Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-11-03

| and went to bed late; she counted eggs,
mixed up whitewash, made herself sick
chopping up sausage meat, and strained
her back lifting kettle Of pickles OF the
fire. and still she strove resolutely on.
Il should like to do just what Dorothy
did, she said to herself. II don't think
Henry is quite pleased when am so busy
III the kitchen of an evening that cannot
spare time to come in and hear him read
the Waverly novels aloud. And my feet
ached so this morning after skimming the
cream that could not walk with him to
the haying ground. But am doing my
duty, and that ought to be reward
enough"
That same afternoon, however, poor
Alice was forced to flee to her own room
with sick headache, and seek the .efuge
of her pillow. There Mrs. John Bonney,
cheerful little neighbor, found her.
'Sick, are your" asked Mrs Bonney.
'I'm not very well,' acknowledged
Alice.
"Ah,' said Mrs. Bonney, 81 thought
so!''
What do you mean?" asked Alice.
'Why you've been killing yourself by
inches!" said Mrs. Aonney, las fast as
you could. I've seen it all. I'm not your
! next door neighbor for nothing!''
II am trying to do my duty" pleaded
Alice, with filling eyes. II am trying to
be like my husbands first wife,
"Fiddlesticks!" said Mrs Bonney. "Like
Dorothy Perry. indeedI Why, she was
nothing on earth but household drudge,
and finally drudged herself to death, with
out anybody being particularly sorry for
her. She never visited, she never read,
she never kept up with The progress of
life's march around her. Any machine
could have filled her place"
Mrs. Bonney, you ought not to talk
SOL said Mrs. Perry, uneasily.
''Its the TRUTH" said Mrs. Bonny.-
However, do as you please. It's privi-
Iege which people generally claim. have
observed, kill yourself if you like. Per-
haps the third Mrs. Perry will be little
naore sensible.'
80 Mrs. Bonney put the boquet of tea
rose buds, which she had brought, into
water, and tripped laughingly home,
while Alice, clasping her hands over her
throbbing temples, tried to ask herself
which was right, herself or Mrs. Bonney,
aaJ in which direction her path of duty
really and actually lay.
And it was at this critical moment that
she heard the nasal, monotonous voice of
her moJher-in-law down stairs talking to
her husband, and uttering the sentence
which opens our sketch.
''She amt the same sort as your first
wife, Henry" said Mrs. Perry, Seninr
"And she never will be, let her try as she
will. She hasn't got the faculty, you see."
She lay there quite still and quiet, with
closed eyes. She never opened them when
Henry Perry himself tiptoed into the room
and believing her asleep tiptoed out again,
muttering to himself
"Poor little daisy, she is entirely done
up.'
The next morning, however, Alice arose
and dressed herself with care.
''Bless me- said Mrs. Perry, Senior,
'where are you going Alice?"
"To the village" answered Alice?"
What for?' cross questioned the elder
matron.
ITO engagea dressmaker and seamstress
first" said Mrs. Perry, Jr., land to get
strong girl to do the homework next''
"A-girl!" screamed the old lady.
Dorothy never
NO." said Alice: II know she never
kept a servant. But Dorothy cleaned and
churned and sewed herself out of the
world. I've no intention of settling my
own career in that sort of way. I find
that CAM do the work of this farm my
self without breaking down my health,
and shutting myself out of the world of
books and science. I do not think my
husband desires such such sacrifice
'Of course don It, )" said Henry, prompt
ly. 1.-The house has been as lonely as a
convent since you buried yourself in the
kitchen and dairy. I married you for
companion, not drudge. Have half a
dozen servants, if you like, Alice, only let |
us have books and music and pleasant |
woodland walks again."
s'Thank you, dearest, "said Alice as she
kissed his forehead.
Mrs. Perry, ST., rolled up her eyes and |
clasped her hands, and declared soto voce
she didn't know what this world was COM
ing to.
Mrs. Bonney was feeding chickens at |
her own door when Alice Perry returned |
from her walk to the village.
care you better?" asked this young red
republican, smiling cordially.
Thanks" Alice answered, 81 am much
better. have just engaged sewing wo-
man and stout Swedish servant girl to
do the Homework at the farm. l am no
longer ambitious to do as Dorothy did,
And Mrs. Bonney waved her sun-bon-
net in the air, and exclaimed:
''Bravo!'' "There will be no third Mrs.
Perry, after all.''
And her words were prophetic.
Press.
WHOLE GENERATION may be led off
the tract by misspelled word. mine
tailors make man" is an odd saying, and
good Illustration of our statement. To
look down on the worthy profession of the
cloth cutter because of such proverb
shows want Of proper instruction. In
the olden time when a person died the
church bell tolled once for every year the
departed had lived, But from the tolling
of the bell no one could tell whether the
deceased was man or woman. To satisfy