Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-12-03
A Lesson i'm obedience.
She was all alone /!

AdHuJ hOuoOhCPOio' OOiAPiC-
hensive Cook-Books' and ssHome
Guides," but she had never had any
practical experience before. And
now, up in these wild woods, the
helm of domestic affairs was unex-
pectedly placed in her hands and
hers alone.
She liked the woods and the river;
the meadows all starred with daises;
and the log, low farmhouse, with it's
red brick chimney-stacks; its trel-
Uses all bending with the weight of
vines the old stone-walled garden,
where ripening eurrants hung like
ruby fingers, and the green gooseber-
ries seemed to absorb the very sweet
ness of the sunshine into their trans
lucent hearts.
To her mind it was a deal nicer
than the city-fat, with the milkman
yelling, the hand-organ droning, the
everlasting clouds of dust. And to-
day, when Aunt Themis wanted to
90 to hear her favorite elder hold
forth at camp-meeting, Dotty volun-
teered to stay and get the dinner for
Reuben and Rankin, her two tall
cousins.
s'La, child !" said Aunt Themis,
"you don't know nothin' about cook
M
''But indeed | do" asseverated
Dotty. II can make chicken-fri-
casse as well as you, Aunt Themy.
[ watched the way you did it last
Saturday; and 1 knooc L can turn out
a first-class cherry tart.
"Well,' said Aunt Themis, a little
doubtfully, "anyhow, there's plenty
of good rye-bread and new milk, and
nobody need starve on that. AnC
be sure, Dotty, you keep tht
doors bolted, and don't let tramps
in, and don't forget. that brood Of
young turkeys in the barn chamber
and blow the dinner horn at twelve
precisely; and don't on no account
leave the milk-room door open, fol
that new cat is the theiyingest Greet
er you ever did see."
"Oh, I'll take care" said Dotty
with the reckless audacity of ignor
ance. Everything shall be quite
quite right! You'll see, Aunt The
mis-"
And after the old lady had depart
ed, with many misgivings, Dotty
drew long breath of rapture, ant
executed and impromptu dance il
the middle of the kitchen floor.
"Only think' she said, address
ing the cat in the corner-"the whole
house all to myself Won't 1 get +;
superb dinner for Reuben and Ran
kin? I'll make neeringue tart, anC
ich cream, and vanilla puffs, anC
chocolate cake, and I'll try my hant
at mock-turtle soup, and cream can
dy, and black coffee! And how ]
will surprise them And as for bolt
ing the doors, how utterly ridiculous
it would be to shut out the beautiful
sunshine, and the butterflies, and til,
t sweet scented air This house al
ways smells like blue mould whel
Aunt Themis is here; and of cours
nobody could get in while I an
here -
So Dotty skinned the pans fo
cream to make the ice cream, ant
stirred up the vanilla puffs, and graf
ed chocolate for the cake, and pu
the two fat, little white chickens int,
l the pot for the fricasse; and then
feeling herself every inch a house
keeper, she frisked away up stairs t.
make the beds.
But there was no question of beds
when once she was up stairs, wher
huge old chest of some dark-stain
ed wood stood open, near the land
+ ing.
Y 'sThe old oak chest" cried Dotty
: who was full of romance as white
clover blossom is of sweetness. "An
: to think that Aunt Themis never lie
: me look into it before -
= There was nothing very particular
after all, in it. Only stuffy-smellin
: blankets, a moth. eaten gown OF two
e the brass buttoned military coat i
g which Uncle Amasiah-dead thes
0 ten years-had been wont to "rally'
on training days.
= 'Pshaw!'' said Dotty. "Ther
= ought to have been a forgotten wi
T there, or skeleton, at the very least
It's humbug, that old chest
: just as this reflection passed throug
it her mind, a whining, nasal voic
S sounded at the bottom of the littl
i wooden stairway, which wound Il
like corkscrew from below.
), "Any old clothes to exchange fo
v beautiful china vases, lady? An
IS cold victuals for a poor man 2"
He was a stalwart, black-browe
o fellow, with villainous, slit-like eye!
,e and a tattered velveteen suit an
le Doty's heart stood still with terrt
i for second.
Oh, if she had only obeyed h'
Aunt Themis and locked up thos
: doors
= "Nor' she said, shortly. &c
;. away"
ID s.Don't be hard on poor fellow
miss - whined the man.