The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-03
WHO Is TO BLAME.
By HARRIET N. MORRIS.


yet amassed even a small fortune; and there
were already enough young mouths to
make the filing of them with bread and
butter q subject Of constant thought and
labor. It is no small affair to provide
family Of six with the necessaries Of life
the one item of tobacco for the father alone
amounts TO a considerable sum, not to men
ton minor matters.
As for Mr. Chandler, life had long sgo
resolved itself into one endless washing and
ironing and baking and cleaning day, with
making and mending and taking care OF
babies as a sort of knitting work." to all
up the odd minutes. There seemed no room
In the little house for another, no time to
attend to IFS wants, no means to supply its
wants, no means to supply its needs.
Nevertheless, welcome or unwelcome,
Out from the shore of the great Unknown,
Blind. and willing. and alone
Into the light of day."
cane the fraiI little body, burdened
with a. deathles shuman soul,
and. with the first, feeble w&il
of greeting for tho mysterious Life which
hsd been forced upon her. Jennie found her
way into the mothers heart to go no more
out forever. And, as the months went n,
fathers, brothers and sisters all united in
pronouncing her the sweetest baby in the
world
Her first tooth, her first step, her first
word, were household events, received with
due wonder and admiration. Then q little
brother took her place as pet and plaything
Of the household, and Jennie was merely
zone of the children"
She had pretty little rufssd dresses, and
xuhiko onronc and tupEad eEirts. Mra
Chandler always managed to keep her
children as stylishly dressed as any of their
playmstes.
Because Mr.. Chandler was q clerk on
fifty dollars month was no reason why the
family should not keep up appearances.
Mr.. Monroe, over the way, was well-to.
do merchant; Mr.. Smith, next door, owned
large amount of real estate
Mr.. Shipmsn, around the corner
was banker; their wives all kept cOmpe.
tent help in the household, besides employ.
ing sesnstresses at pleasure.
"But that makes no difference to re.
said Mrs. Chandler, with spirit, ''my chill
dren shall dress as well as their plsymates
as far as 1 am able to go. OF course we
can't buy as expensive material as some o.
our neighbors do, and that makes 1t all the
more necessary that l should take little
pains in making up"
OF course with 30 much work on hel
hands. Mrs. Chandler could not spare :imt
to spend in a lelsurely way with her chill
dren-time to read story books, and talk
walks, and play games, and listen to thei
70 ,lish plans.
Jennie used to come into the house some
times with an old birds nest; or bunch o
meadow flowers. picked with very shor
stems, and hIddled gether in q queer
childish way; or q lot of daDdelion curls.
"Whst are you bringing that stuff il
here fort" her mother would exclaim sharp
ly. when have just put the room IL
order, you are sure to come in with som'
tIumptry or other. Take it away, quick
You children worry the life out of me
Pretty looking house you'd make of t.
Then the child used to worry her mothe
with questions: "What do they maxi
equare boards out o. round trees forf
"Whst makes the bleed be so red when WI
cut us2" How does lhe water get up int,
the sky before it rsins7' IT her mother haC
stopped to answer any of these silly ques
tiOns, there is no telling how long Jenni
would have kept on; and there was cake t
be made for tea. and Alice's white dress 4
iron, and Neddie's pants to mend, and som
of the canned fruit was "hurtng," and tn
parlor lcurtsins needed wsshing-clearl,
there was enough to do without listening t
child's chatter.
%Do keep stilIr' she would say TO Jennie
Il can't work when you are talking TO me
/ wish you wouldn't bother so. Run avs,
and play" And Jennie obeyed. Kitti
Gray and Mamie Black were ever so muc
nicer TO talk TO than mamma was. And il
the course of few years Jennie was effect
oil orrro of 20 hal har xyitl
every little thing.
In school she proved an apt pupil, an
mastered her lessons with little ap
parent effort Mr.. and Ms. Cbsndle
glanced at her school reports wit
pride and satisfaction. Jennie was learnin
other things, too, of which no reports wer
given. She was taking Lessons OF life from
teachers whose only recommended on wa
their readiness TO impart such knowledge 3
they had gained; and while she was becom
ing well ysrssd in orthogrspby, and syntsz
and the products OF the isles of the sea, sh
was learning TO look at all the sweet an
holy mysteries of existence from the stand
point of the ignorant and vicious. She ca
changed love notes and tokens with enan
ored school boys, and carried next he
heart lock of brown hair or of black. O
her fancy swRyei for the time being. So
spent nights vi b bosom friends sworn (
eternal secrecy and fidelity. She was q vC
Eacious reader, and among all her readin
soothing suited her so well as where th
noble and priaoely Adolphus clssped th
fragile form Of his sdored G. gendolen TO hi
hears and rsined down burning kisses upo
her ruby lips and 8 sbsster brow.
Eennie WAS pretty girl, fsir-skinned sn
sender- WASTED, With lively ways and q CO
ousGsh manner OF speech which was quit
bewIching. re see her, at sixteen, "trip
ping along in her French-heeled boots, he
hair banged and irizzsd all over her whit
brow. and her dress q marvel of shirrinl
and kife-plsiting, aud piping, and looping
and drapiDg, Was q sight full eft prophetI
meaning for such rs have eyes to see. A
this age s1e had no lack of attentive adoreri
md from among these mad already mad
hn choice.
81 do wish you wouldn't always be gao
ding about" said her mother as she come
into the family room, lust as the lamps 81
lighted, equipped for departure. You Sc
com spend an evening st home. And rur
ming around with that Fred Adsmsl Trur
dle-bed trash. both of your
Erred is pIneteenp retorts Jennie, Gan
lots of girls are married before they are 9
old as / sm. Trundle-bed trash, indeed ]
buttoniDg her glove around her slends