The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-11-13

NAfAA ANA kNtkASh - N NANSt @tNsete
we're hea,ing lhe waller TO dreBeh ibs dry
asbes. She bad 10 elimb iaio chair 10
popf each pAiIfulinio,he leach, Certain
ly 10 unfamiliar eyes, her work might
seem strange and mysterious.
The Sequln girls, At The chamber win.
dow opposite. With taitln and crochet,
could st length contain their surprise aud
wonder no longer.
10 let US call mother, one Of them ex-
claimed, and see Il she can unriddle the
mystery, aud tell Us the meaning OF the
operations over 10 Judge MsnOtte's back
yard.
think the judge has got q paddy wo.
msn to make some sort offs compost for
bis pear trees, said the other.
While the two girls gszed, astia pole
wss plunged into the fuming hogshesd,
aud the mass vigorously puDched and
shaken by the stout worker.
she isa Hercnlcs, they said. What
muscles those Irish women have. Mrs.
Manoite Is worker herself, and she
wouldn't hire q woman TO sit Btili,
But now the woman disappeared for &
while, aud when she next came TO view
she had under her arm an augur aud Ak,
10 one hand Esmooth billet Of wood, and
In the other huge red hot poker. The
two girls gave little scream OF this sight
but The worker heard 1t not, her bead en-.
yeoped IN ths black poke bonnet. She
proceeded to bore through the billet OF
wood by means OF the flaming poker,
while The smoke as 1t burned its way,
made q dubious blue cloud about her
head.
declare, things are getting desperate
down there, cried this young girl. | be-
lieve some internal witch work 10 going
on /; ! will have mother called.
Mrs. sequin was summoned. She was
a city bred woman, first and last, and the
proceedings 10 Judge Msuotte's back yard
were rs mysterious TO her as to her young
daughters.
What the woman 10 doing don't know,
she said, but she works With a will. |
should like to get her to do our Spring
cleaning.
1t il very likely you eau, mother, said
the elder daughter. We will get father TO
inquire of Judge Manotie about the wo-
i.Anrd aka e DaAdu
Next there was a hole made by means
of the suger in the lower part ofthe hogs
head and the bored billet OF wood driven
soundly IN, by the aid ofthe sx, vigorous
ly welded by the woman's lusty arm, and
whitfield plug placed 10 tho wooden
splgot.
What a great stout creature, exclaimed
Mrs. Seqnin. She handles tools like a
man.
Then more boiling water was dashed
into the ash filled hogshead till il stood
seething and full to the very brim. And
now all was silent and deserted in Judge
Manotte's back yard. In the afternoon
Mrs. Msnotte, richly dressed, was seen
holding up her sklrtG, tip toeing round the
great hogshead, as If inspecting the work
to see if il had been properly and thor
oug6ly done.
AT = very early hour the next morning
the Seguiu girls heard noises in the back
yard, aud sprang from bed to see II tho
witcL was at her work again. Sure
enough she was; they beheld huge ket-
tie swung on a stout pole between crotch
ed stakes driven into the earth, and pile
of blazing fagots beneath 1t.
There is her cAuldron. l told you go
{ sid the younger girl. And look at the
ps, ls OF black liquid she is pouring into
il. an 1 the foul Jumps and bones she is
pourin. from that greasy cask. An in
fernal bro ,h that must be she is concoct-
Ing.
And there is another barrel with the
dark liquid drip iDg through the splsoL
said The older one.
SO there is, exc aimed the younger
when did she fix that5 What a W. .'orous
,reaturei She wouL1 clesnkonr WI 'ie
louse in twenty.four h,1nrs. Let as call
IAther. lie knows most everything. III |
bet ho can tell us what all this means.
So Mr.. SequIn was brought 10 look |
iowD on the spectacle In Judge Mano,te's
pack yard.
II beats the witches iu Heeate all bol.
ow, said the two girls 10 chorus, as their
,aterDal pare Mt entered the room. After
quietly surveying the operations below
! moment, he burst out laughing.
Why, the woman is making soft soap,
he said, that is all; have seen my old
mother do il tifty times when l was boz |
% the homo farm aud that woman un-
ierstAnds her business, too. ! declare
I'll have ber make up our ashes. Soft
Ioap is better for hundred purposes In
'amily than all your patent cieanaers
ound al stores.
| wish you would, father, said the
Goung daughter, for IL is fnt rate fun to
zee her work bat what Is sbe throwing |
I'D bones into the kettle forl
That Is the grease; the lye will eat
hem all up. She has gotta ksg fnlI of
craps. The result will be barrel of
good strong soft soap. Mrs. Msnotle is
! prudent woman. She was country \
-aised her mother taught her 10 save
craps for sosp grease, DO doubt. This
. the way all the farmers do, and make
heir own soap.
Bat Mrs. MsHotie need not have dops I
hus, 81 she is rich, ssid Mrs. S.
Yes, and always means 10 be, said Mr.. |
sennin. Won knnW ahe does her hnnse- ]