The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-06-28

where I was? Ali after breakfast l
make the beds and sweep all the princi-
pal rooms, and get the children ready
for school. Then on Mondays l wash;
Tuesdays I iron; Wednesdays bake
and clean; Thursdays I do up fruit,
pickles and tomatoes; Fridays clean,
and Saturdays 1 bake again and get
ready for Sunday, for Will always in
vites friends to dine with him on Sum
days, and it is the busiest day in the
week. And besides this, I have all my
own clothes and the children's to mend
and make; Wills shirts to cut and
make; spring and fall cleaning to do;
rag carpet to sew and weave, and"
"Oh, stop, stopl" cried Clara, lifting
her hands as if in terror. 81 don't
wonder Alice"
"You don't wonder at what2' said
Mrs. William Fields, in some surprise.
"That Will's first wife died at twenty
six, and that you at thirty-six are follow
ing as rapidly in her footsteps as can
be-" cried Clara. eff you were made
or lion aud india IuDDer you CUuidI't
accomplish all this druggery without
being worn out. I'm going directly
home to abdicate my position as reign
ing sovereign"
And the spirited young wife, leaving
Mrs. Will Tapped in amazement, hurried
away.
John Fields was standing at the old
we'll in his working costume, drinking
from the bucket, as Clara tripped up
the path. He looked up with smile.
"Well, pet," said he, "where are you
going7"
"To pack my trunk" said Clara,
with mischief sparkling in her deep,
soft eye "I've been investigating mat
tiers and I don't like the situation" +"
"What situation?"
"That of maid of-all-work, laundress,
cook, housekeeper and lady, all rolled
into one, at the salary of my clothes
and food"
"But my DEAR" said John with puz-
zled face, "you are talking nonsense.
Nobody expects that of any woman"
"Don't they, thought" said Clara,
"There's where you are mistaking. 1t
is precisely what Wills present wife has
been doing for him all these years, what
his first wife wore herself out in doing,
and what you are preparing yourself to
demand of me. Aunt Keziah advised
me to take Wills wife as model.
But 1 shall do nothing of the sort. |
had deal rather go back to teaching"
81 never heard such talk in my life, !"
said Aunt Keziah, who from the kitchen
threshold had overheard Mrs. Fields
declaration of independence.
every likely" said Clara. "You
see I've no idea of committing suicide,
whatever Wills wife's opinion may be.
Oh, John, how blind, how short-sighted
you men are. Look atpoor, pale, worn
out Alice, type of every farmers wife
in the neighborhood. Look at her now,
and then try and remember her as she
was when first she came here. You may
call it good housekeeping. l call it
killing herself by inches.
"Well," owned John, ''she does
look feeble"
"And do you wonder at it, when you
see all that she accomplished" flashed
out Clara. "Why Blue beard himself
never killed off his wives more syste-
matically than a New England farmer
does. I'll tell you what John." she
added, "if yon will provide me all the
servants I need, and let me live in my
home as its ruling spirit, not as a
drudge, I'll remain here. Otherwise,
1 shall leave Hazlenut Farm to-day"
tEShe is not far wrong" said Aunt
Keziah, who had shrewd, rugged con-
scientiousness of her own under all hel
prejudices.
"She's right" said John Fields
"Stay with us, pet, and you shall see
that we know how to appreciate you as
you deserve"
So Mrs. John Fields stayed, the head
of an efficient establishment of stout
servant girls, who ohiciated as hands to
her own active brain, and no place in
the neighborhood fourished more than
Hazlenut Farm.
ssIts Observation-Disclosures ex'
travagance!" exclaimed Will Field
when he heard of his brothers new ad-
ministration of affairs.
"We'll see how the bills add up al
the end of the year," said John Fields,
quietly.
At the years end Will was unable to
| imagine how If was that his brother S
accounts had swelled to nearly third
more than his own.
"We have lived much more econom-
ically than you," said he. "We have
kept no lazy, wasteful, shirking help"
"Ah!" said Clara, "but you didn't
count the doctors bills while poor
Alice lay sick so long with rheumatic
fever, brought on by scrubbing her eel.
lar floors herself, nor the expense of the
nurse who took care of her. To be
sure little Alice and Jane did the work
of the house between them while theil
mother was ill, but neither of them
will be strong for year, so heavy wa:
the strain. And next year you will
probably have an undertaker's bill tc
pay into the bargain"
"No I won't,'' said Will resolutely
"I'll try Johns way, and see lift viii
brighten Alice and the children up
little"
"Call it Clara's way" said Johr
Fields, laughing; for she is the origina
tor of the whole thing"
"It's a sensible way, anyhow" saiC
Will, "whosoever's it may be-"
For Clara had converted them both.
H@George has been holding his CIR
on his lap for over two hours, and a
she weighed one hundred and ninety
odd pounds he was feeling little bi