Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-11-15


that l needed little servant girl to help
Mollie, and he undertook to secure the
child. In three days Aunt Sue was
bought over, and Eliza legally bound to
me for three years.
Mollie was as eager as myself to train
the poor girl for a good servant, and
welcomed her cordially. when / led her
to the kitchen.
The first thing to 90" L said, =" is to
her warm bath, Mollie, and put on
the clothes you will find in the bath
room"
Come with me-" Mollie said "It's
beautiful and warm in the bathroom
the registers been open all the morn
ing"
Some five minutes later, yells of an
guish, and a profusion of oaths that
would have put Billingsgate fisher
man to shame, called me to the bath
room Howls, yells, and execrations
greeted me as 1 opened the door, and
Mollie's voice above them
"Arrah, now, be aisy," she was say
ing. Nobody is hurting you at all.
Can't yer sit down in the wather while [
scrub yer?'
ooh! oh! Murder! Help! Pm
freezing! You're drowning me! You're
rubbing all the skin off me! The
soaps in my eyes You stupid bog
trotter, you're killing me! Stop pulling
my hairv
The profanity / omit, but such a pro-
fusion of shocking oaths as were scat
tered through these EXPLANATIONS never
greeted my ears before in my whole
quiet life. In spite of my horror, it
was difficult to maintain my gravity.
Eliza, one mass of frothy soap-suds, was
dancing a kind of frantic war-dance
round good-natured Mollie, yelling and
crying, lodging in every corner. slip
ping out of her grasp, turning somer
saults to escape the sponge on her
face, and performing wonderful leaps
when the filth on her face ives threat
ened. At the sound of my voice, she
stood silent Il moment, while | asked,
as gravely as I could, what was the
matter.
"Look at me- she sobbed. I'm
soap from my head to my heels. and
there's not bit of skin on me-"
Arrah, you monkey" said MolliC,
! :" it's the dirt you're missing. Come,
duck in here, and I'll have you rinsed
and dried in jiffy."
A frantic yell greeted Mollie's sudden,
expert ducking, and [ beat hasty re-
treat satisfied that the child would suffer
no harm. 1t was not very long before
the two came to sitting room, Mollle
flushed and painting, and Eliza perfectly
Transformed A suit of neat clothing
closely cropped hair, and clean face,
had made another child of her. In an
swer to my inquiry, if she did not feel
moro comfortable, Eliza emphatically
assured me she was never so miserable
in her life. She was cold, she was sore,
she was "riled all over" and she had
rather have Aunt Sue wallop L er with
the poker ten times than that Paddy
wash her again"
This was not encouraging, but [ sent
the pair to the kitchen, telling Eliza she
was to help Mollie get dinner.
"In the afternoon" [ added, you
will come to this room to learn to read
and sew"
She made a grimace, but followed
Mollie quietly, and pe-ce reigned once
more. After dinner / gave my protege
Il large alphabet card to study, and went
10 the kitchen to quegtion Mollie as to
her culinary capabilities.
cob, the cratherw cried Mollie. cts
altogether heartbroken [ am with the
thricks of her. After she'd paled the
praties, as soon [ turned my back, she
took the qulll-pen I write home with,
made pop-gun of it, sliced up the pra-
ties, and was peppering me and the cat
with the pieces. Didn't she pull all the
pins out of my hair, and put them in
the ungant gravy I'd jest made! Didn't
she upset the turnips on the floor, and
wipe up the mess with a table-napkini
It's on her head she's stood nine times,
for once on her feet Wherever she's
larnt her tricks, its plenty of them she's
got intirely."
Perhaps she'll do better tomorrow"
l said.
"Well, she can't do worse, that's one
comfort" Mollie answered; and with
this | returned to the sitting-room.
This was the sight that greeted my
astonished vision: Exactly in front of
the CRATE Eliza was lying upon her back,
barefooted, and upon one appraised foot
was balanced large round basket, in
which [ kept my kindling wood. She
was singing lively tune, and skillfully
twirling the basket with the poker,
keeping perfect time with the blows.
/ Under Eliza's head was a superbly
bound copy of Milton, a Christmas gift
| from my husband, and one of my most
valued possessions. Words failed me,
but as l stood looking at the child, she
tossed the basket in the air, and, with
one bound, stood before me.
Il know them letters" said she;
leastwise, some of them. I don't care
about reading, nohow, less kin have
the newspapers, and see what tells
about the picture; murders and such
must be jolly"
"What We're you doing when [ came
Ia p [ asked.
"Cmcus. Carrotty-headed Peggy and
keep up bushel-basket ten minutes;
got pennies for doing it in the public
garden. l can keep up big basket
better than that little one, and l can
dance bal on my feet first-rate.
Dut look at my kindlingS all over
/ the floor"
"Tll fix that in wink and it was
wonderfully quick indeed. Almost
while she spoke, the mischief was rec
titled
"Now, put on your shoes and stock
ings."
"Oh, please" she pleaded, mot in
the house. They hurt my feet"
1t will readily be seen from this first
days experience that my task was no
! light one when | undertook to civilize