St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-08-20
Cooperative Housekeeping.
JULIA HUNT MOREHoUSE.

The children of Maple Farm stood
on the kitchen piazza watching anxious
ly the turn in the road to catch the first
glimpse of their new mother. To tell
the truth, each one of them, for differ
ent reason, perhaps, was sorry she was
coming. Jennie, the care and worry
taker of the household, her mothers
own girl, was sure she wouldn't know
how to keep house. Mate, the leisure
loving, was sure she wouldn't know
how to do anything else. Fred, "that
boy" of twelve, had made up his sturdy
mind to stand firmly on the defensive,
in the inevitable war of opinions. AS
for Daisy, the seven years. baby and
pet, her heart was too full of her own
mamma she knew she should "neveI
love the hOrrid, hateful old thing, not a
bit, not a single bit.n This resolution
had been strengthened by certain kind
neighbors, who smOothed her curls so
pityingly, and sighed "poor little thing
Ia step-mOther--she little knows
poor little dear!"
Mrs. Bentley, the mother of these
four children, had been in her grave a
year. Let us hope she found the rest
there which she never allowed herself
!,
stricken down in the prime of her days
by the DEGREES of an inscrutable Provi-
dence," the obituary said. Did not
death make all angelic, it ought to
have read, "this mother, devoted only
to the bodily wants of her family, died
of hard work and worry" In this case
it was not the husbands fault. They
were by no means poor, and Mr.. Bent
ley had notion that farmers need a
vacation occasionally as well as other
men, but his wife never could find the
time, and SO she plodded on, till, an
old woman at forty-fve, "the busy
wheels of life stood STILL" Death had
softened and refined her memory into
something like beautiful dream, and
her children stood waiting now with a
half-indignant feeling that father had
the heart to fill her vacant place.
But ''there they come," says Fred in
big whisper, and he involuntarily
darts around the corner of the shed. In
moment the carriage is at the door,
and their father is helping out, not an
old woman or young girl, which
would be worse yet, but radiant,
healthy, common-sense looking lady of
thirty-five. Without waiting for intro
ductions she runs in among them, say
ing in her breezy, comfortable way,
''This is Jennie | know, from the pho
tographs, and you must be Mate-how
do you do, my dear-because you are
the other big girl, and here's our little
white Daisy, all but Fred, where is
he" With the resignation of despair,
that young man comes forward, gives
her the ends of his fingers, allows him
self to be kissed once on the forehead,
and then makes for the barn, muttering
something about "choIes." The ice was
broken, and somehow the process was
not nearly so shivery as they expected.
Daisy having confided to Fred, in lit
tie private conference, that "she wasn't
so old, after all, nor horrid, either y
and she meant to like her ''just little
wee bit," crawled upon her new man.
mas lap, and they had long talk
about the big doll that lay sleeping
with it's eyes "real shut" in mammals
big trunk in the hall.
Daisy's heart was won, and mean
while Mate had picked up book that
was tucked under the shawl-strap, say
ing to herself, "guess this is the last
book she'll find time to read now she
has farm work to do"
After tea, which was eaten in one END
of the big kitchen, Jennie showed hel
mother over the house, and was molli,
fed by her notice of its faultless order
and cleanliness. Mrs. Bentley shivered
as she lstepped into the prim, chilly
paIlor, and the cheerless sitting room,
where only few rays of light had been
admitted in honor of her coming.
Now suppose it is no affair of yours
or mine, inquisitive reader, what this
lady could see in plain Squire Bentley
to induce her to leave her teaching in
New York, and come up into the billy
country of New Hampshire to look af-
ter his big farm and his four children
But she knew, and here she was, here
was her work, and plenty of it. This
roomy farm house and the habits of the
dwellers needed many changes, and
carefully she must work her way.
1t came Monday morning, the time
that tries women's souls. At church the
evening before the Bentleys had met
some old friends of the family, who
were visiting in the town, and prom.
ised to take tea with them on this Mon.
day afternoon. Careful Jennie was a