Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-10-06
VOL 81.
having the Doctors authority for saying
the patients very life depended upon

determined to show her brother how fal
he carried his habit of absurd fault find
ing. With all her severity, she did believe
he was himself unaware Of the frequency
of his querulous complaints and the exag-
| geralion of his fretful statements.
The first dinner saw the beginning Of
the lesson Lima meant to teach. Herbert
entered the dining room, his handsome
| face disfgured by it's habitual froWn. Har.
ry and Louie were seated.
Soup" said Herbert, lifting the tureen
| cover, s'perfect dish water!''
s'Susan," said Lima. sharply, to the ser.
want, before Herbert could lift the ladle q;
''take that tureen to the kitchen and tell
Jane the soup is not fit to eat''
Susan promptly obeyed. Herbert looked
rather ruefully at the vanishing dish. He
was especially fond of soup, and the savory
fumes of the really delicious dish were tan
TALKING. All dinner time Lima kept up a
ding.dong at Susan about that abominable
soup, till Herbert wished he had said moth
ing about it, But his imagination detect
ing burnt flavor in the pudding, he could
not refrain from mentioning it, and before
he could demonstrate, that dish had fol-
lowed the soup.
s'I'll get this house in some sort Of order
before leave it, said Lima emphatically.
"Before you leave it, said Herbert
sharply. "Do you suppose you are better
housekeeper than Esse? Why, have not
friend who does not envy me the exqui-
site order of my house and my dinner
table,
Herbert, you surprise me. Only yes.
terday heard you say you did wish there
was eyer anything fit to eat on the table,
zone doesn't expect every word to be
taken literally )" said Herbert, rather sulki-
ly. But not an hour later, finding a streak
of dust in the sitting-room, he declared
emphatically it was not fit for pig to live
in. What was the consequence? Coming
into it the next morning, he found the cur.
tains torn down, the carpets taken up, the
floor Uttered with pals, soap and brushes,
and Lima in a dismal dress, her hair tied
up in towel, directing two women who
were scrubbing vigorously.
''Good gracious, Lima !" he cried, "what
are you doing ?'
"Cleaning this ROOM"
"Why, Essie had the whole house clean
ed only the other day." he added contempt
uously.
"Wel," said Lima slowly, 81 thought
this room a marvel Of neatness myself, but
when you said it was not fit for the pigs, [
supposed you wanted it cleaned
"The room was well enough was the
curt reply. "For mercy's sake don't turn
any more of the house upside down."
At breakfast a tiny tear in Louie's apron
caught her fathers eye, and, by his own
angry statement, ''she never had decent
stitch Of clothes, and he did wish some
body would see to herr
Two days after a formidable linen dra-
per's bill was sent to him, and Lima ex-
planned it in this wise:
"You said, Herbert, that Louie hadn't a
decent stitch, and you wished somebody
would see to her, so l bought her COM
plete outfit. 1 could not see any fault my
self, but of course l got more expensive
articles, as you did not like those already
provided. am glad you called my atten-
ton to the poor neglected child"
'sPoor neglected child ~ echoed aston
ished Herbert. s'Why, Lima, Essie fairly
slaves her life out over those children. [
am sure I never see any better dressed Or
neater."
Lima merely shrugged her shoulders. A
month passed. Essie gained strength il
the genial atmosphere surrounding Louie
and her mother. while Lima ruled Herbert S
house with rod Of iron. Herbert begun
to experience a sick longing for Essie IS
gentle presence. Lima took him so very
literally in all he said, and yet he could not
rebuke her for doing exactly what he open
ly wished.
An arm chair with a tiny spot of dirt
being declared absolutely filthy, was up
holstered and vanished at cost Of ten
dollars. A dozen new shirts, ESTES last
labor Of love, being said to "set like meal
bags" were bestowed upon the gardener,
and a new set obtained. Every window
was opened after pettish declaration that
the room was as hot as an oven, and an
hour later the CRATE was fired up to smoth-
ering heat, because he declared 1t 'scold
enough to freeze polar bear"
In short, with apparently an energetic
attempt to correct all shortcomings, and
put the housekeeping upon a perfect basis,
Lima in one month nearly doubled her bro.
theirs expenses, and drove him to the
verge of distraction.
But Essie, well and strong again, was
coming home. On the day Of her expect
ed arrival, Lima, with solemn face, in
vited her brother into the sitting-room for
few minutes Of private conversation.
HERBERT" she said, very gravely, II
have proposition to make to you. You
are my only brother, and I need not tell
you love you very dearly. 1t has really
grieved me to the heart to see how NJ UGH
there is to find fault with in your beauti-
fn1 home" Herbert twisted himself
easily in his chair, but Lima continued 4:
ou hIio~ odf'o AiooHoI ID VoIy uepoH-
dent upon me, Louie having the house and
children to care for, but I'think she would
sacrifice her own comfort for yours. So if
you wish, Herbert, 1 will come here per.
manently, to keep things in order for YOU
Here Lima was obliged to pause, and
strange a laugh at Herbert's expression Of
utter horror aud dismay
"You are very kind" he faltered, The
instincts of gentleman battling with TIT
strong desire to tell Lima she would Ger
tainly drive him into a lunatic asylum b,
six months more of her model housekeep
, ing.
"Not at all. A man who has made al
| unfortunate marriape certainlv needs al