The Penn's Grove record., 1883-12-08
MAID o ALL WORK.

mhlDOF ALL WINE
Rachel Ramsay looked very pretty
indeed, as she came down the narrow
woodsn staircase in the brown little
farm house that afternoon, dressed In a
white muslin dress strewn all over with
tiny rosebuds and a fresh lace frill
around her neck, tied with a pink NIB
bon, while her pretty feet were but
toned into a new pair of boots, with
high French heels. and her hair was
curled IN loose, glossy coils of shining
bronze,
''Enl" said Granny Ramsay, looking
up from her everlasting knitting-work,
over which she was half asleep, ''going
to church, hey ?"
at isn't Sunday. grandma, explained
the girl. laughing and eoloring, 'I'm
going to the Tower to see Miss CAL
noun. She has often invited me there
she and Miss Bell"
'-Pshawl' said Granny Ramsay, who
was one of those venerable people
privileged to speak their minds on all
occasions, what do the fine city ladies
at the Tower want of a farmers daught-
er like your"
'But, grandma. they invited mel'
at reminds me-" said grandms,
shrewdIy, 'of the story of the iron pot
and the china pot swimming down the
river together, and they didn't nowise
suit"
Rachel said no more, but escaped
into the shady lane, where the naples
xuara hnn1nnInn m ff1r,t unllnm IN tho
first September frosts.
Grandma is always criticizing every
body" she thought. 81 know the ladies
at the Tower will be glad to see me.
Miss Alice wants to sketch my head for
'Elalne,' and Miss Bell asked me to
sing duets with her. She said l had a
voice like a lark. And perhaps Harold
Haroldson will be therel For | know
he often visits the house"
And Rachel smiled to herself as she
crossed the rustic bridge and went
through the wood to the Tower, a fan
tastic wooden cottage, with q semi
circular front. whish wa let for the
summer, the owner preferrlns to live in
a square brick structure in the village.
The. little side door wa open and
Rachel went in. From the lett of the
passage-way there was q door which
opened into the kitchen, and there. to
her infinite amazement, she saw Miss
Alice Calhoun herself, in al esthet1c
dress OF pale sage green and roses in
her lair, contemplating a pair of de-
capiUared fowls which lay on the table.
miss A'ice!' sne exclaimed.
ais that you, Rachel?" cried the city
young lady, pouncing On her, as a
drowning man pounces on the nearest
floating straw. ''Oh, / never was so
glad to see anybody in all my lifel
Those horrid hensl Bridget has gone
away III a rage because l presumed to
find fault with the coffee this morning,
and VT have got company to dinner,
and L haven't an idea how to get the
feathers off these creatures. But now
that you are here, everything will be
all right" ms
And she shook off the big bib apron
and stepped back with a Sigh Of relief.
Rachel looked perplexed, She had
had come there, not to enact the role of
the Kitchen maid, but to visit Miss Cal
houn, to sit in her drawlng-room and
enjoy the conversation of her guests,
and she did not exactly relish this sum
mary dismissal to the kitchen
There is soup stock. ".went on Miss
Alice, land a salad, and a delicate piece
of hailbut, and with the fowls roasted,
and a pie or q pudding, or something
which L dare say you can make, we
shall do very nicely. I'm particularly
anxious about the dinner, because we
are to have company. You'll excuse me
now, because / have to dress.'
And away tripped Miss Alice, selfish
and smiling rs ever was Queen Cleo
patra's self.
Poor RACHEL she stood a minute in
the hot kitchen, the tears sprang to her
eyes, q pang of disappointment at her
heart. She krew all about it. Harold
Haroldson and Mr.. Dallas were to dine
there that day, and she-she was to be
cook, waitress, maid of all work-what
signltied it what she called herself. She
remembered what grandma had said,
and for once in her life give that venera-
BILE old lady credit for discrimination.
There was no help for II. however.
She tried on the bib apron, tucked the
curls back OF her ears, and went TO
work to prepare the chickens for the
roasting pan, now and then pausing to
brush away the round, bright tears
which rolled down her cheeks.
The young ladies evidently intended
to make her useful. Sine might have
known that they did beforehand. She
,,nr1l haar tho coff sorpl nf paI MI
houn's guitar; the sweet subdued tinkle
OF Ahce's laughter, the deep monoton-
GUS undercurrent OF gentlemen's voices;
and then she glanced down at her pret-
ty muslin dress and bows OF. PINK RIB
bon, and began to think that Miss Cal
houn had taken en- unfair advantage of
her.
If sha could only have heard the rapid
and energetic coIloquey which trans
pred between the two sisters in their
dressing room, when first Alice cameup
stairs, she would perhaps have compie-
hended the drift Of things"
GOOD newsl" Miss Calhoun had
cried, waving her secuted locker hand
kerchiet in the air. "I'ye got a girl in
the kltchen!" GA& 1Af n
No" said Miss Bell, a fair-haired
cresm-complected damsel, with pale
blue eyes, aud a perpetual SMILE.
Rachel Ramsay" nodded Alice,
Game up here in her best bib and
tucker to spend the day. OF course 1
confi>cated her at once.'
The bold, pushing thlngl" said Bell,
with a disdalnful gesture.
She's a deal too pretty to bring INTO
the drawing-room for Haroldson and
Armine Dallas to dirt with,'' added
Miss Alice knowingly. And don't see
any way that l could have avoided it, ii
it had not been for those lucky chickens
and Budgets fortunate at Of temper.
And 1 know that little Rachel is q first
class cook, for I have been there to
tea.
So the young ladies' of the Tower
we're enjoying the least of reason aud
the dow Of soul in their cool drawing
room, with books, new gathered roses
and blue ribboAed guitars, while poor
Ramsay was broiling in the
ksk.lx.n ovar ..aoob farfa and Aaox.alisan