Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-03-20

| uSs ~ ~"Ns ss.~"e9..A
he were little different from the
rest, it would all end the same.
Barbie met many objections to
her plan; but they came principally
from her father, and she soon over
came them all. Her mother and
Lille were unusually gracious,
knowing that it was through her
that they obtained permission to go.
1t was harder to please Tom and
Susie, the fourteen-ycar-old twins.
Almost too old for the title of chill
dren usually applied to them, they
were too young to be taken into
consultation, and could not under
stand why this summer was to be
spent different from the last. So
they succeeded in making them
selves highly disagreeable by teas
ing to 60 until the last minute.
| The weeks of preparation passed
quickly, and the day came at last.
Barbie stoodnp in the carriage as
tho boat moved off, carrying the
happy party, and gaily waved her
handkerchief to her sister and Sid
ney Ford, who stood together on
deck. She looked so jaunty and
bright with her light veil tluttering
in the breeze, and her lips smiling,
that they never guessed why the
veil was drawn down so suddenly
as she sat down and ordered the
coachman to drive home. She was
only human after all, and it seemed
just then as if all the brightness
had gone out of her life. Reaching
home she found the twins in the
parlor; Tom engaged IN the laudi-
BILE enterprise Of catching flies, and
Susie pouting on the sofa.
They both started as she came in
and Susie's careless, "It's nobody
but Barb" seemed the last drop in
the cup that was already too full.
But conquering her impulse to leave
them, she sat down and told them
of their fathers difficulties, and why
they could not go. Knowing them
to be really tender-hearted, she was
not surprised when they joined
heartily in her plans.
"It's mean shdme," said Tom,
winking very hard to hide the sus.
picious moisture in his eyes, ''1
thought father was awful glum late
ly, but didn't know what was TO pay.
See here, girls, we ought to help
him out of this, and not be as sell
fish as mother and Lii"
"And so we will. l have been
thinking that we could get along
with one girl. You and could
help, you know, Susie"
"Y-es,' said Snsie, with
glance at her white hands. "Of
course VIC cam" she added as she
saw them smiling. "What could
you do, Tom?''
"Turn away the coachman and
take care of the horses"
"Oh, Tom, you couldn't! All those
horses!"
ave might send them all into the
country but the grey pony" said
Barbie. wisely. So they planned,
and grew eager to execute, forget
ting their disappointment in the
pleasure they felt in being useful.
The next day two girls and the
coachman were sent away. The
horses were taken into the country
and Tom, in his old suit started for
the stables; while Barbie, with a
bunch of keys at her side, commen-
ced to explore the basement, and,
after an hours inspection and lit
tie talk with the cook, came out
with no very exalted opinion of her
mothers management.
"There is enough wasted in this
house to keep two families" she
said to Susie, as they made the beds
up stairs.
What are you going to do about
it?" asked Susie, as she tried to pat
the bed down on the side to hide
| tho hole in the middle.
'Lock things up; l don't believe
these things were ever used"
"The cook will leave"
every well. l can cook" said
Barbie, who began to feel very con-
fident of her powers, as she had
once made pic for dinner, which
was pronounced very good after
they had sweetened it, as she had
forgotten the sugar. The cook be-
| ing good-natured, staid week, and
probably would have staid longer,
only Barbie objected to her wiping
her face on the dish cloth, and SO
she left. Mr.. Gilmore had but lit
tie faith in this experiment; but he
wisely kept silent and never dis.
couraged them, even when the din
ner was a failure, as it proved sew
eral times. He brought home "Ma-
rion Harland's Receipt Book" one
day, and Barbie studied it diligent-
ly, and practiccd until she could
prepare dinner nicely. Some
times new dish was not success
at first, but she repeated it until il
was pronounced perfect. A woman
came two days to the week to wash
and iron, and the rest Of the work
was performed by two pairs OF will
ling hands-hands that were not
quite as white and delicate as at
first; but thousand times handsom-
err in the eyes of their father. New
er had the house seemed so much
like home, or his children dearer
than now. Letters from the absent
ones came frequently, and Barbie
tried not to feel unhappy when she
heard how devoted Sidney Ford
was to her sister. One day after re-
ceiving such q letter, everything
seemed to go wrong. She had let
the breakfast rolls burn, had bro
ken handsome dish, and boxed
Toms ears because she had found
him shelling peas in the music
room. After the dinner was all pre-
pared she left it in Susie's charge
with instructions to watch it close
ly, and not let it burn, and went up
stairs to shed a few quiet tears by
herself and smooth her hair.
She fixed her hair, and had just
got ready to cry. when she heard