The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-08-16
RECOMPENsE.

A letter from George" exclaimed sis
ter Kate, coming in from the post-ofice
and holding up for our inspection large
yellow envelope. "And addressed to
mother; isn't it funny ?''
To me % exclaimed Mother, in turn,
laying down the blue sock she was mend
ing, and smo oothing her apron as though
she were going to take the baby, "Dear
met"
why how queer - said Hattie, drop
ping her book and looking at Kate won
deringly. George hasn't written to any
OF us in an age, and never to Ma What
secrets brewing now, wonder ?"
Maybe he and Milly are coming home
on a visit" / said.
"Not so early in the Spring as this, -
returned Hat title, sagely; "Milly and
house cleaning can't be separated"
AT this mo ment, Mother, who had sue
ceeded in tearing off the envelope with
eager, trembling fingers, and had com
menced reading the letter, suddenly
twisted her chair around SO as to turn her
face from us, cleared her throat and wiped
her eyes on corner of her gingham
apron.
Anything the matter, Mother ?" ques-
toned Kate, anxiously while Hat and l
sat in wondering silence.
There was no answer for a moment,
then, turning slowly toward US, she held
out the letter, saying: "Milly is taken
very i'll with typhoid fever, and George
has written for me to come to them.
Dear child, ] wish it was so 1 could 60"
"Go :" echoed Kate, decisively, "of
course you'll go, and take one of us girls
along to help nurse, too"
But the work, my dear. How will
you manage 2"
"Some way" said Kate. "Let's see
the express goes at half-past six, and it's
halfpast FIVE now-just an hour GO and
get ready, Mother, and Cad and I'll pack
your valise."
But your father"
"We'll ia ke care of him, never fear,
and he'll be home before you go. Hat,
you are not fit for much at home except
to run errapds and keep awake nights,
and you can do that there Get ready
as quick as possible and help Mother
she's so excited she'll be sure to get her
dress on hind part before and forget to
lace up her shoes"
My energetic sister had by this time
gathered ogether their clothes, and,
bringing the valise from the wardrobe
was packing them into it in a manner
which foreto Id their coming out mass
of wrinkles, /, meantime, looking help
lessly on. By diut of her earnest efforts
they were ready in season, and when Fa-
ther came b ONE from work he found us
hailing a street car to take them to the
depot.
"Now, W hats to be done first p IN
quired Kate after we had seen them of
and had rec ntered the house with some
thing of realizing sense of the respon-
sibility we b ad undertaken weighting our
minds. There's supper to get, of course,
and Nellie d an wash the dishes. That's
all, isn't it?7
Mother said something about baking
tomorrow l suggested with q vague
idea that certain preparation was gen.
erally made concerning the bread the
evening before its manufacture.
aTo-morrpw? Well, let tomorrow take
care of ITSELF" said Kate 90 promptly
that was at once silepced. aLet's zee
what's for supper; light bread, cookies,
float and cold beef. Very good. The
clouds disperse and the sky is most Sc
rene and fair. Set the table Cad, while
make the tel"
And now, while / am doing that, if the
reader will take little retrospective
glance over our lives up to this point,
she viii, no doubt, the better understand
why we were all 80 ignorant of house
hold affairs. There was large family oi
us-ten children in al. John, master
workman id one of the machine shops in
the hourishing manufacturing town Of
which We we're resident; Milly, the mar
red sister and general favorite; Kate and
myself twiis, bat totally unliks, both II
looks and disposition; Hattie, studioal
Girl Of 10 IRoas . boiaterous seho0l-boy
q Il; Nellie, ; delicate, petted child d
II, and three little boys IN > rou, aged
respeetively 9, 4 and I, whom We calisd
Tip, Rnzie 4nd Benny. Ard Mothsr Did
| the work lSr ~ an / don't know hOr
! shs mansg9d i, but ne did lilly ",