Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-03-25
sRut how could Won he washed

it did not take us long to dress in those
days, for we had few furbelows. AS
for the hair, mine was shingled, re-
member. 1t was quickly put in order. y
''It must have been jolly fun to have
been a boy then, said Tom. 'sToa aa::dni
have to wait for folks to get ready nor
| anything"
4 ''But the hot-water faucet never turn
lNed then, my boy. How would you have
liked that? How would you have liked
| to take towel and run out to the pump,
and have to break the ice in the stone
basin before you could wash ?"
! "Oh, dear oh OH cried the cho-
rus.
Before sunrise, too," Grandma went
| on; "when there were just little, faint
streaks of light in the east and maybe
two or three stars twinkling overhead
81 should not have liked it at all, !"
said Fred, decidedly and I don't think
there was any sense in it, either, If il
was the way in 'old times"
Fred was the sensible member of the
household. Grandma pondered his words
for a minute or two with an amused
smile playing around her mouth. Then
she asked, suddenlyi
Dlh 4 CfCA tS4L JOO AON
Maggie with the warming-pan 2"
"With the warming pan 2" they all
cried at once. "What was that, Grand
ma ?''
"And who was Maggie2" added Bess,
81 don't seem to be acquainted with
her."
'Didnt you ever hear of warming
pan? 1t was q copper pan, with a COW
er and long handle. We used to fill it
with live Goals, close the lid tightly, and
then warm the bed with it, showing it
about between the sheets. 1t was a real
comfort, warming-pan was.
Bessie laughed at the funny idea but
shivered little bit, drawing closer to
her Grandmother.
"But who was Maggie?" she epeated,
presently.
Maggie was my sister" said Grand
ma, in soft voice. ''She was just two
years older than |, and we always slept
in what was called the northwest cham
Der. You would have thought it pret-
ty cold place, Queen Bess. The win
dows were like ground glass for weeks
together, and every nail-head was white
with frost"
GLOW dreadful !" sighed Her Majesty,
with one slippered foot on the fender.
"Ahl no. We were little healthy,
roly-poly things and when we had
jumped into the great feather-bed, with
plenty of soft, warm blankets, we just
snuggled up together like two kittens,
and never thought of being cold"
''But what about the warming-p pan 2"
suggested Fred, as Grandma sank into
reverie and sat gazing into the fire.
'f0h! forgot, she said. was think
ing about Maggie. Such rosy, laugh
ing face as she had.
ffWhy doesn't che ever come here ?"
|, asked Bessie = u 81 ,lnld think you would
want 20 see ner, G2lSN
foriS .fSe years, srs cHh Mhz ss sase.s salslsaa
upright in her chair ''It is your moth
er's Aunt Margaret am talking about
Well, we generally agreed, Maggie and
|. But one bitter cold night we got into
a dispute about the warming pan.
wanted the bed warmed, and she did not
Somebody had laughed at her and called
her an old woman and she was never
going 10 have her bed warmed again, not
She! And | was not going to freeze my
toes, if folks did laugh, not I
so it went on. / suppose we were
just as silly and provoking as children
are who quarrel nowadays. AT last
Maggie scrambled into bed, saying her
side of the bed should not be warmed,
any way fl was such an old woman
that must haye mine warmed, ii would
not be her fault, and that was all there
was about ii. |
''She turned her face to the wall with
an injured sniff, and | sprang for the
pan, which had brought upstairs, as
usual, half filed with live Goals. But
our dispute had lasted longer than
thought, and when I lifted the lid dis
covered that the Goals were black and
there was hardly a vestige OF warmth
left For half a minute | was inclined
to creep into bed beside Maggie and kiss
and make up, without more ado---as we
were sure to do sooner or later. AS l
stood deliberatiug, however, she glanced
at me over her shoulder.
t''Y ou're not going to be such Ounce
as to go down stairs in your night gown
after more Goals she said. ''Betsy Ma
son, do you come right here and get into
bed -.-.-.--.. ..--.
THAT settled it. / flew out of the
room and down the stairs like little
wild cat. E. ........... -.......
s.. How old were you, Grandma e.
: Oh don't know exactly. Fen or
eleven, should say"
II wonder yon didn't set the house
afire, said Tom "You won't let me so
much as touch coal, Grandma"
,.s'Well, ! don't know how ii was, she
answered laughingly; shut children did
a great many things then we should
think unsafe now | suppose il was be-
cause they had to. When ! got down
stairs | heard strange voice in the sit
ting room, and, mindful Of my night
gown, stole round to the kitchen in the
dark The long handle of the warming
pan made ii ather unmanageable but
al last got it safely back into our cham
ber. Maggie pretended TO be fast asleep
and / cautiously lifted the bed-clothes
and slipped the pan under moving 1t
slowly about. Presently Maggie sprang
up in bed, screaming and rubbing her
ankle. .-..l.-s.. I.s. (.
-; Father father! mother motherp
burned me with the warming pan
II was frightened half out Of nay
wits, for heard sudden commotion
the slamming of doors, hpr-
ried voices, and fathers quick, decided
step up the stairs.
. Hush! hush Maggie = | said.
" on are not burned at all. Stop scream
ing, do, and I'll meyer plague you again.
There wasn't Hush fathers com
ing -....t5.s
tsThe door burst open father, mother,
Aunt Ann, one of the neigbbors, and |
Brother Jim-au with startled faces. | |
stood IN the middle of the room, brand |
tshing my warming pan. Maggie stop
ped screaming.
. seWhat's all this fuss z" said father, |
who probably saw at a glance that there |
was no serious damage done. Maggie. !
what are you crying for? BetseY, get /
into bed before. you catch your death /
of cold ...-s,l -. i
'sBetsey-Betsey - she burned me- /
sobbed Maggie. She was mad because
II didn't want-my side
Let me see your ankle said father, |
ia his quick, business-like way.
maggie had begun to suspect she was
not badly hurt but she slowly put her |
foot out. ,...fr,.-.
4. There's moi sign of burning about |
it and the sheets are as cold as ice. Bet /
sey, bring me that warming pan.
81 obeyed, with my finger in my |
mouth. W. :. ,.:..'.
'sHe lifted the cover, while glanced |
f.:,. fra.,,9 ,,,xfs..r rt,rr 4