Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-08-24

envelope. And addressed TO mother Ism
it funny ?"
"To me-" exclaimed mother, in turn, lay
ing down the blue sock she was mending
and smoothing her apron as though she were
going to take the baby. "Dear me
"Why, how queer said Hattie, drop
ping her book and looking at Kate wonder
ingly. George hasn't written to any of us
in an age, and never to ma. What secret:
brewing now, / wonder 2"
"Maybe he and NIilly are coming home
on a visit" said |.
"Not so early in the spring as this" re
turned Hattie, sagely; EMILY and house
cleaning can't be separated"
At this moment mother, who had sue
ceeded in tearing off the envelope with
eager, trembling fingers, and had commenced
reading the letter, suddenly twisted hel
chair around so as to turn her face from u.s.
cleared her throat, and wiped her eyes on a
corner of her gingham apron.
"Anything the matter, mother 2" ques
toned Kate, anxiously, while Hat and sat
in wondering silence.
There was no answer for moment, then,
turning toward us, she held out the letter,
saying, "Read it, Katie; Nlilly is taken
very i'll with typhoid fever, and George has
written for me to come to them. Dear child,
wish it was so could CO."
"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. diets see the
express goes at half-past six, and it's half
past five now-just an hour. Go and get
ready, mother, and Cad and I'll pack your
valise."
"But your father"
oven take care of him, never fear, and
he'll be home before you go. Hat, you're
not fit for much at home except to run er-
rands and keep awake nights, and you can
do that there. Get ready as quickly as pos
sible, and help mother; she's so excited
she'll be sure to get her dress on hind side
before, and forget to lace up her Shoes"
My energetic sister had by this time gath.
cred together their clothes, and bringing
the valise from the wardrobe, was packing
them into it in manner which foretold
their coming out in mass of wrinkles /; l,
meantime, looked helplessly on. By dint of
her earnest efforts they were ready in season !;
and when father came home from his work,
he found us hailing street car to take
them to the depot.
"Now, what's to be done first :" inquired
Kate, after we had seen them off, and had
reentered the house with something of a
realizing sense of the responsibility we had
undertaken weighing our minds.
"There's supper to get, of course, and
Nellie can wash the dishes. That's all, isn't
it?"
"Mother said something about baking to
morrow" suggested, with vague idea that
certain preparation was generally made
concerning the bread the evening before its
manufacture.
"To-morrow Well, let tomorrow take
care of ITSELF" SO promptly, that | was at
once silenced. "Let's see what's for supper;
light bread, cookies, float and cold beef.
Very good. The clouds dispense, and the sky
is most serene and fair. Set the table, Cad,
while | make the tea"
And now, while l am doing that, if the
reader will take little retrospective glance
over our lives up to this point, she will no
doubt the better understand why we were all
so ignorant of household affairs. There was
large family of us-ten children in all
John, master workman in one of the ma
chine shops in the furnishing manufacture
ing town of which we were resident Milly,
the married sister and general favorite /;
Kate and myself, twins, both totally unlike,
both in looks and disposition Hattie, stu.
dious girl of sixteen; Ross, boistrous
school boy of fourteen; Nellie, delicate,
petted child of eleven; and three little boys
in row, aged respectively nine, seven and
four, whom we call Tip, Earl and Benny.
And mother did the work for us ALL don't
know how she managed it, but she did.
Milly was the only one who had taken to
housework, and mother was one of those
domestic burden-bearers who never consider
their burden so heavy but that they can add
another trihe.
Father had never been fortunate, pecuna-
rily, and, being anxious to give all their
children good education, the labor of
saving for this end was added TO their other
toll. And then, like many another good
and unselfish, but unwise, mother, she al
lowed us our own way, and spoiled us
through indulgence; and, as we had often
heard her say she would rather do thing
herself than take the trouble to teach us
how, we felt as if we we were actually con-
ferring favor upon her by letting things
alone.
10 be sure, we could sweep, dust, wash
dishes and make beds, and were familiar
with some OF the minor details of cookery,
but to be able to keep the domestic ma
chinery well oiled and in constant motion
was to US like trying TO converse in an un.
known tongue. And so now, without any
adequate knowledge of work and its response
bilities, we found ourselves with mountain
OF difficulties to surmount, and pretty mess
we made OF it for few days, too.
1t was not at all difficult to get through
supper, for, thanks to mothers provident
hands, there was plenty prepared for that
meal, but when next morning we found the
bread ont tho opolyiao oil "a
stray pie for dinner, our troubles began
and they broadened and deepened with every
moment, as we became painfully aware that
making bread and pastry was a branch OF
our education which had been terribly neg
lected, and when about ten o'clock father
In blisstul Ignorance of the novices in charge
at home, sent up sirloin roast and the in.
formation that stranger would dine with us
and fifteen minutes later the washerwomau
brought In the clothes for us to iron, was
ready to melt into tears, and Kate was SC
cross it was dangerous to speak to her.
., that weary, weary, day But only the
beginning OF many similar ones that fol
lowed it, How we longed for mothers
skillful hands TO straighten out the tangled
threads our awkward fingers had managed
to produce. There was something TO bt
done from early morn till late at night SC
that no sooner did we fancy ourselves free
Tor hall an hour than some duty undont
would stare us in the face, or the children
would come in with clamoring tongues anc
empty stomachs, and in few days / be
came addicted to chronic fretfulness, Will,
Kate was transformed into veritable scold
John scowled over the miserable meals, Ros,
leased us in every vulnerable point but pool
patient father pitied our often infrmities
and ate what was set before him for con
sciences sake.
II went on in this way for about fort
night, when, after very trying day, W,
took our books and sat down for auie
evening. But, alas for our hopes Onl,
ten minutes OF peace and then an ominouI
"ahem from father caused us TO look up.
"Do you know, girls" he inquired
"whether mother mended my pants befor
she went away | should like them to pu
on in the morning She generally did he
mending every week, believe"
"There" burst out Kate, shutting he
book with bang, while l after one despond
ing glance at the fascinating pages of Davi,
Coppertield, went TO examine the mendiny
basket.
II was full TO the brim shirts, socks
little gingham coats with the pockets tori
down, and buttons pulled half off, witt
shreds of cloth hanging to them father
pants, and Nellie's school dress with
great rent clear across the front. With
doleful sigh / lifted the basket, and with
Il