The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-09-16
ROMANCE OF HOUSE CLEANING,

ROMANCE OF HOUSE CLEANING.
is she coming to visit you,' said Erie
Hale, with slight grimace. That
simpering, fine lady, with the useless
white hands, and the shallow little
laugh? Oh, Aunt Della, pack my port
manteau, and let ME off on lecturing
tour until Flora Lees visit comes to an
end
Mrs. Dove looked little disappoint-
ed. To confess the truth, she had es-
pecially arranged this visit with refer
ence to her nephew, Erie.
He's a fine young fellow she said
to herself, with true femme diploma
cy, with an excellent parish, and fine
prospects it's hig time he was
settled in life with wife, and I think
Flora Lee would suit him-exactly.'.
And here was the young man him
self upsetting this charming little castle
in the air, without the least scruple of
conscience, like modern iconoclast
that he was.
well, Erie said Mrs. Dove, despair
ingly. I'll write to her to come. OF
course don't want to put you out, just
when you're SO busy, TOO, with that
course of lectures on the Book Of Reve-
lation'- really think Flora would
make the house lively
It's deal too artificial to suit me,
said Erie Hale. ASK her to come in
June when I shall be off to Omaha and
Nevada on that conference business.
But as for visitor, 1 should much pre-
fer little Polly Peppercorn's big wax
doll, with the silky black hair and the
staring black eyes, that open and shut
by machinery.
So Mrs. Dove, choking back the tears
Of disappointment (for she had been
nursing this pet scheme for a long
while), set down.and wrote to her friend
Miss Lee, postponing the proposed So
journ at Cedarborough Farm until
roses should be in bloom, and straw
berries beginning to ripen.
sAdonijah,' she said to the hired
man take this letter to the post
office
Yes, 'um,' said Adonijah, and he
put it in his pocket and forgot all about
1t was dismal rainy morning il
April, the yellow jonquills beaten tc
the ground, the very wild violets shut
ing up their eyes as if in unmitigateo
disgust at the unpromising state Of the
weather. Overhead racks Of gray
clouds scudded across the heavens, and
the little sheet Of silver lakelet under
the hill was dotted and dimpled al
over with the falling rain. as if pierced
with thousand Tiny javelins.
It's no use trying, said Mrs. Dove
plaintively, the fates have conspireo
against me-
The carpets were up, the pals O
white-wash stood in the middle of the
parlor floor. and Mrs. Dove herself
with her grey curls tied up in a yellow
damask pocket handkerchief, which
her great uncle had brought from
China half century ago, sat crying or
the lower ledge Of step ladder. Fol
Betsy, her help, had fallen down th'
stairs and broken her leg, and Mul
roney, the charwoman, had sent :
message chat her eldest son hat
broken out wild the maisles, sure
speckled all over like a shower of rec
pepper-an' sorry bit of cleanin
could she undertake until the week.
over"
And these three days of all others,
sighed Mrs Dove, when Erie exchang
ed pulpits with Mr.. Washburn, and h
SO disIikes kouse-cleaning; and
| Enoor MA Nrc npy0 u,hof thI
matter9'
Mrs. Dove, started to her feet with .
little startled scream-for there, ex
actly as if she had rained down out o
the gray, uncompromisingz zenith, stoot
Flora Lee herself, in a trim, brow
travelling dress, with neat little hand
bag, gossamer waterproof, and a sill
umbrella "Why, Floral cried she
how came you hereY
by train, of course said Miss Lee
'and / walked from the station.
L wrote to you not to come,' SAT-
Mrs. Dove, in CONSERVATION.
"But never received any such let
ter said Miss Lee, Shall / go ava,
again
No, you darling, you should do moth
ing Of the sortp' said Mrs. Dove, enthu
siastically. 1T was only because W
were house-cleaning.'
4 am not afraid Of nouse-cleaning
said Flora. I see how it is with
comprehensive glance around tn
scene of confusion, and am going t
help you through with it.
'You? said Mrs. Dove.
eyes, T. said Flora. Why not
Just lend me one of Betsey's old dresses
Where is Betsey, by the way?
| Her father has just carried he
home in the wagon said Mrs, Dove
She's broken her leg.
/ And your charwoman?'
| oh, dear! oh, dearp said Mrs. Dove
She's got visitation Of measles, 9
smallpox, or some horrid disease, il
Iher family. And my nephew Erie, j
to be gone for three days; and | an
sure | could finish the house-cleanin
while he was absent
And you will, said Flora, cheer
fully.
How can wey
oh, you shall seeP nodded Miss Lee
And depressed though she was, Mr.
Dove began to feel the mercury rise il
|her mental thermometer at once.
Flore Lee arrayed herself in one Q
Besy's cast off calicoes, tied her nip
pled brown tresses up in cambri,
lsweepmg cap and went vigorously Z