Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-01-27
CONRAD'S DOLL.
BY ANNA SHIELDS.

Conrad p Mrs. Wyman would
whine in her fretful, overvorked voice,
II do wish you would put your book
away when you stop reading. 1t Gtters
up room dreadfuliy to have open
books lying about r'ataa s9>i h.at-aH
"Conradr' Mary his older sister
would say, drawing out the words, 81
do think when I have made you a corner
on the left of the fret place for your
slippers when you take them of, you
might remember not to put them on
the right side. y .-''s -. =.
"PIease, Conrad % Jenny would say
entreatingiy, :" do fold the morning
paper square, If you must leave it al
ways on the comfortable a}ei ia q
And the much-enduring Conrad, after
yainly endeavoring to comply with the
thousand and one daily requirements of
the feminine members OF his family,
would occasionally give vent to his
feelings IN language of masculine force.
Il will marry a wife and leave the
house to you to brush and dust and fuss
over to your hearts content ~-.s.
Il am sure you viii never find capa-
ble wife, Conrad, who will not try, to
keep your house neat" his mother
''Then I will find an incapable one,
who will let me have some peace of my
life. am rich enough, thank Heaven
to hire servants to do the work, and [
will marry doll--a perfect little doll
to pet and dress In silk and satin She
shall be like the wife in Mother Goose,
who Tn 81 ia eU3 a!H $50
Neither washed dishes, nor served the wine,
But sat on cushions to sew up a seam,
And she shall have Strawberries sugar and
cream t@ ~ t@-" s--
And Conrad, his good nature usually
restored by his protest, would kiss his
mother, and be off to business or pleas
ure, as the case might be- 81 sss
He was the only son of widowed
mother, and his father had died when
he was mere boy, though his sisters
were ten and thirteen years Older. than
himself. The widows iointrre was
amply sufficient for the support of a
handsome establishment, the daughters
were independent, and Conrad himself,
IN addition to his patrimony, had q
hourishing business. Mary and Jennie
had had every advantage of education,
We're pretty and accomplished, and there
was every element III the large, we'll
appointed house for happiness as well
as comfort ~ a.
But all three of the ladies' were abso-
Lutte slaves to an over anxiety for per
feet order and neatness, such as no
hired hands would accomplish to suit
their fastidious desires. A thread
-
dirt, as they regarded it; a stray peck.
of dust, q crooked cloth, piece Of fur
niture set hairs breadth away, were
all iniquities meeting most severe ex-
postulations to the harrassed domestics
These oft-changed, never perfect I'M
portations from Africa, Erin, or Hol-
land, as the case might be, worried
through their duties for a month or
two, and invariably left, unable to meet
the requirements of the situation, and
prferring less wages in a less exacting
household. ,5A's'. 49,.
Every day all three ladies, with the
power to do good, to improve the many
hours of leisure time left them by am
pie means, would put on direful calico
wraps over their morning dresses, tie
up their heads in white cloths, and
dust, sweep, scour, till the house shone
with brightness, then smuffie every
speckable or Unstable article ia linen
or lace, and "tired to DEATH retire
each to her own apartment to stitch till
night upon the sewing they We're we'll
able to afford to give to some poor
seamstress struggling to obtain'work.
Still. finding these pursuits congo
NAL, they were comparatively happy
college, and, later, three years il, Eu-
rope. They loved him, and his letters
were the most delightful break in the
monotony of their lives; but they were
entirely satisfied with their lives and
their house until he came.