Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-12-06
EN-.
BY ESTHER SEARLE KENNETH.

The Chetwynds considered their fam
ly quite perfect and complete when the
youngest arrived, and 50 she was not
particularly welcome. A girl, and quite
plain, too. The twin-sons were very
handsome, the twin-daughters very
pretty. En- was looked upon at first as
a very undesirable addition to the fami-
ly. Later, she was found to be useful;
finally she became quite indispensable.
Having never been taught to consider
herself, she grew up to consider every
body else, and this made her a very con-
venient member of the household.
1t was her especial work to attend her
papa, nurse her invalid mama, cook
Jacks pet dishes, serve as amanuensis
to Tom, do Grace's hair, trim Garcia's
hats, and serve as housekeeper to the
entire famil ly-this, long before she was
sixteen.
At this time her father died, and the
household was plunged into compare
tive poverty.
Her mother had Mysteries daily a
month after the funeral. Jack and Tom
no longer gave the family the support of
their countenances, but married quietly
and took their brides-two sisters-west.
The remainder of the household re-
moved from their city home to an old
farmhouse deep in the country, where
Grace could never find new way to do
her hair up, and Garcia sulked because
her mourning was so unbecoming.
Here En- was not only housekeeper
and nurse, but literally maid-of- f-all-work.
No more uncongenial home could pos
sibly have been allotted to this family
They knew nothing about the manage
ment of farm, which was not strange;
they had an aversion to their bucolic
neighbors; the domestic conveniences of
the house were most primitive, It's out
side aspect rude and not even pictur-
esque.
But it was all that was left of the
Chetwynd property, and little Fin had
come as pioneer, and smoothed the way
as far as possble-for the rest.
They came and settled down to their
discomfort and repinings. Stern neces-
sity obliged Grace and Garcia to make
some effort for their daily comfort; but
it was very little. Upon En- came the
heat and burden of the day
This was looked upon as a matter of
course Did not En- know how to cook
and wash dishes? Grace had never
cooked a meal or washed dish in her
life.
En- could make bread, trade with the
butcher, and walked three miles to the
post-office twice week Garcia declar-
ed that small things made her sick.
So En- made fires, cooked meals, did
the family washing and ironing, nursed
her mother and waited on her sisters.
The girls had each lover. 1t was a
little strange, though Grace and Garcia
declared that En- had drab bair, En- had
nevertheless, most devoted lover
John Melvin by name-a young doctor
and as yet too poor to marry.
Ems sisters could not reproach her FOL
this, for young Borden-Grace's lover
and Lieutenant Egbert-Garcia s .fanct
were neither of them rich enoug gh to
marry penniless wives; to do them JUS
tice, they did not, however, desert the
girls when they became poor.
We are just ruined for life,' sale
Grace when they first came to Straw
berry Farm-why thus titled | cannot
say, for there wasn't strawberry on il
just ruined! How can 1 ever b.
married in style now?"
For that matter l don't see how VIZ
can be married at all" responded Gar
cia. Lieutenant Egbert's pay
barely supports himself, and Border