Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-09-10
BRAVE IN ADVERSELY.

At Mr.. LonsdaIes aristocratic man
sion the earliest letters were brought in
with the rolls and coffee, so that Mrs
Lonsdale. was languidly eating orange
marmalade when her husband read out
the contents of the letter with a black
edge which had just come from Moon
Mountain.
"Left widowi" echoed Mrs. Ions
dale. "And with six daughters. What
q very unpleasant circumstance"
"She was my favorite cousin" said
MIR. Lonsdale. "As bright a girl as
ever saw. I suppose, Naomi" a
little hesitation-"we couldn't take her
in here?"
"Take her in here?" repeated Mrs.
Lonsdale almost in a scream. "Why,
where could we put a widow and six
young women? We actually haven't
space enough TO accommodate our
selves"
swell, well, I'm sorry for poor Mary"
said Mr.. Lonsdale. 81 think she had the
bluest eyes / ever saw. Six daughters,
and we never had one. Perhaps, Mao
mi"-with the old hesitating formula
you wouldn't like to adopt one?"
"Thank YOU" satirically observed his
wife. when | do receive an adopted
child into my house, it will not be the
country article"
At the solitary little farm on Moon
Mountain. however, the same topic was
being discussed while Mrs. Dirk
was sewing on the simple mourning
which the bereaved family could afford.
Helen was washing the dishes, Rosie
was darning the carpet with a piece of
wooden yarn of the same color,
and Lizzie was trimming seven
plain straw hats with bands
of Grape as inexpensively as pos
sible. Susy was picking over shining
tin pan of dandeion green's for dinner.
Esther, the youngest and rosiest of all,
was feeding little flock of downy
chickens, and Sarah the eldest, was at
neighbor's helping to make up the
spring outfits of half dozen boys.
Sarah was always SO handy with the
needle, said Mrs. Dirk with pardonable
pride.
"But, MOTHER" said Rosie, looking up
from her work with troubled counte-
nance, what are we to do?"
Mother" said Lizzie, "our LonsdaIe
cousins are rich. Couldn't we go to
them?"
Certainly not" said Mrs. Dirk with
a sparkle of the eyes which had not vet
lost their forget-met-not blue. 81 wrote to
them, telling them of our affection, and
they sent back letter full of common
places, without even offering to help u.s."
"But they are rich and we are poor"
eyes, and they live in splendid style,
Hattie Cooley says, added Susy.
every likely" said Mrs. Dirk. "But
as long as there are seven pairs of hands
in this family, and God spares our
health, l do not propose TO turn genteel
beggari''
'sBut mother" began Rosa, who was
the caretaking member of the family.
Il think
give settled it all in my own mind"
said Mrs. Dirk, stitching away Until her
needle looked like a CLEAN of steel
lightning. "The house is large, al
though it isn't built after the latest
fashion. The air is wholesome, and
there is the Black Spring, where peo-
pie come to get the water for ten miles
around. Imean to keep boarders."
"Hurrah for the little mother!' cried
Essie, clappjng those plump hands.
And [ may help you make custards
and do up preserves, maynt I, NAM
map"
"Susy and Esther shall help me-" de-
clared Mrs. Dirk. Sarah can always
earn her living at tailoring work.
Helen shall go into the glove factory;
I'm told they need new hands there.
Lizzie can help Mrs. Dart, the milliner,
and. Rosie is to be nursery governess at
Mrs. Millingham's. And between us If
we can't earn decent livelihood, it will
be very strange"
Susy and Essie were delighted.
Rosie naturally regarded her position
as decided promotion. Helen, how
ever, dropped tear into the pan of hot
water which she had just poured out.
"The glove factory, mother ?" she re-
peated. "But it will be sach strange,
lonesome place. I don't think I shall
Like it,"
ave must all of us try to like our
duty, child" said the brisk little widow.
MARY is going to open boarding
house" said Mr.. Lonsdale again to his
wife. "She has requested me to insert
an advertisement in the dailies for
her."
Every laudable of her, I am sure"
said Mrs. Lonsdale with yawn.
Suppose you were to go there Tor
few weeks before the Saratoga season
opens?" suggested Mr.. Lonsdale. "You
can't very well stay here while the
painting and repairs are going on"
81 don't know as [ can endure that
sort of living" said Mrs. Lonsdale du-
biously.
"Mary Dirk used to be the best
housekeeper I ever knew" answered
aer husband.
"Do you suppose she will take me
cheap"
ct should imagine so"
So Mrs. Lonsdale wrotea patronizing