The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-05-19
NELLIE HARTWELL'S HOUSEKEEP.
ING.

"My dearest Nellie 70
"Dear Horace I"
And you will be content to take me
as ana poor clerk, with only seven
hundred year2 Will you be happy to
pass life with me in small house,
and attend to the domestic affairs your
self9"
eyes, Horace"
"But, have you considered, my best
beloved, how great a burden this may
sometimes be 2"
GA burden o, Horace, as if any
thing that could do for you would be
burden A sweet little vine-wreathed
cottage will be delightful. A cozy
house all to ourselves, and no Frying
housemaids to spy into everything we
do, and pirate of my faults and failings
to the whole neighborhood.
"And no burnt steak and black cof
fee Doubly delicious the ambrosial
nectar that your lily hands shall pre-
pare, my day-star, my wife-that is to
be-"
Immediately upon this followed con-
cussion which made the windows clatter
as in the breath of tempest and, from
what little experience we have had in
such promises, we must venture to affirm
that he kissed her-which of course
sealed the compact.
Horace Hartwel was a fine-looking
young fellow of twenty -three-a clerk in
the jobbing- house of Martin & Turner !;
and Nellie Armstead was the daughter of
q man who, though by no means
wealthy, had a wonderful talent for ap-
pearing 30. In this laudable endeavor
he was aided by his wife-a handsome,
snowy woman, who brought his daugh-
ter up to ornament the parlor, to the
utter exclusion of the kitchen. There
fore, Nellie was well qualified by edu-
ton to become the mistress of house,
and the regulator of its domestic af
fairs.
Horace Hartwell had fallen in love
with her pretty face at picnic ; and, on
obtaining an introduction, the infatua-
ton had increased, until he came to the
conclusion that he could not live with
out her and Nellie was firmly con-
vinced that she should pine away and
die if separated from Horace. And hav-
ing succeeded in convincing Mrs. Arm
stead of this fact, that lady informed her
husband, and the good man had nothing
to do but consent to the marriage which
was to be the means of saving two valu-
able lives.
One fine, sunshiny morning in May,
Horace and Nellie stood before the cler-
gyman, and after that people called Nell
lie Mrs. Hartwell, and congratulated her
on the happiness which was within her
reach.
The young couple took up their resi-
dence in neat. one-story house, little
removed from the hustle of the city, and
easy of access from the store where Hor
ace was employed. And here they first
came to realize that Longfellow was not
far from the truth when he said,
"Life Is real, life is earnest"
Their house was comfortably, IL not
luxuriously, furnished, and an ample
stock of the good things of life was laid
in for Nellie to exercise her skill upon
as ctisiraier.
When everything was put to rights,
and Horace had gone to his place of
business, leaving many lover-hke kiss
on the white forehead of his wife, to-
gether with the intimation that he would
expect dinner at three o'clock, Nellie
consulted her watch and found that she
had full four hours in which to prepare
that important meal. She would dress
before she commenced doing anything
about the kitchen, she thought she had
read 30 much of untidy housekeepers, il
never should be said she went round the
house in slip-shod shoes or dingy wrap
pers. ., no housework should never
make sloveI of her.
SO Nellie went up to her chamber, ar
ranged her hair in becoming ringlets,
donned pretty white cashmere peig-
noir over an embroidered skirt, and with
black velvet bracelets on her arms and q
blush rose in its own sweet buds and
foliage on her bosom, it must be con-
fessed that little Nellie looked pretty
enough to challenge anybody's admira-
ton.
"Let me see" quoth she, meditating,
"What shall / have for dinner9 Horace
is fond of broiled steak; I've heard him
say so. And pudding; yes, there must
be pudding; a rice one, 1 guess will be
best. And then there must be potatoes
and bread. That will suffice for the
eatables; now for the drinkables, es
Aunt Keziah says. Shall i have tea,