Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-30
THE NEW GIRL.

''Charles she exclaimed, you uon mean 1 to say that you have forgotten already ?s 1Els | My dear. :" said Mir. Meredith, fumbling in | the depths of his overcoat pocket for amlssing glove, Il may not have forgotten, but don't exactly remember"
 'sThe eysters,," suggested his wife. 'Oh, yes, the oysters. said Meredith. 'And the two ounces of double zephyr scar | let wool"
 "And the depot hack to be waiting at two o'clock for your cousin from Philadelphia :" | MT. Meredith slappedahis hand on the ta- | ble. ''She is coming today; declare to I goodness!" he ejaeulated. 3.f3 1ai' @ at5 ! 'fAnd dozen Havana oranges for dessert. and two pounns of white grapes and some of 1 those delicious little Naples biscuits -oh, and let them send up girl from St. Clair's. 1" r.. 'A-which ?. ,. ,....,.-.. .5-... stg-- "A girl, you goose For general house. l work Phebe went home this morning with 9 l cache, and can't be left alone with con- | pany coming and all, Mind she's good cook and understands waiting at the table. , | And MT. Meredith rushed of to catch the 1 9:3O express, with kaleidoscope confusion of grapes, zephyr wool, depot hacks, oysters and servant maids careering through his brain, 1 which boded i'll for Mrs Meredith's domestic plans. @'i h ''
 l While that lady, clasping both hands over her head in a sort of tragic despair, rushed down to the kitchen, where very good look | ing young man of two or three and twenty
 was On his knees, in front of the range, trying to coax most unwilling fire to burn. : 1 ''Well ?" said he. .s- =-z. .. ss | ''Tom," cried she, hysterically, ''can you make lobster salad ?" ' '1 7''- | Like book,.' said Tom. f- l And coffee?" | harmed iu Parie
 Good. And can make buttermilk bis cuit-and between US. we can get up decent
 lunch for young lady from Philadelphia. 1 As for dinner-"
 l "WelI?" again remarked the young man | with the soot bespangled nose Providence must provide" sighed the | matron. % | .'There's an old chintz colored rooster in
 the barnyard. If could catch him I'd have
 '.Tom, did you ever make chicken l stew?" s.se.a s | 'No." .-
 "Then you do not know what you are talk ing about " said the lady, with some asper- | ity. t'r'.ta-, B.. B. 9H7@a f"F@ | '"Yes do to. Onions, potatoes, celery,
 pearl barley, with pinch of salt-'
 Nonsense" J" interposed Mrs. Meredith.
 ''Go pick that lobster out of it's shell, and
 leave of romancng You are deal better
 at poetry and newspaper sketches than you
 are in the kitchen; though, to be sure. with | twinge of conscience, goodness knows what
 I should do without you just at this particular emergency, you dear old darling t l The lobster was only half picked out of it's shell, the buttermilk biscuit was still unmixed,
 and Mrs Meredith, with pocket handker- chief tied around her pretty brown hair, was dusting the little drawing room, when there came ring at the deor bell. She put the perturbed head out of the window in most unceremonious manner. ...
 'Who is there?" she demanded in high contralto.
 Does Mrs. Meredith live here ?" retorted a womans voice. And at the same instant the young matron caught sight. of neat black leather bag, black alapaca dress and a shawl | of the plainest Highland plaid Its the new girl, thank Providence '" said Mrs. Meredith, as she ran down the stairs, thanking honest Charlie in her heart for his unexpected promptitude. -. Come in, said she opening the door wide
 '1 am so glad that you are punctual, my good girl From the Clair's intelligence bu- things up here; the servants room is dcwu stairs you may as well come directly down to the kitchen"
 She led the way down, followed by the new l girl, whose countenance bore rather bewil- dered expression.
 What is your name?" she asked patron
 izingly.
 My name? Oh, it's Martha" replied the stranger, in confusion.
 "Martha ?" critically repeated Mrs. Mere dith. 'What an ugly name! think shall call You Pattie. Have you good referen- ces ?"
 CT he1ieve so"
 Il thlnk," said Mrs. Meredith, surveying her from tip to toe, you are little over dressed for your situation; tut of course you have plainer clothes when it comes2"
 The stranger lifted pair of blue eyes to the tall form, girdled around with towel, who was vigorously wrestling with the claws of | stupendeus lobster at the table beyond.
 Do you keep man cook 9'' asked the girl 4 Mrs. Meredith drew herself up ssCertainly not. This is my brother, MT. Selwyn, who is | kindly assisting me to make salad" 'But he is not doing 1t right. He will nev- | CT get the meat out of the shelf in that way Let me show you, MT. Selwyn." l- e7. And with delft fingers she loosened the white fiber from the shell in manner that | made MT. Selwin cry "Bravo!" "And now, Pattie, will show you where the things are, and leave you to get up as nice lunch as you can, for at 2:20 o'clock we are | expecting my husbands cousin from Phila delphia. l want everything in perfect or l der."
 ''I will finish that salad," said Tom, who I had secretly been observing the the pretty face and trim figure of the new domestic, tsnow that have commenced it. But you need not I willbe careful not to get in your way. And you ask my sister if am not handy sort of l fellow around the kitchen" ''.'' - 7'' Kate shook her head surreptitiously at Tom behind the screen, but he resolutely affected not to preceive the warning gesture. Half an hour afterward became up to the din- ing room, where Mrs Meredith was arranging her best lilac and good china, s.s.g.s... 5 .,
 Kate, she's jewel. A gem of the first water! Depend upon it, she has not always worked in the kitchen. quoted Shakespeare, apropos of something or other. dosnot re- member what, and she recognized the grand you should have seen the color come into her cheeks. ..,.. -s...,s..ss@i .,s ,a1 'Quoting Shakespeare to common kitch- en grill" cried Mrs. Meredith, in amaze ment. ....-z -z9..- .,l-.. .5-s fz.=t
 But I tell you shers not common kitchen girl" 6..t5 "I don't believe in high life below stairs, {" said his sister disdainfully. g.. zae
 The lunch came up at 2:30 in perfect order, but no cousin from Philadelphia arrived, no hack rolled up to the door. l,..l srsf-r
 'How provoking" said Kate. Miss Mer- dith must have missed some connecting train. Charlie will be SO vexed But, how ever, do not so much mind company coming in at any time, now that have got an excel lent girl" -.s .-3 -.'.r-.7J ..,s The dinner of delicately roasted quail and rabbit fricassee, with dessert of custard aud jelly was duly served at precisely seven o'clock, at which hour Mr. Meredith bounced in, hot and flushed with the haste he bad made. s.sstgg .,..,,'sss '..s =
 ''Where is she p ..5.s...s = .-,s =. | "Where is who P cried Kate. ss
 My cousin from Philadelphia" ss sEs
 ''Not come . ' :. l No"
 ME. Meredith drew sigh of mingled regret