, 1882-06-16
TFtisreG(&t&tt)%
Recompense.

tbe post office, and holding up for
onr inspection a large yellow envel-
one. And addressed to mother
isn't it funny 2"
"To me :" in turn exclaimed
mother, laying down the blue sock
she was darning, and smoothing her
apron as though she We're going to
take the baby. Dear me "
why, how queer, said Hattie,
dropping her book, and looking at
Kate wonderingly. George hasn't
written to any of us in an age. and
never to ma. What secrets brewing
now, | wonder 2"
MAYBE he and Milly are coming
home on a visit, " said |.
Not so early in the spring as
this, answered Hattie, sagely " Mil
ly and house-cleaning can't be sep
arated.'
At this point mother, who had sue
ceeded in tearing off the envelope
with eager, trembling fingers, and
had commenced reading the letter,
suddenly twisted her chair around so
as to be face from us, cleared her
throat. and wiped her eyes with a
corner of her gingham apron.
"Anything the matter mother q
interrogated Kate, anxiously, while
Hattie and sat wondering in silence
There was no answer for moment,
then, turning slowly toward us, she
held out the letter, saying: Read it
aloud, Kate. Milly is taken very i'll
with typhoid fever, and George has
written for me to come to them
Dear child {! | wish it was so | could
60"
$50 !" echoed Kate, decisively,
"of course you'll go, and take one Of
us girls to help nurse, too, "
"But the work, my dear How
will you manage 2"
"Someway," said Kate :" let's see,
the express goes out at 6:3O +; and it's
now half past five. Just one hour
Go and get dressed, mother, and Cad
and I'll pack your clothes. "
"But your father"
"Well take care of him, never
mind and he'll be home before you
go. Hat, you're not fit for much at
home except torun errands and keep a
wake nights, and you can do that there.
Hurry on your duds and help moth
er she's so excited she'll be sure to
get her dress on hind side before,
and forget to lace up her shoes. "
M n,,n.frnf,n c,cfn,- hnI Ivy fhtc
time, gathered together their clothes,
and bringing the valise from the
wardrobe, was packing them into it at
the risk of their coming out one mass
of wrinkles; /, meantime, looking
helplessly on. BY dint of her earn
est efforts everything was ready, and
when father came home from his
work, he found US hailing street
car to take them to the depot.
"Now, what's to be done first ?"
asked Kate, after we had seen them
off, and had come into the house
with something of realizing sense
Of the responsibility we had under
taken weighing upon our minds.
"There's supper to get, of course,
and-Nellie can wash the dishes.
That's all, isn't it ?"
"Mother said something about
baking tomorrow, l suggested, with
vague idea that certain prepa-
ration was generally made concern
ing the bread the evening before its
manufacture.
Tomorrow Well, let tomorrow
take care of itself" said Kate so
promptly that / was at once silenced.
Lets see what's for supper light
bread, cookies, float, and cold beef.
Very good The clouds disperse, and
the sky is most serene and fair. Set
the table, Cad, while make the tea. "
And now, while I'm doing that, if
the reader will take little retrospect
I've glance over our lives up to this
point she will no doubt the better un-
derstand why we were all very igno-
rant OF household affairs. There was
a large family of us-ten children in
all. John, master workman in one of
the machine shops in the hourishing
manufacturing town of which we were
residents Milly, the married sister,
and a general favorite Kate and my
self, twins, and totally unlike, both in
looks and disposition Hattie, a studi-
GUS girl OF sixteen Ross, boisterous
schoolboy of fourteen Nellie, a deli
cate, petted child of eleven, and three
little boys in row, aged respectively
nine, seven and four, whom we called
Tip, and Earle, and Benny. And
mother did the work for us all. l
don't know how she managed it, but
she did. Milly was the only one
among us who had taken to house
work, and mother was one of those
domestic burden bearers, who never
think their load SO heavy but they can
add another trihe. Father had never
been fortunate, pecuniarily, and desir-
Gus OF educating all their children
equally, the labor of saving for this
end, was added to their other toll
And then, like very many other good
and unselfsh, but unwise mothers, she
allowed us our own way, and spoiled