The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-04-17
"Dear me, Mrs Dove, what is the mat

uauu-ua0, SossamcE HdseI plOOi Cioon
and silk umbrella
"Why, Flora" she cried, chow came
you here2"- !. >
by the train, Of course" said Miss
Lee, land / walked from the station"
81 wrote you not to come" said Mrs
Dove in CONSERVATION.
"But I never received any such letter.
Shall | 60 again ?"
"No, you darling, yoH shall do uoth-
ing of the Sort" said Mrs. Dove enthu-
siastically. "lt was only because We
were house-cleaning aess-es'-
"Im not afraid Of house-cleaning,"
said Flora. 81 see how it isl with a
comprehensive glance around The scene
Of confusion, land I'm going to help
/ you through with it,"
your said Mrs. Dove.
"Yes, l." SAID Flora "Whv not
Just lend me one of Betsy's old dresses
Where is Betsey, by the way y"
Her father has just carried her home
in the wagon. She broke her leg"
Sand your cbarwoman ?" eg.ee- 3,
"Oh. dearl Oh. dear !" said Mrs. Dove
"She has visitation CT the measles, or
smallpox, or some other horrid disease
in her family. And my nephew, Eric, Is
TO be gone three days. and | made sure
could fElsh the house cleaning while
he was absent"
"And we WILL" said Flora cheerily.
CHOW can we2"
"Oh, you will see," nodded Miss Lee
And, depressed though she was, Mrs
Dove began to feel the mercury rise in
her mental thermometer at once.
And Flora Lee arrayed herself in one
of Betsey's cast-off calicos, tied her rip
pling brown tresses up in a cambria
sweeping cap and went vigorously to
work with scrubbing-brush, while Mrs.
Dove lent her attention to the window
glass, and Adonijah, with more zeal than
discretion, splashed whitewash over him.
self and the floor with laudable impair
tialitv
"Wall," said Adonijah afterward, II
never did see no cricket work spryer
than that city young lady, By gracious,
she beats Betsey all holler at it! And
she's got such an up.an' down pretty
way of doing it, too / declare | couldn't
hardly take nv eyes off her all the time
| was in whitewashln'."
Mrs Dove, however, was unused to
he severe exertions incident upon
house cleaning time and went to bed with
the sick headache in the middle of the
afternoon.
"Never mind, Mrs. Dove" said Flora,
"Pll get tea, and I'll make some of those
cream waffles and a shorteake for Mr.
Dove, and you shall see how nicely can
fry oysters"
"Indeed, indeed, don't know what I
should do without you, Flora, said Mrs.
Dove tervently.
But, as it happened, Mr. Daniel Dove
was unexpectedly detained on business
at Whiskhill. neighhoring town, and,
instead of bim, who should walk debo
nairly into the little sitting-room, ,finging
down bis csrpet-bag, but Eric Hale him
self, just as the rainy dusk closed iu and
The delicious oysters and Mocha coffee
filed the house.
'Hello!" said Eric; "so you're Glenn
ing house-eh. Betsey p
Yes, sir" demure voice responded
from the kitchen.
''And where's my aunt2"
"She has retired with sick head
ache
"The natural consequence of cleaning
.house, Isuppose," said Eric Hale with a
shrug of the shoulders. "Dear old Aunt
Della! Why shouldn't she be contented
to leave things as they were2 Tell her,
Betsey, that Mr.. Washburne has conclu-
ded not to exchange until next week.and
that, now I'm in the midst of the melee,
I'll lend hand with the business to-
morrow"
Yes, sir"
sand Betsey-"
sSir2"
"Where did you learn to make such
delicious. coffee7 Bring me a cup at
once; I'm ready to drop with WEAKNESS.
and it is like dream of Arabia
And Flora Lee, with the tapping edge
Of her sunbonnet concealing the amused
dimples around her mouth. brought in
the oysters and coffee flanked by pile
of feather-light waf1les.
F II declare, Betsey," cried the Rev.
Eric, facetiously, "if you we're tride
younger and prettier I'd marry you my.
self to make sure of coffee and waffies
like this every night"
"Would you, sir! said the soidistanl
Betsey.
Sand we'll make compact, Betsey,"
merrily went on the young clergyman IS
be helped himself 10 butter, "to finish
the house cleaning ourselves tomorrow,
and save Aunt Della the worry and work
OF IT,"
"Yes, sir" said Betspy ;"but please,
sir, it's all done except the tacking down
of the carpets !"
"Who did it p
81, sir, please, and Mrs. Dove and
Adonijah; and please, sir, I'm going to
finish it myself tomorrow; and please,
sir" hinging back her sunbonnet and
disclosing coronal of HOMEGROWN
hraids, a pair of very rosy cheeks and
eyes full OF sparkling, hazel mischief
Pm not Betsey at all, but Flora Lee,
entirely at your service"
The Rev. Eric Hale stared with round
eyed surprise not unmixed with dismay.
"Miss Leer he repeated.
Exactly" nodded the young lady.
"Did you make the coffee 2"
IL did,"
Sand fry these brown jacket oysters
ard stir up these waffles ?"
"No one else, Mr. Hale"
Sand scrub these rooms ?" glanciug
around.
"Yes. sir; and busted the 'cnrnices, ,and
washed the window glass, and took dowr
all the picture frames, and put the lace
curtains to soak, beside other items toe
numerous to MENTION" mischievously
added Flora, rather enjoying the dlscom
6ture OF. the young clergyman.
"Miss Lee" said Eric, II beg your
pardon"
What for, Mr.. Hsle?'
"For always having regarded you a.
the most useless OF creatures. ! recant
own that you are equal to any emer
gency"