The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-07
A DOMESTIC CHAPTER.

Il was a favorite expression Of Mrs
Mayne's, I" As long as a child Of mine
lives with me, no matter If she is as big
as the house, she has got to mind me. =
But when girls have become perfectly
Indifferent 10 such threadbare assertions
and are really too old TO submit to have
their ears boxei, talk as you may, what
is a mother to do?
Very much in this predicament was
Mrs. Mayne with her daughters. four
good-looking, good-for- nothing, charm
ing girls, who, afflicted with the mania
for pet names, only too common noE-a-
days, had transformed themselves from
plain Amanda, Cecilia, Esther and
Margaret into Annie, Ceci, Essie and
Midge Then to complete the family
circle, there was Oliver, a hAlf-grown
lad with fnll-grown grievance. To be
alternately snubbed and petted. eoioled
and domineered over by his sprightly
sisters, who were all older than himself.
was bad enough but when his mother
not only disciplined him rigidly for his
own offenses, but because those saucy
jades couldn't he conquered. would
make him suffer for it, that was alto
gether tDo much. Had Oliver Mayne
been Of philosophic turn OF mind, be
might have seen in all this tagging a
sort OF retributive Justice for the woes
Of the fair SIX under the dcspotism OF
man, but alas he was not so he read
"Mr. Midshipman Easy" and, when
he dared. played truant and prowled
around the waterfront with ideas in his
head.
Yet in spite of all her inconsistencies,
Mrs. Mavne was mother among thou
sand. What would she not do 10 push
her daughters on in society? 50, while
they were brought up as much like fine
ladies' as was possible with her limited
means, she was cook, chambermaid and
seamstress by turns T; they gave their
best energies to the glide. the cream Of
their goGd nature to gentlemen friends,
anl imbibiDg taste for dress and fash
on well nigh insatiate.
To such length had this motherly
self-sacrifice been carried that there
had been months in Mrs. Maynes life
when Sunday was no more day Of rest
than any other; and while the girls were
rustling into church with their stylish
suits she was as likely as not shut up at
home, sewing away for dear life on some
Emery for them. All this she would do
uncomplainingly, but Of little brief au-
thority she was extremely tenacious,
and liked TO be consulted by her girls
on even the most trivial occasions.
As old ar the human race, is the liking
10 have ones own way; so with these
Young rebellious spirits, nothing was 80
trying as to be obliged to say, "May ] =
One Saturday, toward noon, the girls
we're in the parlor, under pretense Of
1usting and setting to rights that most
important room.
'I tell YOU what it is" said Midge,
yawning 1aost prodigiously, for she had
been out late to the theater the night
before. az think my plan is the best;
inst go on and make your arrangements
without saying word TO ma. She will
be angry, but what can she do?"
"Well, l don't know but what you
are right, Midge." returned Annie,
musingly. :.
"Of course" asserted Cecil, 'since il
is for your sake that we are Matching up
this plot. Annie, yoU will have to shoul-
der the blame; but then we will back
you-won't we girls p :.
Then they went up stairs, and in hall
an hour these four had written, sealed
and addressed twenty-five or thirty
dainty letter notes. = -
Now" said Cecil. moistening the
last stamp, and afixing it with business
like celerity, all we have to do is tc
get Oliver to post them. You go AND
call him Es."
Where is hep"