Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-11-11
a lsOqSE CLEANING.

SIS she coming to visit yOu?" said Eric
Hale, with 4 slight grimace. ''That SIM
pering fine lady, with the useless white
hands, and the shallow little society
laugh? Oh, Aunt Della, pack my port
manteau and let me be of on lecturing
tour, until Flora Lees visit comes 10 an
end"
Mrs. Dove looked a little disappointed.
To confess the truth she had especially
arranged this visit with reference to her
nephew, Eric.
"He's a fine young fellow" she had
said to herself, with true feminine diplo-
macy, "with an excellent parish and fine
prospects-and it's high time he was set
tied in life with wife. And | think
Flora Lee would suit him exactly"
"Well, Erie" said Mrs. Dove despair
ingly. "I'll write to her not to come. OF
course don't want to put you out, just
when you're so busy, too, with that course
of lectures on the Book OF Revelation
DuJ Icdlly lhouSh' i'"
the house lively"
"She's Il deal too artificial to suit me,
said Eric Hale. "Ask her to come III
June, when | shall be Off to Omaha and
Nevada on that conference business. But
as for visitor, | should prefer little
Polly Peppercorn's big wax doll with the
si,kv black hair and the staring black
eyes, that open and shut by machinery"
So Mrs. Dove, choking back the tears
of disappointment (for she had been nnrs-
inc this pet scheme in secret for long
while, sat down and wrote a letter to her
friend, Miss Lee, postponihg the proposed
soiourn at TIE Cedarborough farm until
roses should be in bloom and strawberries
beginning to ripen.
"Adonijah," said she to the hired man,
sstake this letter to the post-ofiice."
"Yes'um," said Adonijah, and he put
it in his pocket and straightway forgot all
about it.
It was dismal rainy morning in April
y
the very wild violets shutting up their
eyes as if in unmitigated disgust at the
unpromi,ing state of the weather. Over
head racks of gray clouds scudded across
the heavens, and the little sheet Of silver
lakelet under the hill was dotted and dim
pied all over with the falling rain, rs if
pierced with thousand tiny javelins.
cts no use trying" said Mrs. Dove,
plaintively, "the fates are conspired
against me-"
The carpets were up, the pals of white
wash stood steaming in the middle of the
floor. and Mrs. Dove herself, her gray
curls tied up in a yellow damask pocket
handkerchief which her great uncle had
brought from China half century ago,
sat crying on the lower edge of step
ladder. For Bctsey, the help, had fallen
down the cellar stairs and broken her leg,
and Mrs. Mulrony, the charwoman, had
sent message that her eldest son had
broken out "wid de maizles, sure, ,specklcd
all over like a shower Of red pepper, and
sorra a bit of cleanin' could she DO until
the wakes over"
"And these three days of all others"
sighed Mrs. Dove, "when Eric exchanged
pulpits with Mr.. washburne. And he so
dislikes house cleaning; and"
"Dear me, Mrs. Dove, what is the mat
ter?''
Mrs. Dove started to her feet with
little scream-for there, exactly as if she
had been rained down out of the gray sky
stood Flora Lee herself, in trim brown
travelling dress, with neat little hand
bag, a gossamer waterproof cloak and
silk umbrella.
"why, Flora," she cried, Show came
you here:"
"By the train, of COURSE said Miss
Lee, "and l walked from the station"
az wrote you not to come" said Mrs.
Dove, in CONSERVATION.
s'But never received any such letter"
said Miss Lee. "Shall go again?'
'sNo, you darling. you shall do nothing
of the SORT" said Mrs. Dove, enthusiast
ically. at was only because-because
we were house cleaning"
'I'm not afraid of house cleaning"
said Flora. ''I see how it is" with COM
prehensive glance around the scene Of
confusion, "and I'm 10 help you through
with it.''
'sYou!" said Mrs. Dove.
eyes, ~ said Flora. "Why not: