Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1876-01-07

ward Nellie, sMyfa Qlu not introduce ner,
ard she withdrew with the first unpleas-
ant realization that she was their hired
girl.
"Pll beat her in grammar next winter
to pay for this" thought Nelly, indig-
nantly, as she sat down in the next room
and took up her sewing, while Myra
laughed and chatted with her guests and
played and sang, too full of enjoyment
to have any thought of her late friend,
who was thus shut out from society where
she was an equal, to say the least. As
Myra rose from the instrument Grand
mother Harper called to Nellie to come and
play the " Angel Reapers'' for her. Nellie
rose just as she would if she had been
requested to bring glass ofwater, and en-
tering the room she played and sang the
old lady's fayorite hymn so sweetly that
the guests listened in astonishment, then
rising from her seat with all the grace of
a well-bred lady she returned to her
sewing.
"Who is that young lady ?'' asked Mr..
Carter. 81 hn
"That is our hired girl, /" answered
Myra, in tone that was distinctly audi
BILE to Nellie in the next room.
.sShe looks like Mr.. Mills, with whom
our firm have had considerable dealing, a
very worthy man, and [ have understood
that he lives out this way"
sShe is his daughter" said Grand
mother Harper, and one of the best girls
in the world so kind and accommodating
to everybody" EIf
1t was notlong before Myra made her
appearance, and with an air of superiority
that she had never assumed before di-
rected Nellie to prepare The tea.
I" I'll do my very BEST" thought Nellie,
but it will be Myra that gets the break
fast.''
q Nothing could be more perfect than the
creamy biscuits and delicious tea and
faultless arrangement of the table, which
Nellie waited upon with her own pecul-
lar grace, while Myra took care to convey
her wishes in the form of an order; but
she was excessively annoyed to observe
that Mr.. Carriers eyes followed Nellie con-
tinually as she moved about the room.
After tea Myra directed Nellie to clear
awav the dishes.
{" / am through working for you,' an
swered Nellie, quietly.
"What do you mean?" asked Myra,
sharply
''Just what say" replied Nellie; /" if
assisting you and your mother in your
household duties has degraded me to a
position beneath you, / shall no longer en-
gage in mental occupation"
swell, go, if you want to-" returned
Myra, angrily. Il would rather have a
girl that knows her place and don't try to
put on airs; / can get Miranda Babbett.'
g Enough said, answered Nellie, tying
on her hat. AS she passed out she met
Mr. Harper. tA
"Will it be perfectly convenient for you
to pay me the amount due me to-nightg'
asked she.
:" Certainly he replied; "you have
more than earned it, and sensible girls
like yourself would undertake it you
could fill the demand for household as
sstants with respectable class of people,
instead of leaving this most important
branch of industry, where intelligence is
actually necessary to success, to low and
disreputable class of persons whose sole
object seems to be to do the least posi-
BILE amount OF work in the most slOvenly
manner"
" If employers were all like you,' an
swered Nellie, there would be no de-
mand for reform in this NATTER" and
placing the money safely in her pocket
she walked homeward.
Mr. Harper was surprised to be told that
Nellie was not coming back, and said
that he was afraid Myra had not done
right; for he had noticed that her manner
toward Nellie was not exactly what he
wished to see; nevertheless, at the ear
nest request of the women, he went after
Miranda Babbett and she came, a great,
healthy docking girl with strength enough,
if intelligently directed, to accomplish
wonders in the household. After giving
the girl what she thought proper instruc-
tions concerning the work Mrs. Harper
left the room, and on going back, several
hours afterward, she found that the girl
had baked a large quantity of sour bread,
burned some pies and half baked cake.
Don't you offer to put any of that
bread on the table while we have compa-
n.y." commanded Mrs. Harper. Make
some biscuits for supper; good ones, too. "
She found it necessary to spread the
table herself, and then, having seen that
the fire was in proper order and the bis
cults duly deposited in the oven, she left
the kitchen.
"What is the matter with the bis
cults 2" asked Myra, in tone of dismay,
as the new girl brought plate piled full
of hat-looking objects to the table.
Il forgot to put any saleratus in 'em, "
said Miranda, indifferently.
"Take them away and bring some
bread,' said Myra, family. But the bread
proved but little better. Neither Myra
nor her mother had any relish for their
supper, and, seeing. how annoyed they
were, Miss Carter said, pleasantly:
"Never mind, we will season them with
the recollection of the excellent ones that
we had last night, for am sure that those
were good enough for BOTH"
But this kindly-meant remark was not
so soothing to Myra's feelings, after all
Not daring to trust the cooking to the girl,
Mrs. Harper found it necessary to attend
to it herself, while Miranda was busted
with things that it seemed impossible tc
do wrong.
"What is this 90 asked Mr. Harper
| fishing up dirty-looking rag from glass
| of buttermilk that he was about to drink
| Miranda took it, examined it, and ther
said:
81 must have left the dishcloth in thu
! churn when | washed it before poured
the cream into it,
"Mercy on usl'' exclaimed Mr.. Harper
with grimace G / had noticed that thu
butter tasted like old cheese, but l had NJ
| idea what it was favored with. / cam
stand this. Wife, want you to go righ
over to Mr. Mills and get Nellie TO com,
back. Give her double wages if you wan
1 to. She'll save it by not burning up a dol
lars worth of coffee every week. and shell
raise the price of butter three cents on ;
pound
Accordingly, Mrs. Harper sought Nellie
and recounted her various trials and urged
her to come back.
e Miranda doesn't object to taking he
meals alone after the rest have eaten, ant
never aspires to HIGHER position thai