The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-08-21
ond Talleyrandr'

with chuckle, not at all knowing who
Talleyrand was, but quite sensible that
a compliment of some kind was in
tended by the comparison.
Mr.. Meredith was standing on the
doorstep all greasy smiles, when Het-
ty came to the door, with her brown
frizzes tied up in pocket-handkerchie
and a hugo biD-apron ecllpslng her
pretty figure.
s.My dear Miss Hetty. how are ysu?''
said Mr.. Meredith. ''Your father was
so good as to invite ME to come here
whenever it was convenient; so. as my
hoGseAeeper is gone for week. | have
concleded-"
''Oh, yes, very glad to see you, I'm
sure!n said Hetty, hurriedly. "Walk
in. Father. and mother, and Lavinia
have gone to Hereford to the opening
of the lew chapel that has been built
there for Uncle Jared by his congrega-
tion, and they won't be back until the
day after Tomorrow. But Nancy is
here. Nancy and are cleaning house"
Mr.. Neredith's s face elongated itself.
Cleaning housen' he repeated, dol
orously. But that's all nonsense. Nc
properly kept house ever needs clean
ing"
He came on slowly. A step-ladder
stirred-up pals of whitewash foamed
on either side, while Nancy, in faded
calico dress, advanced.
"Walk in, Mr.. Meredith" said She
"walk right in. Wen try and make
you as comfortable rs we can. i told
Miss Hetty, says l, just as certain as
you pull up the things and 60 to house
cleaning, company'll come. They al
ways do says l. But Miss Hetty, she
does set so much store by house-clean-
ing. She says she's going to clean
house once o month when she has a
house of her own"
Mr. Meredith simply gasped. and
said nothing.
''Oh, yes" said Hetty, artlessly,
clasping her hands. Cleanliness is
next to godlfness, you know. And l
do so delight in soapsuds and white
washing, and tioor-scrubbing, and all
that sort of thing. That's right, MIR.
Meredith, sit yourself down. We shan't
tear this room to pieces until after
dinner"
'I'm very glad of that" dejectedly
uttered the middle-ased swain. II
think myself that house-cleaning-''
And I'll get the dinner at once"
interrupted Nancy. "Hetty is queer
girl. She don't like to cook; she says
when she's married she's going to roast
or boil once week, and live off cold
victuals the rest of the time"
''But it seems to me that is a mis-
taken idea," argued Mr. Meredith.
''My mother was a famous cook. She
always baked pies fresh every day, and
made hot rolls for breakfast; and I've
a recipe of hers for chicken and ham
pie that 1 wouldn't exchange for its
weight in gold"
II despise cooking" said Hetty,, in
differently. "And 1 don't mean to slave
over the kitcken-grate, to suit the pre-
1udhiffe hf Of otsfRedia saReSd ifn sEsaKiiggaa sEsaKiiggaaa u. v. v.v
more, and in default of any plying re-
ply, opened and closed his fat mouth
in fishy way; even Hetty's eighteen
year old beauty could hardly reconcile
him to such ,heretioal opinions as these.
Dinner was served.
Boiled eggs, cold bacon cut in thin,
pink shavings, bread and 0utter, and
tea, weak almost to inanation, formed
the bill of fare.
Mr.. Meredith ate with knife of one
pattern and a fork of another, and
sweetened his tea with brown sugar, on
account OF the white variety having
been mislaid.
Nothing matters much when you
are cleaning house." said Hetty, rad
iantly.
But MIR. Meredith, who fully appre-
ciated all the creature comforts of this
world, entertained q very different
opinion. After this rather unsatisfac-
tory meal, Hetty set her elderly lover
TO beating a hearth-rug which was
stretched over a clothes-line.
Pm sure you'd rather be doing
something than sitting still" said Het-
ty, as she put long hazel sapling into
the hands of Mr.. Meredith, and adjured
him .'to beat the thin places carefully.
And after you've finished this" she
added, withA gracious smile, "you
shall get upon the ladder and help
Nancy with the ceiling"
Mr.. Meredith worked like day lab
orer until the friendly darkness came
to his aid. Even then he was set to
getting nails out of a carpet with a
screwdriver, ON his knees, by the light
of spluttering oil-lamp.
''We are getting along SO splendidly
with the house-cleaningn' chirped Het-
ty. with an exultant laugh.
Of Il
cheese and beer, and slept on a bed
stead which occupied desolate waste
of newly-scrubbed floor.
He woke up, the next morning, with
darting rheumatic pains in all his
bones, and came down stairs with a
lowering brow.
Hetty was there, in the highest spir-
its, with her head already tied up in an
apron.
"You are just the person we want,
Mr.. Meredith" said she. ''Nancy
wants all the bureaus and heavy furni-
ture moved outside, so than we can be-
gin to clean the parlor at once"
Then" said Mr.. Meredith, irately,
''she will have to get someone else to
do it for her. | hate house-cleaning--
and Eli have nothing more to do with
it"'
a won't marry any man who won't
allow me to clean house as often as
want" said HettS, with spirit.
Il shall not ask you to make the sac
rifice for me, Miss Hetty," said Mr..
Meredith. Il see too plainly chat our
tastes are not congenial. And having
both our interests at heart, / must beg
to be released from the engagement l
was foolish enough to contract"
with all my heart" assented Het-
ty, and making low courtesy. she
drew the engagement ring off her fin
ger and handed it to him.
There was an end, matrimonially
speaking, of Mr.. Meredith. He went
away thanking his stars for the escape
he had had.
'.She would have scrubbed and
cleaned the whole establishment into
the workhouse in a year," said he.
'1'm well out of the business. One can
discharge housekeeper if she don't
suit, but not q wife"
So Mr. Marad;th adbarnd tn the stand l.