Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-03-29
Enthusiastically. cit was only because
we were house-cleaning."

I'm not afraid OF houSe-cleanlng,
said Flora. al see how it is,' with a
comprehensive glance around the scene
of confusion, sand I'm going to help
you through with it."
"You?" said Mrs. Dove.
Eyes, l." said Flora. "Why not /?
Just lend me ons of Betsy's Old
dresses. Where is Betsy, by the way ?"
Her father has just carried her
home in the wagon" said Mrs. Dove.
She broke her leg"
"And your charwoman?
"Oh, dear Oh, dear p said Mrs.
Dove. "She has visitation of the
measles, or smallpox. or some other
horrid disease in her family. And my
nephew, Eric, is to be gone for three
days; and 1 made sure 1 could finish
the house-cleaning while he was alb
sent"
"And we will.' said Flora, cheerily.
"How can we?"
"Oh, you shall 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 Betsy's cast-off calicos, tied
her rippled brown tresses up in cam
brio sweeping-cap, and went vigorous
ly 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 himself and the floor,
with laudable impartiality.
WAL" said Adonijah, afterward,
" 1 never did see no cricket work
spryer than that city young lady. By
gracious. she beats Betsy all holler at
it And she's got such an up-an'
down pretty way of doings. too, l
declare L couldn't hardly take my eyes
off her all the time l was in white
washin'."
Mrs. Dove, however, was unused to
the 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; "Tll get tea, and I'll make
some of those cream waffles, aad a
short cake fer Mr.. Dove, and you shall
see how nicely l can fry oysters"
Indeed, indeed, l don't know what
l should do without you, Flora I" said
Mrs. Dove, fervently.
But, as it happened. Mr.. Daniel
Dove was Unexpectedly detained on
business at Whiskill, a neighboring
town, and, instead of him, who should
walk debonairily in to the little sitting
room, fiinging down his carpet-l ag, but
Eric Hall himself, just as the rainy
dusk closed in, and the delicious oys-
ters and Mocha coffee filled the house
"Hellop' said Eric. $50 you're
cleaning house-eh, Betsy?r
"Yes, sir" a demure voice responded
from the kitchen.
"And where's my aunt ?"
"She has retired with sick head
ache"
1.-The natural consequence of clean
ing house, | suppose . said Eric Hale,
with shrug Of the shoulders. "Dear
old Aunt Della Why shouldn't she
be contented to leave things as they
were? Tell her, Betsey, that Mr.. Wash
burne has concluded not to exchange
until next week, and that, now I'm in
the midst of the melee, I'll lend a hand
with the business tomorrow"
"Yes, SIR
"And Betsy"
"Sir?"
"Where did you learn to make such
delicious coffee? Bring me cup at
once Bring me cup at once; I'm
ready to drop with WEAKNESS and it
is like dream Of Arabia"
And Flora Fee, with the tapping
edge of her sunbonnet concealing tn
amused dimp,e5 around her mouth
brought in the oyst rs and coffee,
Hanked by a pile of featherlight waffies.
II declare, Betsy" cried the Rev.
Eric, faceiously, "if you were trife
younger and prettier, I'd marry you
myself, to make sure of coffee and
wers. IS like this every night"
Would you, sir p said the soidisant
Betsy.
"And we'll make compact, Bet
sy," merrily went on the young cler-
gyman, as he helped himself to but
ter, to finish the house-cleaning our
selves tomorrow and save Aunt Della
the work and worry of it,
"Yes, sir" said Betsy. "But
please, sir, it's all done except the tack
ing down of the carpets"
"Who did it?"
a, sir, please, and Mrs. Dove, and
Adonijah. And, please sir, I'm going
to finish it myself tomorrow, and,
please, sir" finging back her sunbon-
net and disclosing coronal Of bronze
brown braids, pair Of very rosy