The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-10-11
ROMANCE OF HoUsE-CLEANISG.


Flora Lees visit comes to an end.
Mrs. Dove looked a little disap-
pointed. To confess the truth she
had especially arranged this visit
with reference to her nephew, Eric.
Hes a fine young fellow" she
had said to herself, with true femi-
nine diplomacy, with an excellent
parish and fine prospects-and its
high time he was settled in life with
a wife. And / think Flora Lee
would suit him exactly"
And here was the young man HIM
self upsetting this charming little
castle in the air, without the least
scruple of conscience, like the mod
ern iconoclast that he was.
"Well. Eric" said Mrs. Dove, de-
spairingly, In 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 Revelations-but | really
thought Flora would make the house
lively" =,
Shes a deal too artificial to suit
me" said Eric Hall. ASK her to
come in June, when ! shall be OH
10 Omaha and Nevada on that con-
ference business. But as for Wis
itor / should prefer little Polly Pep
percorn's big wax doll with the silky
black hair and staring black eyes,
that open and shut by machinery.
So Mrs. Dove, choking back the
tears of disappointment (for she had
been nursing this pet scheme IN Sc
cret for long while, sat down and
wrote letter to her friend, Miss
Lee, postponing the proposed So
iourn at Cedarborough Farm until
roses should be in bloom, and straw
berries beginning to ripen.
"Adonijah," said she TO the hired
man. take this letter to the post
Office.
"Yes'm," said Adonijah, and
straightway forgot all about it.
Ii was a dismal, rainy morning IN
April, the yellow jonquils beaten to
the ground, the very wild violets
shutting up their eyes as If In un-
mitigated disgust at the unpromis-
ing state of the weather. Overhead
racks of gray clouds scudded across
the heavens, and the little sheet OF
silver lakelet under the hill was dot
ted and dimpled all over with the
falling rain, as if pierced with a
thousand tiny javelins.
Its no use trying, said Mrs.
Dove, plaintively, the fates them,
selves have conspired against me.
The carpets were up. the pals OF
whitewash stood steaming in the
middle of the parlor floor, and Mrs.
Dove herself, with her gray curls
tied up in yellow damask pocket
handkerchief, which her great uncle
had brought from China half a CEN
tury ago, sat crying on the lower
edge of a step-ladder. For Betsy
the help, had fallen down the cellar
stairs and broken her leg, and Mrs
Mulrony, the charwoman, had sent
a message that her eldest son had
broken out "wid de maizles, sure
speckled al over like shower OF
red peper, and sorra a bit of clanin
could she undertake for until the
wakes over"
"And these three days Of all 9th
ers," sighed Mrs. Dove, when Eric
had exchanged pulpits with Mr.
Washburnl And he so dlslikes
house-cleanlng; and"
Dear me, Mrs. Dove, what is the
matter"
Mrs. Dove started to her feet with
a little scream-for there. exactly as
if she had been rained down out o.
the gray zenith, stood Flora Lee her
self. in trim brown travelling dress
with a neat little hand bag, a gossa,
mer waterproof cloak and a silb
umbrella.
"Why, Flora! :" cried she, chow
came you here?"
by the train, of course" said
Miss Lee, "and / walked from the
station"
81 wrote YOU not TO come, said
Mrs. Dove, in CONSERVATION.
But I never received any such
letter." said Miss Lee. shall | g
again?"
NO, you darling, you shall dc
nothing of the sort, said Mrs. Dove
enthusiastically. 1t was only be
cause-because we were house-clean
ing"
I'm not afraid of house clean
ing" said Flora. Il see how it is,
with a comprehensive glancearounC
the scene of confusion, 'and I'm
going to help you through with it.
"Gou?7 said Mrs. Dove.
"Yes, l." said Flora. "Whv not,
Just lend me one of Betsy's ole
dresses. Where is Betsy, by the
way?"
"Her father has just carried hel
home in the wagon, said Mrs. Dove
She broke her leg"
"And your charwoman?'
"Oh. dear, oh, dear, said Mrs
Dove, "she has got visitation o
the measles, or small pox, or som,
other horrid disease in her family
And my nephew, Eric, is to be gon,
for three days; and | made sure
oould finish the house cleaning whil,
he was absent"
And we will, ," said Flora, cheer
lily.
How can we?"
"Oh, you shall see" nodded Mis-
Lee.
And, depressed though she WAS
Mrs. Dove began to feel the mercur
rise in her mental thermometer a
once.
And Flora Lee arrayed herself il
one of Betsy's east of callcues, ne
her ripping brown tresses up in
cambria sweeping cap, and Wen
vigorously to work with 4 scrubbin
brush; while Mrs. Dove bent her al
tention to the window glass, anr
Adoniiah, with more zeal than dis
cretion, splashed whitewash owe
himself and the floor with laudabl
imparuality.
"Wal," said Aioaijah, afterwart
Il never did see no cricket wor
spryer than that city Young lad,
By gracious, she beats Betsy all hoI