The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-09-16

scene of confusion, and am going to
help you through with it.
Your 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 her
home in the wagon said Mrs, Dove.
She's broken her leg.
And your charwoman"
oh, dear! oh, doar' said Mrs. Dove.
She's got visitation of measles, or
smallpox, or some horrid disease in
her family And my nephew Erie, is
to be gone for three days; and I am
sure / could finish the house cleaning
while he was absent
'And you WILL said Flora, cheer
fully.
How can we?
oh, you shall see' nodded Miss Lee.
And depressed though she was, Mrs.
Dove began to feel the mercury rise in
her mental thermometer at once.
Flore Lee arrayed herself in one Of
Betsy's cast off calicoes, tied her rip
pied brown tresses up in Il cambria
sweeping cap and went vigorously to
work with Il scrubbing-brush; while Mrs.
Dove bent her attention to the window
glass, and Adonijan, with more zeal
than discretion, splashing whitewash
over the floor and himself with laud-
able impartiality.
WAL said Adonijah, afterward, L
never did see no cricket work spryer
than that city young lady. BY gracious,
she beats Betsy all holler at it. And
the's got such an up and down pretty
way of doing things too, declare. [
couldn't hardly take my eyes off her
all the time / was whiteWashin'.
"Mrs. Dove, however, was unused to
the severe exertions incident upon
housekeeping time, and went to bed
with Il sick headache in the middle of
the afternoon.
"Never mind, Mrs. Dove" said Flora;
I'll get tea, and I'll make some Of those
cream wattles and shortcake for Mr..
Dove, and you shall see how nice I can
fry"
Indeed, indeed, 1 don't know what I
should do without you Flora, said Mrs.
Dove, fervently.
But it happened Mr.. Daniel Dove
was unexpectedly detained on business
at Whitskills, the neighboring town,
and instead of him, who should walk
debonairly into the sitting-room fling
ing down his carpet-bag, but Erie Hale
himself, just as the rainy dusk closed
in, and the delicious odor of frying
oysters and Mocha coffee filled the
house.
'Hallov said Erie. so you're house.
cleaning eh, Betsy?'
Yes, sir, q demure voice responded
from the kitchen.
And where's my aunt?'
She has retired with sick headache,
sir
The natural consequences of clean
ing house, I SUPPOSE said Erie Hale,
with shrug Of his shoulders. Dear
old Aunt Della! why couldn't she be
contented to leave things as they were?
Tell her, Betsy, that Washburn has
concluded not to exchange until next
week, and that, now Pm in the midst
of the midst of the melee, I'll lend
hand with the business tomorrow
Yes, SIR
And Betsy
'Sir?'
Where did you learn to make such
delicious coffee? Bring me cup at
once. Pm ready to drop with weari-
ness, and it's like dream of Arabia
And Flora Lee, with the Tapping edge
of her sun bonnet concealing the anus
ing dimples around her mouth, brought
in the oysters and coffee, thanked by a
pile of feather light waffles.
L declare, Betsy cried the Reverend
Erie facetiously. "If you were trife
younger and prettier, I'd marry you
myself, to make sure of coffee and
waffles like this every night
would you, sir?' said the soi distoa>t
Betsy.
And we would make compact, Bet
sy,' merrily went on the young clergy
man, as he helped himself to butter,
to finish the house cleaning tomorrow,
and save Aunt Della the worry and
hustle of it.
Yes, SIR said Betsy. But, please
sir, it's all done excepting the lacking
down of the carpets
who did it?'
4, sir, please, and Mrs. Dove and
Adonijah. And please, sir, I'm going
to finish it myself tomorrow; and
please, sir flinging back her sun-bon-
net and disclosing coronel Of bronze
brown braids, a pair Of very rosy
cheeks and eyes of sparkling, hazel
mischief not Betsy at all, but
Flora Lee, entirely at your service.
The Rev. Erie Hale started with
round-eyed surprise, not unmingled
with dismav.