Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-03-16
WISCONSIN. THURSDAY, MARCH is, 1876.

| couldn't be sentimental | felt
sore and bruised. Pa was pale when
he came down, at the thought of
what might have been. But my
gravity was too severely tasked |
laughed till | was tired, and then
cried, then | looked at the ruins, the
clothes scattered over the stairs, and
| laughed sgain.
Catherine gravely collected the
white fragments, and marched off
into the kitchen. Thanks to Georges
care, fine fire burned there. But
GATHERINGS brow was black as thun-
der; no boiler on, no tubs up from
the cellar, no water hot, fnothing
ready" as she informed me.
Breakfast was late, of course.
That cleared away, | made another
attack on the beds Oh if they could
be made with only one sidel Georges
being single, amt so bad /: but mine,
which | share with Lou, and pas are
awful
| hurried all the work, for | deter
mined to give them good dinner to-
day. A good dinner washing day.
Deluded Fannie. The beef was not
so bad, but the difficulties under
which labored with regard to vege-
tables were fearful. | am sure
NapOleon's battles were nothing com.
pared to my roa0S / know that's not
ladylike world with Catherine.
The skirmishings between the boiler
and my army of pots were studies for
general. First Catherine conquered,
and the boiler stood, bold and majes-
tic in front; then, while she was
hanging out the clothes, along came
young lady, and with az effort
painful to behold, pushed the boiler
back TO bring the smaller fry (no,
the smaller bold forward. My water
dubbed, my peas grew tender, my
asparagus ditto, the potatoes softened.
Whew in came Catherine, away
went my pots, right and left ; one
pull of her vigorous arms drew my
big enemy forward. Splash ! in went
the clothes. Dash out went Cathe-
rine, and | had to commence again.
Yet, spite of all this, my dinner
was success. had prepared every
dish according to Mrs. Hale's direc-
tions, and my little family warmly
appIauded my efforts.
After dinner / descended to the
kitchen. Such scene Here pile
of clothes ready to sprinkle there a
pile of greasy pans and pots; to the
right, tub of rinsing water to the
left, a bucket of pea-pods and potato
parings; on one table q bowl of
starch on the other, the dinner
dishes. stood dismayed.
Catherjns's face reminded me that
she had had no dinner. fastening
to supply this omission, | stumbled
over the tub of rinsing water. and in
went / didn't say "Hang the
clothes 7 but | wanted to. Wasn't
it bad enough to nearly break my
neck over them in the morning,
without being half-drowned in the
tub in the afternoon. | went slowly
up stairs to change my wet clothes
The climax was to come. | was on
my way down again, dry and tidy,
when the unusual exertion, the heat,
and the sudden chill produced sort
of vertigo, and | fell into the entry.
Pa had gone out, and be came at the
noise of my fall.
He has forbidden me to go into the
kitchen again, engaged Catherine to
stay until we can fill SusAn's place
and JAMES, and | am scribbing here
to pass away the evening.
Can any body tell me what IS my
forte
The next extract is year later.
july 13h-Another new journal,
that | must sign Fannie Lorraine.
Ny husband said to me yesterday,
"Fannie, | Tell in love with you on
the day you opened the door for me.
The youns lady who was not
ashamed to be seen engaged in
domestic pursuits, and who could
converse with graceful ease 10 such
costume, without any awkward
attempt to hide her disarray, wss the
wife for me-
have not vet found nv forte