River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-10-27
DAUGHTER WORTH HAVING.

Smithson, one chilly spring evening, as
she ran in to see her next door neigh
Dor and intimate friend, Mrs James.
"My husband Just came home, and he
saws what we supposed to be a rumor
only, is a sad fact; the assignment was
made yesterday. l threw on shawl
and ran over to tell you. They are to
keep the house under some sort of an
arrangement, but they have discharged
all ther servants, and what in the world
the Millses will do, Mrs. James, with
Mrs. Mills invalid habits, and Miss
Helena, with her dainty ways and re-
fined bringing up, is more than |
know" And pretty, shallow Mrs.
Smithson looked at her news-loving
friend and neighbor with an air of an
epicure regarding some favorite dish.
az heard all about it last evening, F."
said Mrs. James, adjusting the pink
ribbon at the throat OF her black silk
dinner-dress, land this morning pre-
sumed upon our cousinship so far as to
drive over and see how they were get
ting along. And really, Mrs. Smith
son, you will be surprised when | tell
you that, although expected to find the
family in great confusion and distress,
/ never saw them in such a comfortable
way, and in such good spirits. The
worst was over, of course, and they had
all settled into the new order of things
as naturally as could be. My cousin,
Mrs. Mills, was sitting, as calm as you
please, up there in her sunny morning
room, looking so fresh and dainty as
she ate her crisp toast and slipped hot
Coffee"
"Our comfortable and coy appear
ance is all due to Helena" said she.
''That dear child has taken the helm.
/ never dreamed she had such execu-
tive ability. We were quite broken
down at first, but she made her father
90 over all the details of his business
with her, and they found that by dis
posing of Helena's grand piano, the
paintings and slabs, and costly bric-a-
brac her father had always INDUCED
her in buying, we could pay dollar for
dollar, and so keep the house. My
husbands old friend, Mr.. Bartlett, who
keeps the art store, you know, and who
has always taken a great interest in
Helena, bought back the paintings,
statuary, vases, ETC., al small dis
count, and Barker, who sold us the
piano year ago or so and who is
another old friend, and knew, OF course,
lust how we were situated, took 1t back
deducting only twenty-five dollars.
Helena has just gone into the
kitchen. What she will do there |
don't know but she says she needs
the exercise, that she has not attended
the cooking-school here i'll the city for
nothing and that so long as the meals
are served regularly and properly, and
the house is Kept in good order, her
father and / are not to worry" After
she told me that, drew my call to
close, and ran down into my cousins
kitchen to see her dainty daughter
there. And what do you think? |
found that girl at the sink, with her
sleeves rolled up, an immense water
proof apron on, washing kettlew
"Washing kettle ?" repeated Mrs.
Smithson, holding up both her soft,
white hands in unmeasured astonish-
ment.
ayes, Mrs. Smithson, washing a great
black, greasy iron kettle that meat had
been boiled in, and that had been left
unwashed and gummy when the cook
left. And, do you know, she was
laughing over it all, and saying to her
Youngest brother, who stood near by,
that she really liked it. for she now felt
she was making herself usefel."
"The idea Liking to wash kettlesw
and the two fine ladies looked at each
other in open-eyed wonder.
tIt SCENE to me as if Helena Mills
was trying to make the best of her
fathers altered fortunes, and was sim
ply doing her duty in the premises,
spoke Miss Carlton, Ida James's new
drawing teacher, who was that evening
engaged in giving her pupil lesson
on the opposite side of the center-ta-
BILE. She spoke earnestly and yet in a
modest way, and it being the vogue in
New City just then to patronize Miss
Carlton, the pretty and accomplished
graduate from Vassar, the two ladies
looked at her amiably. and she went
on:
Somebody must wash the kettles,
and it is always best, when one has
disagreeable duty to perform, to do it
not only at once, but cheerfully."
eyes, perhaps )" replied Mrs. Smith
son, "bnt how could young girl Of
real native refinement" (both sides of
the Smithson family were of the cold
stock") "take so kindly to washing pots
and kettles? The fact Of it is, people
have been mistaken in Helena Mills
She never possessed that innate gentil-
ity she has had credit for. But every
one finds their level sooner or later
he, he !"
These two woman having thus sum-
marty disposed OF Helena Mills social
10, they repeated their belief that the
vely and dutiful young girl had now
ound her proper level over and over
n their set, until it was the common
talk in New City. Miss Carlton, in her
round of professional calls among the
so-called elite, was entertained III near
ly every household with the informa-
ton that Helena Mills had given up
her studies even, and gone into the
kitchen to work and, if you'll believe
it, she likes it !" Then would follow re-
upon the natural ability and
bias of mind Of q young woman who
was fond of washing Dishes
This sensible, accomplished little
drawing teacher was the only one to be
found, who mingled in the supper cir
elaeo of New CITY who said Il word in