The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-11-25

| All! well I know that silence viii not break
Til Lie down and sleeP-nSm m more % to S Sake;
-
THE DEAF COMPETE"
A Thanksgiving story.
"No, it's no use. Looks as though 9
whole menagerie, besides the elephant,
had walked over it, don't it, Jim?"
Chris Travers held out very fiat
porte -monnaie in one hand. pushing
back. his yellow hair. with q perplexed
and troubled movement with the Other
| one, looking meantime at black-eyed
Jim, who had seated himself on the edge
| of a table, in a school-boy's free and
easy way. EH u
Chris picked up the telegram which
he had dropped, and read it over:
"Mother Warner. Nellie, and comiag home
the day before Thanksgiving. Please oper
| and air the house. y -'F MAUDIE-"
:" And that's Wednesday. and this i:
| Monday. Oh. won't Maudie feel awful
when she reads this?'' And Jim drew
| his finger through the thick dust on the
| table.
And thatP' said Chris. pointing to
little heap of dust and burned matches
| in the corner. t,-.s..
| Looks awful. that's fact. Maybe
| we could get Bridget Mulloy and heI
sister to come and clean il all up, for
know Maudie won't be in the house
two minutes before she win be up &c
her eyes in soap and water. But then,
Maudie could not afford to pay for it,
and here's this fat pocket-book."
The two boys sat down to think out
the problem.
= Sister Maudie had been widow
three years. now. Her young brothers
had come from the old. homestead
among the hills, to make their home
with her and attend the school in the
town.
Maudie had been called away to her
\ sister-in-law's sick bed two months ago,
and the boys were left in charge of the
| little cottage, taking their meals at q
boarding house not far away.
| Any body who has seen heuse left tc
| the care of men might guess how il
looked. The window-panes that used
| to shine so, clearly were dim and grimy.
| Dust laid thickly on the books. behind
the doors, on the banisters, and on the
oil-cloth in the hail.. -.x-
1t looked well enough to the lads un-
| til they came to see it with their sisters
eyes. then al at once they felt its DESC
lation.
So they sat quite still until Jim
jumped off the table. and snatching an
| apron of Maudie's from nail, tied il
about him and saluted Chris.
..An' is it Bridget Mulloy ye'd be
wantin'? She'd ruin ye wild her two
dollars day. Me mothers daughter
will do for ye far better-take all that
frescoatin' OF the windys and make the
dust fly quite .permiscup." go
/ Chris looked up with q bright CLEAN
of approval at sturdy Jim, and said,
slowly: t3o7 lso Figs.i o.
II wonder If we couldn't, after school
hoursP 'Tis women's work, l know;
hut hate to see Maudie do It all, and
her poor little. purse isn't much fatteI
than this" ~
.'She's such a Jolly little sister, too
don't cry and fret when we are around,
though she feels awful bad, and lone
some sometimes about her husband dy-
ing and leaving her alone,y
/ 1--WE must Try and take good care oi
her, mustn't we? Let's clean house
ourselves"
"We used to help mother for fun?''
''Guess we better sweep after dark,
else the neighbors will think the dust
is the smoke of q fire, won't theyr'
s.And then the dishes. We've left
that closet door open, and they have all
got to be washed, The beds must be
left to air. as Nellie might feel faint and
want to lie down as soon as comes,
and Grandma Warner will want her
cup of tea-she always does. you re.
member. The neighbors need no,
know. You can be Bridget, and I'll be
Mary Flynn, for all they can tell, and
we'n Just go to work tomorrow in
earnest; and if your courage gives out,
we'll Just remember how Maudie took
care Of us when we had the fever, and
ran up and down until har. little fee,
ached. Good luck to ye, Biddy Null.
10y! Now for school. and afterward
There were signs of life in the lighted
windows of Mandie's cottage that Tues.
day night. Inside. q fire Redeemed the
kitchen range and danced on the walls
There was . wholesome smell Of warm
suds, here and there. especially in the
back parior. where soap carnival was
in progress. 49, -.,,-.- 80
Avery stout, broad-backed Milesian,
wearing calico wrapper tied down by
a check apron. and q calico hood set on
at q reckless angle, was mounted on the
step-ladder in front of the china closet
restoring to the newly-washed shelves
their shining stores, as they were hand
ed up by an assistant clad in balmora
and faded gray polonaise. topped by 8
sun bonnet with half q cape.
| Apparently the two work-womer
were enjoying themselves, as there was
| great deal of hoarse, loud laughter
and an unusual richness q brogue, a.
they commented on their work and OF
each other, calling. each other Bridge1
Mulloy and Mary Flynn, respectively
whistling sometimes and laughing al
ways. =cs .I,--..-
In the midst of their fun, or work, {
sharp ring at the door-bel made the
taller of the two drop a plate from hel
mo. his-hand, for when the broad
backed figure turned about there wa.
Chris's merry. laughing face inside the
shabby hood.
"Who's thatp You 60, Jim; YOU
can talk Bridget. Maybe it's some
girls who would make fun If they knew
u.s." 2r-I'E'E E.ffsa
..Oh. what'n do with me mustach,
Mrs. Flynnr'a t
"You've got the toothache; here, tit
up your Jaw with this duster."
Chris, presented very remarkable
figure, truly, with the addition of {
gingham duster tied over the jaw il
the most unnatural manner-nothinf
but a rampant eye-to6th could hays
accounted for such q state of things
He went to the door with "clump
which he considered an essential par
of his character. and opening the door
saluted the applicant with: -ga u
| whats your will, sir?"
An old gentleman was waiting, whit
] asked "if Mrs, Warner were at home"