Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-05

| Gathering materials for wax and honey
making How delightful were the lessons
| received in housekeeping from my
mother! how instructive her lectures or
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
ality.
One afternoon | was in the front yard
| training a white tea-rose on heart-shaped
| frame my husband had made for me, wher
| 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. | 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 the strangers. They
were "the Dorseys from Greene County,
he told me, people of good standing, had
daughter about my age, said to be a
beauty, all of which interested me so that
| dreamed about them that night
Next morning, after breakfast, l was
| out in my vegetable garden with Lucy
my maid-ofall-work, helping her sow
some seeds. She, with a hoe, and / fol
lowing with a 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
bingham apron, and, dropping a 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, maam, what moved
yesterday; she's very tired after all the
travelin', and says won't you lend her your
smelling-salts and drawing of green
tea?"
ooh, yes, of course; | expect she is ia.
ligued indeed" my thoughts recurring tC
my own sense of WEAKNESS when | came
home from my wedding tour; and then |
remembered how perplexed | felt the day
| began housekeeping, and what a search
l had for the pepper and salt in the great
confusion thatpreyailed before mothers
deft fingers brought order out of chaos
md Of
get the desired articles, bidding Angelica
tell her mistress [ would cheerfully sup
ply her with anything she needed as far
as lay in my power All, me! | did not
dream what a license | was giving.
My mistress said you must be sure to
call soon," said Angelica, with another
sweeping courtesy; Miss Medora is very
anxious to see YOU
"Well, tell them | will call in few
days"
| went back to my work in the garden,
and, full of kind thoughts of my neigh
bors, would often involuntarily glance up
at the windows of the tall house over
looking our cottage, hoping to catch a
glimpse of pleasant face, but the blinds
continued persistently closed, and there
were neither sights nor sounds indicative
ment Of furniture in a newly-Occupied
dwelling. | could hear shrill voice,
which sounded like Angelica's singing
a popular song, as if by way
Of accompaniment to the regular
strokes of a wooden paddle, with
which she seemed to be beating
clothes. l got through with my garden
ing and as | gave out dinner, told Lucy
to hurry up her preparations, as / would
want her to bake a rice pudding | went
into the house, put aside my sunbonnet
and gloves, smoothed my hair, and sat
down to hemming ruffles, while mother,
coming out OF her room with a new maya
zine, began to read to me. Leaning back
in the low rocking chair, my fingers
swiftly traversing the cambria, mothers
pleasant tones falling unsteady upon
my interested ear, an hour or two
passed.
| was just thinking Of getting up to
make my pudding when the door-be
rang, and, goingto see who it was, | found
my neighbOr's servant come to request the
loan OF joint of meat for dinner, her mas
ter not having marketed-the butchers
cart came before he was up,
Fortunately my husband had sent me
two choice soup pieces that morning. one
of which | had given Lucy to prepare for
dinner. | gladly sent the other to Mrs,
Dorsey. To a pressing invitation to take
tea with them that night returned po-
lite refusal. When Edgar came home to
his beef soup and rice pudding, RECALLED
hiE with an account of the mornings eX-
periences, again and again asserting my
opinion that we were fortunate in gettin g
such kind neighbors. [ knew | should
love them; but Edgar only praised the
pudding, and laughed at my enthusiasm.
On the third day after the arrival of my
neighbors | called on them, having been
repeatedly urged to do so through their
messenger, Angelica. The clock struck
eleven as | left my dressing-room and
stood for a moment in front of the long
mirror in my little parlor, drawing on my
new sea-green kids, and glancing to see if
the roses in my bonnet were becoming.
Then looked round the room, saw that it
was in perfect order, stopped to smell the
bouquet of rose-colored hyacinths and
geranium leaves under the picture OF
Evangeline, thought how neat mother
looked sitting by the window in her pur-
pie dress and white tarletan cap, sewing,
and, handing her my key basket, de
parted. Standing on the neighbOring
piazza, | knocked for admittance,
walked up and down, knocked more
loudly; but | had time to note Lucy go
to the we'll twice to draw water, rap
again, and look about me, perceiv-
ing a litter of paper on the floor, guitar
haOGIDu on the haDjStpr q bOol, lyiDr omen