The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-07-25

clean Thursdays do up fruit, pickles and
tomatoes; Fridays clean, and Saturdays |
bake again and get ready for Sunday, for Will
always invites friends to dine with him on
Sundays, and it is the busiest day in the
week. And besides this, 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"
ooh, stop, stopr' cried Clara, lifting her
hands as if in terror II don't wonder, Alice"
You don't wonder at whatY' said Mrs.
William Fields, in some surprise.
"That Wills first wife died at twenty-six,
and that you at thirty-six are following as
rapidly in her footsteps as can be-" cried
Clara. "If you were made of iron and India
rubber you couldn't accomplish all this drudg-
cry without being worn out. I'm going di.
rectly home to abdicate my position as reigh-
ing sovereign"
And the spirited young wife, leaving Mrs.
Will Tapped in Amusement, hurried away.
John Fields was standing at the old well In
his working costume, drinking from the buck.
ct, as Clara tripped up the path. He looked
up with a smile I..
"Well, pet" said he, "where are you 60
ingl,' ....'
10 pack my trunk, said Clara, with mis-
chief sparkling in her deep, soft eye. "PEe
been investigating matters and don't like
the situation"
what situation2" u. .. -.
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 deal" said John with puzzled
face, you are talking nonsense. Nobody
expects that of any woman"
Don't they, thought" said Clara
"There's where you are mistaken. 1t is pre-
cisely what Wills present wife has been do
ing 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
Kezah advised me to take Wills wife as a
model. But shall do nothing of the sort. |
had deal rather go back to teaching"
81 never heard such talk in my life," said
Aunt Kezah, who from the kitchen thresh-
old had overheard Mrs. Fields declaration of
independence.
Very 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 at poor, pale, wornout Alice, a 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. | call
il killing herself by inches"
"Well," owned John, "she does look fee
ble"
"And do you wonder at it, when you see
all that she accomplishes?" flashed out Clara
"Why Bluebeard himself never killed off his
wives more systematically than a New Eng
land farmer does. I'll tell you what, john"
she added, "if you will provide me all the SER
wants | need, and let me live in my home as
its ruling spirit, not as drudge, I'll remain
here. Otherwise, | shall leave Hazelnut Farm
to-day" ....
"She is not far wrong" said Aunt Keziah,
who had shrewd, rugged conscientiousness
of her own under all her 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 OBLIGATED as hands to her own active
brain, and no place in the neighbohood
tiourshed more than Hazlenut Farm.
ats ravagance-ridicuous extrava-
guncep exclaimed Will Field when he heard
of his brothers new administration OF affairs.
"We'll see how the bills add up at the end
of the year." said John Fields, quietly.
AT the years end Will was unable to
imagine how it was that his brothers ac-
counts had sweled to nearly a third more
than his own.
1--WE have lived much more economically
than you" said he. 1--WE have kept no lazy,
wasteful, skirking 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 cellar floors herself, nor the ex-
pense of the nurse who took care of her. To
be sure little Alice and Jane did the work OF
the house between them while their mother
was i'll, but neither of them will be strong for
a year, so heavy was the strain. And next
year you will probably have an undertaker's
bill to pay into the bargain"
mo l won't" said Will resolutely. "I'n
try Johns way, and see if it will brighten
Alice and the children up little"
Call it Clara's way" said John Fields,
laughing; for she is the originator of the
whole thing" ...
"lts sensible way, anyhow" said Will
"whosoever's it may be-"
For Clara had converted them BOTH