The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-02-20

things ~ wash thsm, aud IN tell yot
lots nboniiI. As the school boz says.
Lands looked ples,cd, aud took lh,
lowel Bessie bad drawn from tbe drawei
Of Kitchen table, sod wenl 10 wotE
with Will.
I Bessie bad AZ object 10 view. aud sh,
made herself 20 entertaining that fhec
was soon As much iuterested as Hada.
From the dishes il was aB easy iransi
ton to other household duties.
Aaatie, may make = cAkef
Anything yon like, my dear; bgl dou
tire yourself out.
Oh, never fsr. always helped Auut
Orphs, and We set prime table, tel
you; aud Liuds and Theo'l help me, SC
we eau get through before dinner. Won
you, girlsS
Yes, If yoa will show us howl said
Linda.
And tel os some more slories. added
Tbeo.
So Bessie set one TO beating the whites
OF eggs TO stiff iroth, aud the other TO
cutting up citrou, while she herself meas
ured out the other ingredients, aud soon
a handsome cake was browning 10 the
oven.
Next 10 order was padding for Uncle
Amos. lie had told Bessie about boil.
ed pudding, dear 10 his childish recollec.
ton because his mother had made II on
extra occasions. Bessie knew the receipt,
as il had been handed down from her
grandmother 10 Aunt 0tphs, and pro.
posed to the girls 10 surprise their father
with it-whiie sauce all complete, just as
his mother had served il mp in old days.
The family diet was usually very sim
pie. Fried pork and eggs, or perhaps
ham, being the staple meat for dinner, as
they lived. in the country, far away from
a market town, aud depended for fresh
mutton or beef on toe occasional chance
of buying from some neighboriug farmer
when be slaughtered a fat sheep or bul.
lock.
But with q plentiful supply OF milk /,
poultry and eggs, IL seemed shame, iu
Bessie's eyes, not 10 manufacture dainty
sppetizing dishes out OF them, Instead
of using them altogether In the crude
forms.
IL mae naev to wnrL q .avoIntia,,. for
her bright, eoaxing ways had completely
won her cousins hearts, aud in anything
she proposed. TO do she found them en-.
thusiaslic co-adiutors. 6a
SO 1t went on from one innovation to
another, until You would hardly have
recognized the farmhouse or its inmates
Uncle Amos would come Ia aud fnd
his wife reading at her ease while the
girls we're doing the work. After time
she lost her careworn expression. and
Linda said to Theo one day:
How yonug and nice locking mother
is growingl She must have been quite
pretty when she was young like you and
me. fH
Yes, said Theo, and papa's growing
stout. tell you, Linny, it's all because
he likes the good things Cousin Bess has
taught us TO make Isn't she darling
| never thought before that any one could
be good cook aud know SO much tool
But not alone in the culinary depart
ment did the young reformer try her
skill. Size did marves everywhere. In
her deft hands, ordinary white muslin,
costing perhaps six cents yard, was
transformed, with the aid Of rose-colored
cambric for borders, into tpstefully
draped window curtains, between whose
looped folds hung pretty baskets impro-
pised from wire and dlled With moses,
which formed screen tor The brown
mould iu which grew graceful, clinging
vines and delicate ferns,
But lbe greatest change was IN the
young daughters OF tbe Gsuse themselves.
Their habits Ui reading were not absn-
NoHcnf buL tHtg WGiS oaulshNu ~ 1eihaiH
hours aud times Their pefiOI nance OF
household duties, instead OF being looked
upon as su irksome task, became a source
OF pleasure, increased by the thought that
they wers acquiring knowedgein which
no young girl should be deficient.
Bessie had been with them about six
months, when Uncle Amos came home
from bis daily walk TO the post Office, &C
companied by tiUe looking young man.
During ali this time Bessie bad not
mentioned that she had lover; but one
glance 81 her face as she saw the stranger
was convincing to her .obserFAnt cousins
that the powerful magician, love, bad
touched the heart OF their favorite with
his golden.hued scepier, aud that from
lheuceforth, alas their empire would be
divided.
Still, though visions OF wedding bells,
and Of Bessie's departure from the home
OF which she had become the sunshine,
foated through the girls romantic brains
bringing With them mingled pleasure and
pain, they made no sign; waiting Bessie's
owa time TO tell them.
Alton Kean was the only son OF gem
tlemsn who owned fine summer resi-
denee near Bessie's home. lie bad been
fascinated by The girPs bright face aud
sprighily ways, when lie hrst met her at q
husking irolic, aud each subsequent
meeting bad deepened The impression.
lie wss handsome and taIenied, but
was inclined TO take life more AZ Geld
Of enjoyment than one Of that erertion
which belts the descendants Of Adam,
aud being wealthy aud indulged by bis
father In every whim, be bad tkas far
drilled easily with The tide.
But Bessie bad always said 1he had no