Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-02-21

me in return, with a tender look In her
gray eyes (n1other has the softest and
tenderest gray eyes IN the world J and
the very next day we set about looking
for the store, and in less than a week
had found it; a nice new little place in
a thriving village u few miles away from
grandfather'S-I mean Cousin Etta's-
cottage, just completed the very morn
ing the agent sent us to look at it. The
street on which it stood was the main
one of the village, and before the door
grew a splendid old hickory-tree, which
made it less sad TO part with our oak,
and directly opposite was q large, COM
fortable-looking house, sitting well back
from the road, with half an acre Of gar
den about it.
Well, that small store did look pretty
when mother (mother has exquisite
taste, and knows just what colors go
nicely together, and how to arrange
things in symmetrical shapes and forms)
and | put the finishing touches to the
contents of the good-sized window, and
stepped out on the sidewalk to observe
the general effect.
1t was a lovely, sunshiny summer
morning, and feeling singularly hope
full and cheerful after observing the gen
eral effect, | seated myself in the sit
ting-room at the back Of the store and
waited for my first customer.
Mother went into the tiny kitchen
and began making cherry tarts (mother
is an excellent hand at pastry for din
nerve had an enormous cherry-tree
in the garden-and had just called to
me to come and see how splendid the
cherries were, when the store bell rang
loudly, and some one came in and shut
the door with a bang. -t..e. f..
went out as quickly as l could, and
there stood a rather stout middle-aged
gentleman, very red in the face, and
evidently in very bad temper.
"Look at that, ma am. look at that"
said he, as I came forward, holding out
his hand. and directing my attention to
the buttonless wristband of his shirt
sleeve. No buttons, and | buy but
tons by the gross, and, by heavens,
there's never one in the house. You
keep buttons?" yr. srf
Yes, Sir"
"Ill take one-and you look as
though you would sew it on for me-"
with pleasure" said l, going for a
needle and thread, with a smile, for it
struck me as being somewhat odd that
my first customer should want one shirt
button, and almost demand my services
as a seamstress, and it was with the
greatest difficulty | resumed and kept a
demure countenance while sewing it on.
"Ump' said the gentleman, half
aloud, as / fastened the thread: mice,
| though not at all handsome, and would
wear well, l should think"
| l looked up and saw his eyes fixed
upon a crimson and green rose-and-bud
| tidy Zone of mothers prettiest patterns) /,
and thought that if it didn't suit him,
he must be hard to suit in the way of
tides.
After the gentleman had said Good
day, ma am" to mother, who came into
the store looking as sweet as a rose (by-
the-bye, he was a jolly-looking, blue
eyed, rather handsome man when he
ceased frowning), and "Thank you,
miss" to me, and gone away, we had a
dozen or more callers, among them two
dear little girls, to whom MOTHERHOOD
bless her gave the two biggest cherry
|
shop-keeping was a profitable one, al
though I had refused to take any thing
for the very first sale l had ever made 4:
no, it couldn't have been a sale either.
but it was the beginning of my busin ess
life, anyhow.
We soon discovered that the jolly
faced gentleman was the owner Of the
comfortable-lo looking house across the
way, Mr.. Multahney by name Though
that blessed mother of mine always
called him Mr.. Mullagatawny, after q
| fashion she had of mixing up names in
her mind, as, for instance, calling the
baker Mr.. Black, Mr.. White" and
our old lawyer, whom we had known
for twenty years, Mr.. France" instead
of Mr.. Paris, and widower with six
children, the oldest only nine years old.
His wife had died nearly two years
before we came to the village, and the
household since that time had been in
the charge of an old nurse, who, though
she loved the children as dearly as she
4 had loved their mother, was totally in
competent to manage SO large an es-
Enlistment.
"But you see, ma'am," said Mr.. Null
tahney, one afternoon. to my mother
(she was sitting under the big cherry,
tree, to which he had found his way in
search OF Mollie, his youngest-a darl
ing with rosebud mouth and violet
eyes), 81 couldn't place any one over
nurse. It would break her heart, and
Pm not good at breaking hearts-neve1
was, and never will be; but, to tell the
truth, ma'a1n, we're all at skies and sew
! ems at our house. Bless your heart
ma am, l found Rosie and frankie yes
terday afternoon just about playing tea
party with the little tea-set | bought
here the day before; and what do you
suppose they had for tea and milk and
pudding sauce, ma'am|
I'm sure l can't guess, Mr.. Mullaga
tawnv," said mother. II
"Laudanum in the teapot, hydrate
of choral in the milking, and arnica II
the sauce-boatl Yes, ma'am, they had
taken the bottles from my medicine
chest, which nurse had placed on the
floor of my room while she tried to cap
ture the canary which Mollie had lct
out Of its cage"
"The darlings p said my mother
kissing the dear little upturned face o
the child on her knee.
Certainly, ma'am," said Mr.. Mul
tahney; but was frightened all the
more because they are darlings, and
came nearer discharging nurse than
ever did before, and I've been devilist
near it before, ma'am; but the young
ones set up such hullabaloo that, tc
stop it, was glad to let her stay. Anc
so, maam, the old confusion and mis-
management go on, with meals so irreg