The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-04-01
Holm Jones Scw Leaf.

osbes on its hearth, lts soo'y
awry. pot of dish water standing s
ON tor of the stove, and the broom
and poker and tongues lay where
the little riders had left them wnen
thew were called to prepare for school
Jo6nuy had gone off crying ana MS
whine could even then be heard COM
incup the hollow, in the direction oil
,be school house. The milk had been
strained. and the flies were ouzzihg
obou, il as they sat on the edges OF
,bo two briming pals, slipping ana
rnbbipr their hands together in sat
is6ed wav. The baby was teethlng
and cross. and the one pair OF hands
that could have brought order out oi
This disorder was trying to sooth 1t.
Is ii any wonder that tears were
in the mothers eyes, as she cuddled
her baby to her bosom, and walked
across the floor trying to still Its
cries. -, =,
"Oh. dear, what a life! what a lie.
said she Il try to be patient and
make the best of it, but it does seem
hard :" Just as the babe was grow
inc ouiet. and as his little blue hands
had fallen listlessly upon his bosom,
n shadow fell across the doorway,
and the husband entered, saying,
"Jane. can you tell me what the chill
dren did with the hatchet yesterday"
at was out on the rock, behind
Johnny's wagon" said she, speaking
low, and gently laying the baby
down in a bed that had not been
made up yet.
Seems TO me you're a good while
gettin' your chores done; you havn't
the knack of gettin' along like Mrs.
Levondike-her work is done up
long ago, and she's busy in the gar
den. Tell you, she's a nice garden,
don't look much like our'n; you don't
put the time on our'n that she does
on her'n."
"0h. John" said the little woman,
slipping back her sleeves and tying
on a big apron, and trying to kcer
her face turned away TO hide the
gathering tears, with four little chill
dren, and baby sick, and three cows
to milk and calves ofeed, and hands
to cook for, and all the other work tC
do, / only wonder that get half my
chores done in a whole day"
"Well, I'm sure / don't see how il
is" said he: my mother had ten
living children, and she managed tC
get along frst-rate, and do all heI
own weaving, besides taking in weav-
ing for the neighbors You have
more room than she had, and you
don't have TO carry water forty rods,
like she did-here it is right at the
foot of the hill and you never have
to cut your own fire-wood, unless il
is in the midst of harvest, and think
YOU shouldn't complain. If there is
anything l hate to hear, it is a growl.
ing whining wife Now ! have to be
out o. doors all the time, no matter
how the sun shines, or how cold the
wind blows, while YOU are in the
shade and comfortable-if you only
knew it. All, you have an easy time
of it, you women, if you only knew
it; so. cheer up, / married you for q
helpmate, don't you know? The
girls will be big enough in three or
four years TO help you, and then you
can make times easier, and may be
by that time the bottom farm will be
paid for, and Wen be able to ride in
a carriage like the Levondikes."
How long since you brought this
water :" said he, as he took drink
from a tin dipper, and finding ii no,
fresh he squirted it out coolly on the
floor among some pans that had slip
ped down of shelf
As he took the hatchet and started
out TO the wagon to fix the hay rig
ging on it, he said, "Jane if you can
Us well as not, sposin' you have some
o them new beans that grow in that
far lot for dinner ~
well I'll try" said she hopelessly,
as she slipped her shoes off so she
might step softly and with more COM
fort. All we working women know
what a task it is TO bring disorder
ed kitchen into neatness, especially
when little children have been about
First she strained the milk saving one
quart, with which to mix the bread,
fos the yeast was set the night be-
fore, and had been bubbling for two
hours she mixed it and set it in the
warm sunshine, and then started a
ire and made feed of skim milk and
meal for the noisy, frolicsome calves
that ran in the dooryard Then she
swept and picked up playthings after
the children, hung up their coats and
aprons, and set their ole shoes away;
and moved their sleds and wagons
from about the doors
While the dish water was heating
she hurried up stairs and made the
beds; then washed the dishes, and
went to the cellar and skinned the
milk There was cream enough for
a churning ;Stbe churn was scalded,
and then left standing in it, so as 10
be fresh and ready. BY this time
the baby woke and cried, and the
tired little mother was compelled to
sit down and take him in her shelter
ing arms.
In half an hour or so he was ready
10 SIT down on the floor on a quilt.
and she left him long enough to car
ry three or four pailsful of the skim
med milk to the pigs-two pailsful at
time, and she went on the run. She
always fed the pigs; when she asked
her husband once to carry the milk to
the pen, on his way out TO his work,
he said, that belongs to woman's
work man whose name is out for
commissioner shouldn't be asked to
slop the pigs-that's little too
steep.
1t was no trifing job to feed those
pigs; the pen had been made out of
some old house logs, and the opening
through which the pals had to be
lifted before they could be emptied
was so high up that it just came even
with her neck, and was only wide
enough TO admit the pail with the
bail lying down. Twice when she
dressed up clean had the unsteadily
poised pail tipped back and poured
the contents upon her, from the neck
down to her little feet, as bya water