The National tribune., 1882-10-05
STRIKING IT RICH;
Or, From Kitchen to ParlOr and
Back Again.
tBy Ethel AHen.l
CHAPTER II.


does the sweepin' and dustin, and so ON come
hurryin' up stairs, and rushin' in, all excited
she says: There's two ladies, ma'am, down in
the parlOr and they're dressed up to kill"
"What do they look like? | asks her, very
much surprised; for / couldn't think who they
could be, secin' didn't know no fine ladies'"
"Idon't know, aam, she says; I" Mr.. Miller
opened the door, and he told me to call you"
So | started down stair and | could hear
Jim laughin' and laughim, rs if it was some
one he knew mighty well When l got to the
parlor, who should l see but a great big woman,
all dressed in velvet and silk, and a young lady
that looked almost exactly like her. and neither
of 'em had l ever set eyes on before.
Sallie, this 'ere's Mrs. McCaticry and Miss
McCaflery," says Jim, as polite rs you please.
So L walked up and shook hands with EN-
both, wondering all the while who they could
be, when pretty soon Jim says again: Mrs.
McCaffery lives in that stone house. right
across from us, Sallie; so she thought she'd
! come over and see us, sccin' we was neighbors,
! yOu know"
"It's very kind in you, ma'am," l answers,
and then | didn't know what to say next, see
! in I'd never met her before. Bat laws. she
! didn't wait for me to begin, but went on a-taIk-
! in, as though she had known me forever.
"We'ro having beautiful weather, are we
not, Mrs Miller? / was telling my husband
this morning that it was too lonely to stay in
| the house, so I went ont to market myself in
stead Of sending one of the servants, as usual.
only wish could do the marketing always,
| 1t doesn't 90 to trust too much to servants. l
keep changing help all the time. have had
three cooks the last month. Don't you find it
rather hard to get good cooks, Mrs. Milier?"
Not very" says jim, ansWcrin' for me.
"Were got what | call right good one. Had
her nigh three weeks now and l reckon she'll
stay while longer"
"Wcll, you're very fortunate, I am sure.
But look out that she doesn't go eff and leave
you some day without warning. Ny cook and
the chambermaid and the nurse girl went off
once all together, and | was almost distracted.
told Mr.. McCafery that | guessed he would
have to 90 to the hotel for his meals, for it was
so many years since | had done any cooking
that ] had actually forgotten how to get up q
dinner and Mr.. McCatfery always likes three
or four courses. Just wait til your servants
leave you with everything on your hands, Mrs.
Miller, and then you'll be glad enough to send
your husband off to a restaurant-see if you
won't
"Well, 1 reckon we'd manage some way"
says jim, but I'd feel mighty bad to see my
wife down in the kitchen soilin' her hands with
the pots and the kettles. Ladies should always
stay up in their parlors, to my thinlin'."
looked at him, sort of surprised to hear him
talk so, but he sat there as grave as judge.
"Well, Mr.. Miller, I'm trying to bring
my daughter up differently from the way
was brought up" says Mrs. McCafery. 81 in
tend she shall know something of housekeep-
ing before she is married. She seems to have
quite a taste for cooking already"
"Can you fry sassage and mush and make
bread and doughnuts?" puts in Jim, turnin' to
the young lady and smilin' so sweet
But she give him look as if she thought he
wasn't quite right in his head aud her mother
says, very quick: 90, she only knows how to
make cake and floating island and such deli
cate dishes! She goes into society SO much
that she doesn't have leisure to learn housekeep-
ing very fast. Besides, tell her she must
sleep some time and her cveningpare occupied
entertaining company when she is at home. |
tell Mr. McCaffery that we would be dreadfully
lonely without her if we didn't have the the
atre to go to. Are you fond of the theatre,
Mrs. Miller?"
"Very fond of it, ma'am!" I says, feeln'
pleased that for once l could do my own an
swern'. "What was the name of that piece
we saw last winter, Jim? The BIack-Back
something, / think it was called
Ill T - :,
rather cool like. Are you fond of the opera,
Mrs. Miller?"
l sort of hcsitated, not being quite sure what
she meant but Jim was on hand, as usual.
"Vory fond of it. ma am; my wife and like
it bcttern most anything else. Wouldn't mind
having it three times day."
"Indced." she says, lookin' quite pleased; !;
81 am extremely fond of the opera myself,
but Mr.. McCahery does not care very much
for it, although he's very kind about taking
me, all the same. l tell Mr.. Raymond, when
ever he calls that l am so glad to see him, so
that we can talk over the opera together Mr.
Raymond, must sell you, is an intimate friend
Of ours, and being BostOnian, of course his
taste in music is faultess. l rely so much on
his opinion; in fact, | never dare to say like
a singer until he has approved of her. Did you
hear Gerster when she was here Mr. Miller?"
"Wcll-no-I don't think we did. No, I'm
sure we didn't come to think on it. Pears to
me Sallie was sick that night, so we couldn't
GO"
" How unfortunate You have my sympa-
thy, Mr.. Miller. Then you didn't attend the
Royal Opera at alp"
"ko na'am NOT once
"What disappointment it must have been
to you, considering how fond you are of the
opera"
"Well it was a pretty hard blow for me,
ma am but l never go nowhere unless Sallie
can 90 long"
"How consderate you are But, Mrs Mil
Ter, you should have insisted upon his going to
hear Madam Gerster."
"O it wasn't her fault" says Jim, very
quick. sShc was willin' To trust me without
her, but was sure | wouldn't enjoy it if she
wasn't with me-"
"Then you either both go to the opera or
both stay at homo?"
"Yes, ma'am, that's about it. You see 1
promised the day we was married that | would
never go to the opera unless Sallie could 90
too"
"Well, I'm sure, Mr.. Miller, that you must
enjoy it all the more when you do attend, for
your kind self-denial at other times. | suppose
Won have heard that KellOpp is cominu hazel,