for the
comfort and happiness of Henderson
and the young un's. Now, if | were
in her place that fellow'd hear from
me tonight, praising other women and
comparing and measuring heI beside
them in way that's no compliment to
her"
oh, she'll never think any more
about it and if she does, twill do her
good it'll be good lesson for her,
was the answer, and the two women
parted at the big gate in the edge of
the od-lot, each one feeling pleas
urable touch of pride from the effect
of honest Tom HendersOn's bit offat-
terry.
And how did it effect his wife?
In the twilight, as she stood in the
milk house, hurriedly doing up her
work, fitting here and there, there was
a brightness in her dark blue eyes,
compression of the lips, and a red spot
on each cheek, and as she was nod
ding her head and talking to herself
very earnestly.
Time was, she whispered, when
Henderson couldn't have said that of
me. The dear knows, / did use to al
most grow tired of his words of praise.
was his choice of all the girls he ever
saw. I've many time heard'im say
that Cad Weldon, now Mrs. Ray, had
a real pretty face-no expression in it
and to-day he said | looked old
enough almost to be her mother Aha !
Mr.. Henderson, we'll see it's only
love and care for you and yours that's
made me so forget myself and fall into
careless ways. I'm just as good look
ing to-day as Cad Ray is-if lido say it
myself see - and the angry lit
tie womans cheeks grew redder, and
her eyes almost snapped in their gilt
tering brightness as she turned the
safety-valve and began to sing. That
was her safety-vaive, when her ten
stoned nerves could stand no more
she sang and was relieved without a
flood of tears.
From under the messy roof of that
tidy little spring house welled out the
jubilant words of an old hymn to the
inspiring air of Pisgah.
The next morning, after the children
started to school and her work was all
done up nicely, she washed herselfand
carefully brushed her hair and put it
up in a pretty way, with rose and a
spray of myrtle at the side of the coil.
She had brushed it until it shone with
luster. Then she put on a neat light
print dress, and lace collar, fastened
with beautiful gold pin, a gift of the
girlhOod.
The gold hoops that her mother had
worn long ago, of antique pattern,
Z Looked beautifnl a-near the dark thrown