Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-09-22

FOR tne klnkuOH ana crown OF tOu
jones' New Leaf.
1t was dreary kitchen-the walls were
dirty and smoky, the breakfast dishes stood
on the table in the middle of the floor, the
cooking stove was open, with kettles and
pans on it, and cold ashes on its hearth. its
sooty plates awry, pot fdish water stand
ing on the top of the stove, and the broom
and poker and tongs lay just where the
little riders had left them when they were
called to prepare for school. Johnny had
gone off crying and his whine could even
then be heard coming up the hollow. in the
direction of the school house. The milk
had not been strained, and the flies were
buzzing abont it as they sat on the edges
of two brimming pals, slipping and rub
Ding their heads together in . satisfied
way. The baby was teething and cross,
and the one pair of hands that could have
brought order out of disorder, were trying
10 soothe it.
Is it any wonder tears were in the moth
er's eyes, as she cuddled her baby to her
bosom, and walked across the floor trying
to still its criesP
"O dear, what life! what life!'
said she; I'll try to be patient and make
the best of it, but it does seem hard"
Just as the baby was growing quiel,and
us his little blue hands had fallen listlessly
upon his bosom, a shadow fell across the
doorway and the husband entered, saying,
Jane, can you tell me what the children
did with the Ratchet yesterday"
ut was out on the rock, behind John
ny's wagon last night" said she. speaking g
low, and gently laying the baby down on
IA bed that had not yet been made up.
Seems to me you're good while get
tin your chores done; you haven't the
knack of gettin along like Mrs, Legion
dike-her work is doue up long ago, an
she's busy in the garden. Tell you her.
IA nice garden; don't look much like our'n
you don't put the time on it that she does
on her'n."
''Oh, john" said the little woman. slip
ping back her sleeves and tying on big
apron, and trying to keep her face turned
away to hide the gathering tears, with
four little children and baby sick. with
three COWS to milk and calves to feed and
hands to cook for. and all the other work
to do, only wonder that | get half my
chores done in a whole day."
well, Pm sure don't see how it is, y
said he; my mother had ten living chill.
dren, and she managed TO get along first.
rate, and do all our weaving. besides
taking in weaving for the neighbors
You have more room than she had, and
you don't have to carry water forty rods,
like she had-here it is right at the fool
of the hill; and you never have to cut
your own wood unless it is in the midst
of harvest, and think you shouldn I
complain. If there is anything hate te
hear it is Il growing, whining wife
Now have TO be out o doors all the time
no matter how hot the sun shines, or how
cold the wind blows, while you are in the
shade and comfortable-if you only knew
it. All, you have an easy time of it, you
women, if YOU only knew it; so cheer up
married you for a helpmate, don't you
know? The girls will be big enough in
three or four years to help you, and lher
you can take times easier, and may be by
that time the bottom farm will be paid for
and We'll be able to ride in carriage
like the Leyondikes. y
"How long since you brought in thi,
waterP' said he, as he took drink
fl ON the tin dipper, and finding it not tresl
he squirted it out coolly on the hool
among some pans that had slipped dowr
off shelf.
As he took the hatchet and started ou
to The hay wagon to fix the hay rigging OF
it, he said, Jane, if you can us we'll as
not, 'sposn' you have some O them new
beans that grew in the fur lot for dinner. ;
"Well, I'll try" said she, hopelessly, a
she slipped her shoes off so she might ster
softly and with more comfort. All W.
working women know what task it is tt
bring II disOrdered kitchen into neatness
especially when little children have beef
about. First she strained the milk, savin.
one quart with which TO mix the breai
for the yeast was set the night before ant
had been bubbling two hours; she mixet
it and set it in the warm sunshine, ant
then started fire and made feed of skin
milk for the noisy, frolcsome calves tha
ran in the dooryard. Then she swept AN,
picked up the playthings after the children
hung up their coats and aprons. and Sc
their old shoes away, and moved thei
sleds and wagons from about the doors.
While the dish water was heating sh,
hurried up stairs and made the beds; thel
washed the dishes, and went down celia
and skinned the milk, There was cream
enough for churning, the churn was scald
ed, and then left with a pail of cold waite
standing in it, so as to be fresh and ready
BY this time the baby woke and cried
and the tired little mother was compelle,
to sit down and take him in her sheterip
arms.
In half an hour he was readyto sit dow
on the floor on a quilt, and she left hil
long enough to carry three or four pals q
skinned milk to the pigs-two pailsfu
at time, and she went on the run. Sh
always fed the pigs; when she asked he
husband once 10 carry the milk to the per
on his way to his work, he said, "Ths
belongs to a woman s work; man who's
name is put up for commiss oner should'r
be asked TO slop pgs-thats a little to
steep"
1t was no triAing job to feed those pigs
the pen had been made out of some oil
house logs, and the opening through whic
the pals had TO be lifted before they coul
, be- emptied was SO high up that 1t cam
Just even with her neck, and was onl
wide enough to admit the pail with tt
bal lying down. Twice when she wa
dressed up clean she had the unstead
poised pail tipped back and poured IL
= contents upon her, from her neck down
s her little feet as by n water spout.
b. Wthal the little mother was quite ID
g tient, and almost every day could her vi
q trained voice be heard, even down to ii
4 lower field and the school house, singiu
= "A charge to keep have; "or"G God NOV,
I, in mysterious way"