The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-07
THE PRESS.
Hermia's housekeeping,

has got to be DONE" said Hernia Vane, nod
ding her head.
DIR. Electus Vane-he had been moul-
dering in Homesworthy churchyard these
six years, with the blackberry vines and wild
buttercups running riot over his grave-Delng
great lover of Shakespeare, had called his
daughters Hernia and Helena. They were
odd names, and of course, required
an explanation for almost everybody
Explanations were sometimes a little awk-
ward.
Helena was Economically inclined, and
gloried in her nomenclature. Hernia set her
pretty teeth together, and wished she had
been called Prudence, Naomi, or any other
humdrum sort of an appellave.
Upon this sunshiny April afternoon, Hele-
ma Vane sat, with book in her lap upon the
doorstep, making quite uneonsciously to her
self, a.pieturesque little tableau, under the
evening shadows of the great maple
which was just showering down the last of
its crimson blossom banners to make room
for the clusters of tender young LEAKAGE for
spring had come slowly the Holmsworthy
way that season, and verything was late.
Hernia with her sleeves rolled up, had just
finished washing the dinner dishes.
SOMEONE must wash Dishes" said Her
mia, sand Helena does so hate kitchen
drudgery.''
''Tll do 'em DEAR" said old grandmamma
Vane, an apple-cheeked old lady. "Run
along to your sewing. l hate to see your
pretty white hands in the dishwater''
= ''You, indeed" cried Hernia. ''Not as
long as am here. Why,what are we young
folks made for, if not to wait on old people ?"
"Helena does not always reason so," said
the old lady little bitterly.
"Oh, well, you see, Helena is intellectual
and writes poetry. Now, I haven't the
hroino far hot of r I'd
for it (which Pm ashamed to say, DON'T
and so, it stands to reason, you see, that
should be dish-washer."
Accordingly, Hernia had washed the
dishes and ranged them in neat order on the
Whitley secured shelves, and now had come
out to have little domestic chat with Hele-
ma.
''Got to be done OF course it has got to be
done," retorted Helena fmpatlently. Sand
why can't we hire some one to do it?"
money reasons, Lena reasons"
savagely answered Hernia Vane. "We can't
afford it."
ooh what degradation it is to be poorW
sighed Helena, lifting her turquoise blue eyes
to heaven. "Hermy, why in the name of
Midas, and Croesus, and all those rich heath
ems we read about, didn't some old rich mil
lionaire fall In love with us when we visited
Alice Cope, last winter in Philadelphia?
Girls in novels never go anywhere without
without picking up at least about half-dozen
beaux."
''But we're not girls in novels" laughed
Hernia.
"There was Mark Hazeltine-you remem-
Der him, don't you Henry? That young
man with the splendid dusky eyes and white
teeth.'
81 remember" said Hernia, blushing in
spite of herself.
Il know he fancied one of us, or both.
just think how often he used to come to
Alice's. II we could have remained little
longer, feel certain he would have become a
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 cleaning
There are. all the lower rooms to be white
washed, the cellar to be cleaned, the west
bedroom to be repapered, and
Sand who is to do all this hard, house
maidly sort of work?" demanded Miss Vane,
with shudder.
I'VE. of course, Helena, since we can't af-
ford to have it done.
81 shan't touch itv'
cool Independence which was part of her
nature, with what help grandmamma can
give me-"
"Hermy, have you sunk so low as to be a
mere household drudge.
Il haven't yet sunk sufficiently low" Her.
mia laughingly retorted, 'to lie in the dirt SO
long as l am physically able to purify my
surroundings"
A golden mid-April day! The violets max
ing blue carpet along the sunny side of the
orchard wall; the primroses writing their
hieroglyphics adown the course of the gurg-
limo and Hnlona
song with her blue ribboned guitar, in the
parlor, while Hernia, in the shed at the foot
OF the garden. was mixing a prodigious pail
OF whitewasn, and singing as meTrily as if the
Jumps of lime had been balls of embroidery
floss, and her bristly brush dainty needle,
weaving itself in and out of silken canvass.
She was dressed appropriately to her work,
this enterprising young damsel, with huge
crash apron tied around her trim waist, and
an impromptu Normandy cap made out of a
pocket handkerchief, perched on her head,
concealng the whole of her bright hair, ex-
cept where one or two stray curls had es-,
capped, and hung like wandering spiras Of
sunshine on her blue-veined brow. And if
Hernia had only known it, she never looked
prettier in her life.
Sand now grandma, believe this witches
caldron of foaming snow is ready" said Her
mia gaily, sand if you'll take hold of the
handles-lust to steady 1t, you know-Pll do
all the lifting. We will begin operations at
once"
While old Mrs. Vane and Hernia were toll
ing, slowly up the back garden walk with the
whitewash tub between them, an elegantly
dressed young gentleman, with diamond studs
in his shirt, straight, cameo-ke features and
dark blue eyes, fringed with long lashes, was
advancing briskly up the path.
81 think this must be the house." said Mr.
Mark Hazletine, 'sas nearly as can guess
from the confused directions of that old idiot
at the railway station. And"
But the current of his soliloquy was cut
short by the sudden appearance of a bright
face in the door-Helena Vane herself in
pale muslin, with blue fillets of ribbon in her
hair, sash picturesquely looped at the side,
and rosetted slippers, like dream of Cinder-
ella.
"Miss Vane, can you pardon this intru-
sion ' he began, lifting his hat.
"Oh, Mr.. Hazletine, l am so glad to see
your cried Helena, extending both her
hands,"
At the same moment Hernia and the pail
OF whitewash appeared around the corner of
the house. In her surprise at the sight of an
unexpected visitor and this unexpected Wis
tor of all others Hernia dropped her end of
the tub, coloring scarlet as a rose.
sob, my dearP' cried old Mrs. Vane, try
ing but in vain to save 1t. "There goes your
whitewashp'
"How do you do, Mr.. Hazeltine?" said
Hernia, recovering her self possession, and
advancing with proffered hand
my sister is-ahem-practcing for mas
querade," stammered the scandalized Helena,
Sand"
''It's no such thingr' retorted Hernia,
blushiug more wildly scarlet than ever. am
not masquerading at all Mr.. Hazeltine. Pm
Unreal earnest. Pm going to whitewash the
back kitchen ceiling"
"But can't help you?" said Mr.. Hazel
tine laughing 81 used to be good hand at
the brush in my schoolboy days.V
GIVE no objection to your trying" said
Hernia gravelv. "But you'll have to borrow
white sheet from grandmother to cover up
your fine clothes.''
'''ll risk the fine clothes,'' said Mr.. Halle
tine, resolutely.
"Hermia! Hernia! are you crazyp" pro-
tested Helena, turning pink and white by
turns. $50 change your dress at once and
come down to the parlor."
"Not until Pve done my embarrassing"
insisted her obdurate twin sister. "Remem-
Der, Mr.. Hazletine, it is your own offerr'
And Mr.. Hazletine, looking into the
sannhirn dpnthS 0f those SparlylinO auoc stood