The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-03-04
HERMIA'S HOUSE CLEANING.


"But you see, Lena, it's something that
has got to be DONE" said Hernia Vane,
nodding her head.
DR.. Electus Vane-he had been moulder-
ing in Holmesworthy church yard six years,
with the blackberry vines and wild butter
cups running riot over his grave-had been
a great lover of Shakespeare, and had call
ed his twin daughters Hernia and Helena.
They were odd names, and, of course, re-
quired explanations for almost everybody
explanations that were sometimes little
awkward.
Helena was Economically inclined, and
gloried in her nomenclature. Hernia set
her pretty pearly teeth together, and wish
ed she had been called Prudence, Naomi or
any other humdrum, every body sort of an
appellative.
"Some one must wash Dishes" said
Hernia, "and Helena does SO hate kitchen
drudgery."
"Ill do 'em, DEAR" said grandmamma
Jane, an apple checked old lady. "Run
along to your sewing. l hate to see your
pretty, white hands in the dish water"
"You, indeed ~ cried Hernia. /" Not
as long as l am here. Why, what are
young folks made for, if not to wait on the
old peoples
"Heena does not always reason so, p"
said the old lady, a little bitterly.
"Oh, well, you see, Helena is intellectual
and writes poetry. Now, haven't the
brains for that sort of thing, even if cared
for (which, I'm ashamed to say, don't
and so it stands to reason, you see, that l
should be in the dish water"
Accordingly, Hernia had washed the
dishes and ranged them in neat order on
the Whitley secured shelves, and had come
out to have little domestic chat with
Helena.
"Got to be done OF course it has got
to be done"' retorted Helena, impatiently,
"and why can't we hire some one to do ito"
"Money reasons, Lena-money reasons, "
sagely answered Hernia Vane. ''We can't
afford it,
'sOh, what a degradation it is to be
poor" sighed Helena, lifting her turquoise
blue eyes to heaven. 60 Hernia, why in
the name of Midas, and Creosus, and all
those rich old heathens we read about,
didn't some old millionaire fall in love with
us when we visited Alice Cope, last Winter,
in Philadelphia Girls in novels never 60
anywhere without picking up at least a
half dozen beaux.'
"But we're not girls in novels.' laughed
Hernia.
"There was Mark Hazletine-you re-
member him, don't you, Henry
young man with the splendid dusky eyes
and the white teeth"
81 remember" said Hernia, blushing a
little in spite of herself.
81 know he fancied one of US, or both.
Just think how often he used to come to
Alce's. If we could only have remained
little longer feel certain he would have
become foregone conclusion. And only
think
"What nonsense all this is"' impatiently
cried out Hernia. "And what on earth
has it to do with our Spring house clean
ing9 There are all the lower rooms to be
repapered, and
"And who is to do this hard housemaidy
sort of work >" demanded Miss Vane, with
a shudder.
eve, of course, Helena, since we can't
afford to have it DONE"
81 shan't touch it,
"Then l must" said Hernia, with the
cool independence which was part of her
nature; "with what help grandmamma
can give me-"
Hernia, have you sunk SO low as to be
mere household drudge" severely de-
manded Helena.
81 haven't sunk sufficiently low" Her
mia laughingly retorted, "to lie in the dirt
as long as l am physically able to purify my
surroundings.
A golden mid April day! The violets
making blue carpet along the sunny side
VI inc oiCHdlu wall, lHo piiuioscS "li1lbS
their hieroglyphics a-down the course of
the gurgling stream; and Helena Vane
practicing new song, with her blue-rib-
boned guitar, in the parlor, while Hernia,
in the shed at the foot of the garden, was
mix ing prodigous pail of whitewash, and
singing at her work as merrily as if the
humps of lime had been balls of embroidery
floss, and her bristly brush a dainty needle,
weaving itself in and out of silken canvas.
She was dressed appropriately to hel
work, this enterprisng young damsel, with
crash apron tied around her trim waist,
and an impromptu Normandy cap, made
out of a pocket handkerchief, perched Oh
her head, concealing the whole of hel
bright hair, except where one or two stray
curls had escaped, and hung like wander
ing spirals of sunshine on her blue veineG
brow And if Hernia Vane had only
known it, she never looked prettier in her
life
"And now, grandmamma, believe this
witches cauldron of foaming snow is
ready" said Hernia, galy; and if you'll
take hold of the handles-just to steady it
you know-l'll do all the lifting. We will
begin operations at once.
While old Mrs. Vane and Hernia were
toiling slowly up the garden walk with the
whitcwash tub between them, an elegant,
dressed young gentleman with diamond