Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-05-26
TAKING A SITUATION.


"Well, girls" said my uncle Barnabas,
sand now what do you propose TO do
about it ?'
We sat around the fire i'm disconsolate
semi-circle, that dreary, drizZling MAY
night, when the rain battered against the
window panes, and the poor little daffo-
dis in the borders shook and shivered as
if they would fain hide their golden
heads once more i'm the mother-sOil. NV
mother, Eleanor and |. The first, pale
anu pretty and silver-haired, with the
widows cap and her dress of black bonn.
bazine and Grape: the sweetest looking
old lady.sI think, L ever saw. Eleanor
sat beside her, looking as she always did,
like "a princess, with large, dark eyes, Di-
ana-like features, and hair twisted i'm
sort of cOrOnal around her queenly head.
While L, plain hOmespun Susannah-
commonly called, for Short Susy-
ciOuched upon Il fOOtstOOl in the corner,
my elbows OH my knees, and my chin i'm
my hands.
Uncle Barnabas Berkelin sat i'm the
middle of the circle. erect, stiff and rath-
err grim. He was stout and short, with
grizZled mustache, "A little, round bald
spot on the crown of his head, and two
glittering black eyes that were always
sending their dusky lightenlngs i'm the
direction least expected. Uncle Barna-
bias was rich and we were poor. Uncle
Barnabas WAS wise in the ways of the
world and we were inexperienced. Uncle
Barnabas Was prosperous in all he did !;
while il there was bad bargain to be
maize, we were pretty sure to be the ores
to make ii. Consequently, and as IL mat
ter OF course. we looked up to Uncle Barn
ah..c r,fI l.s1
~ hat DO we propose to do about it?"
Eleanor slowly repeated, lifting iier belu-
tiful. jetty brows.
Yes that's exactly it." said my moth
er nervOusly because. Brother Barna-
bas, we don't pretend to be business wom-
EN-, and it's certain that we cannot live
comfortably oil our present income
Something has surely got TO be done
And then my mother leaned back in
her chair with a troubled face.
Yes said Uncle Barnabas, "some-
thing has got to be done. But who's to
do it?
And another dead silence succeeded.
Il suppose you girls are educated ?"
said Uncle Barnabas. II know | found
enough old school bills when l was look
ing over my brothers papers,"
"Of course" said my mother, with evil
dent pride; "their education has been
most expensive. Music, drawing, use of
the globes
'Yes, yes, of course" interrupted Un-
Gle Rarnabas. But is it practical? Can
they teach 2"
Eleanor looked dubious. was quite
certain that could not. Madame Le-
nOir, among all her list of accomplish
ments. had not included the art of prac-
teal tuition.
"Humph!" grunted Uncle Barnabas.
"A queer thing. this modern idea of edu-
cation. Well if you can't teach, you can
surely do something! What do you say,
Eleanor, to a situation ?"
"a situation? ?"
The color fiuItered i'm Eleanor's cheeks
like pink and white apple blossoms.
Il spoke plain enough, didn't II" said
Uncle Barnabas, dryly. Yes a situa-
ton p
What sort of a situation, Uncle Barn.
abas?"
part companion TO an elderly lady, eX-
planned the old gentleman.
20, Uncle Barnabas, I couldn't do
that"
Not do it? And why..not ?"
''lt's too much-too much," whispered
Eleanor, losing her regal dignity i'm the
pressure of the emergency, like going
out to service"
"And that is precisely what it is re
torted Uncle Barnabas, nodding his head
Service Why, we're all out at service
i'm one way or another i'm this world r.
"Oh, yes, know" taltered poor Ell
eanor, who, between her listaste for the
proposed plan and her anxiety not to Of
fend Uncle Barnabas Berkelin, didn't
quite know what to say. "But 1--we
always been educated to be lady"
$50 you won't take the situation, eh ?"
said Uncle Barnabas, staring up at a
wishy-washy little water color drawing
OF Cupid and Psyche, an exhibition
piece" of poor EleanOr's, which hung
above the chimney piece.
Il couldn't indeed, SIR"
"Wages twenty-five dollars month"
mechanically repeated Uncle Barnabas, as
if he were saying off lesson. "Drlve
out in the carriage every day with the
missus, cat and canary to take care OF,
modern house, and all its improvements.
Sunday afternoons to yourself, and two
weeks, spring and tall, to visit your moth
err"
''No, Uncle Barnabas, no." said FL
eanor, with little shudder. II am a
true Berkelin, and cannot stoop to me-
NAL duties"
Uncle Barnabas gave such a prolonged
sniff as to suggest the idea of very bad
cold in his head, indeed.
Sorry" said he. Heaven helps those
who help themselves, and you can't ex-
pect me to be any more liberal minded |
than Heaven. Sister Rachel" to- my
mother, .'what do you say?
Nv mother drew her pretty little fig
ure np triflle more erect than usual.
II think my daughter Eleanor is quite
right" said she. 1.-The Berkelins have
always been ladies'.
had sat quite silent. still with my
chin in my hands, dnEing all this family