The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-03-22

urged me. l told her l would not re-
the fun of running TorricelIi a
couple of months for ANYTHING, and that
l would wager her ladyship's idle serv-
ants would not have quite so much
leisure when once 1 was in charge.
The family left at noon. The next
morning I sent for Hobson, the butler.
l told him that during my management
=! would have all tradesmen's bills sent
directly to me when goods were de-
livered. There would be no dinners
Hudson looked aghast-no dinners, ]
repeated. only a little lunch at one
o'clock for me and any friend who might
call. Then 1 went over the larder with
him, and took note of what supplies
there were, locked the w~ine-cellar. and
kept the key. By that time 1 no doubt
had the reputation, from butler to soul
lion, of being an lawful screw" It
always seemed as if neither Jack nor
Helen cared how much was ordered, nor
how enormous the bills were. 1 could
not endure such lack of system, and
told Helen so. 30, well,' she re-
piled, '.you don't suppose I could
hint to that butler, for example,
that he is not going all rightp know
we pay for wine enough for a large
family. We use very little at our din
ners, you know. But what can be done?
agement. and as for me I'm quite afraid
of the creature. You can overhaul his
worksif you dare. Better let him alone,
though. Take everything easy, and en-
Joy this Eden, as you call it, as best you
may" And her she told me to use
her room and her writing-desk, and if
the house should get on fire, to save a
big ledger in the u~nder-closet of it. at
is an old journal, cousin. You might
like to look at it, but it would probably
bore you. Perhaps it wouldn't, though.
You are a little sentimental" l thought
the speech rather strange, and often
thought of it afterward.
Days passed before I had leisure to
rummage in the closet of Helen's beau
tiful ormolu desk. Her journal was
written in a cumbrous old ledger cover
ing several years of Helen's early life,
but not one word after her installation
as mistress of Torricelli. For three days
l spent every spare moment upon that
journal. / think nothing ever so aston
ished me. 1t was a revelation.
EXTRACTS RON HELEN's JOURNAL.
"PHILADELPHIA, March :, 1se.-Jack has
decided that We are to leave the city. How, or
exactly when. we don't know. We have such
a hard struggle to live. We never know from
month to month what III income is going to
be from Jacks writings. 1 live ndaily appre-
hension of the time when we shall have to use
the little sum SO carefully boarded for BRIDES
education. Birdie is having great trouble
with her teethiug, and Jack looks at times
almost haggard. We must get put of these
little stufy rooms before another heated term.
o, for the sight of Gods green earth, and for
Yes. we must go, dear, but it is a leap in the
dark ] don't feel so. believe in the coun-
try. God seems nearer there. 1 lived in the
how to take care OF chickens, make butter and
cultivate flowers. He smiles incredulously
when 1 tell him this, and signing, kisses me and
Birdie. /, too, have had misgivings, but not
now, for the doctor hints that Birdie is in dan.
ger, and Jack, he says. needs a change. When
l think of my treasures in danger 1 feel as If /
had the strength of an army.
"PLAINvILLE, New Jersey, March TO-
Birdie seemed worse, and Jack made me bring
her down here to stay with the Hodges till he
pack PACK 5o up n our - din ss t,a Il go TOO pad that the
he won't forget to bring pussy. We are to stay
here while we look around for a cottage and
an acre of ground. The land here is too high
and l feel sure there is malaria, though the
residents of the place all deny it. l feel it in
the damp air, andsmell it in this nasty, stickey
clayey soil. Coming down to the ferry | bought
a bagful of seeds. o, how / long to begin
farming! I'm not a bit blue over the prospect,
though we must take BRIDES money to buy
our cottage and land. Jack is a little dubious
about this leap in the dark, though he won't
admit. 1 know, though, by the way he plays
his violin. l never limited this to him, and sc
his precious old friend is my secret ally.
JERSEY PINE BARRENS, April 5, lS6-.-Hept
we ar eactually settledin our new home almost
a month. Birdie has learned to walk and is
already much better. Jack and can not ex'
censure our folly in living So long cooped M
in the city. We are half a mile from a little
settlement that is sure to grow rapidly, as i
seven rooms, a chicken yard and house, and
big wood-shed over the back door. There IL
no well. though, and Jack has to bring all the
a lake almost a quarter of a mile away fol
that is only a little further than our nearest
neighbours, and Jack prefers to get 1t there
We must have a well by-and-by. We put al
place.. The poor man who built it could no
pay his mortgage, and was on the point of los
ing it for $500. AS it is, he got $500 to go Yves
where else, could sell for $1,000 easily. Their,
Is ever so much lane all around, with littlt
pines and oaks and the huckleberry bushes art
ripe!
There is a big garden spot cleared. TIL,
little trees come quite up to the end of GU
varanda on the north side. o, it is delightful tt
ShN hANSh
ing-birds in the woods. Jack can initiate then
on his violin. To-day 1 did all my washing ant
ironing. Jack helped me. Washing is no
hard and ironing is really artistic work.
april TO- Yesterday Jack got; our neigh
boris horse, and plowed for the first time. o
such crooked furrowsl 1 led the horse a
he might be free to express his feelings,
think. While l was there he said: 4 know the
science of blowing. l know what you do t.
make the pillow go right or left, deep or shall
low, but really, you don't pillow by science, blu
by instinct stopped the horse and looked
squarely at Jack and said: Jack, 1 know yor
can pillow. Why. any common man can learn tt
pillow. Just have patience Then he made
me come in, and l got him a nice dinner
When he came in at sunset he looked tri
umphant, and tired as he was, his face all be
grimed, be seized me and waltzed me arount
the little dining-room till he nearly upse
BRIDES cradle. He had got the 'knack,' b,
said. l never saw him lJok so handsome.
"April Ito day I made my first loaf o
real raised bread. 1t was another grand tri
umph. 1 set the sponge late last night witt
half a yeast cake. 1t was cold, and 1 did no
1 set my boiler upon the kitchen table, poiset
on four bottles, and with a tiny lamp under
meath. Then put on the cover of the boiler
and went to bed. 1 got up before Jack. NJ!
sponge was ready to run over. linked mi
bread, and set it in the boiler turned on it
side before the stove, the dough covered witt
baked and cold at dinner-time, when Jack hal
finished blowing and he1fOwing the ground
What a surprise it was! Tor Jack Is particu
larry fond of good bread. He asked where
got that splendid loaf, supposing some neigh
Dor had sent it to me. ] did not answer hin
directly, and Jack turned to Birdie, seated ii
her high chair, and gravely asked her wher,
that loaf came from. 'Mdmmd-tObe,' she re
piled, pounding her plate with her spoon.
thought Jack would not understand her wor'
for stove but he did, and expressed grea
pride in my skill. ldon't think he is as prou'
as I am of his learning to pillow, and told hin
so. Last night q big empty house in the wi
lage was burned own-s on fire accident
ally by tramps, it is said. We must be doubl
careful of fire-No f~ire-engines owned here.
April 16.-The Daily PrOteus sent Jacl
twenty dollars last week for two editorials
o how rich we feltl We Immediately bough
and set out Il lot of fruit trees and shrubs, ais
some evergreens and shade trees. l made JAG
hire a man a week to help him.. There is a
old neglected strawberry patch near the col
tage, and three rows of raspberry bushes.
have spenthours on my hands and knees pull
ing out grass roots and last years weeds fror
these poor strawberries. Then L sprinkle
ashes over them. and from the first 1 hav
poured all my dish-water and s%oap-suds o
them: / wonder if L shall have one strawberry
april III have such trouble to make m
pretty little white LeghOrn hens sit. They la
all the time, and every few days one of ther
will excite my hopes by pretending to SIT
/ give her a nest of eggs, and that seems t
Danish the last vestige of seriousness