The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-05-08
miscellaneous.
I" Wonderful Cure ~

whats that black figure agin the white
snow p' asked Mrs. Getchey, fitting on hel
far-sighted specs, as she sat at the window
upon threatening Monday morning.
| THAT p said Aurilla Ann. "Why, that's
Mr. Dorking hanging out the clothesp
Mr.. DorkingW repeated Mrs. Getchey.-.
| "Why, where's Maria ?"
Her daughter-in law, Aurilla Ann, indulg.
ed in short, snorting laugh.
"Up stairs in bed, calculate" said she.
"Sick ?" said Mrs. Getchey, in accents OF
concern.
mo morn am ?" said Aurilla Ann, shak-
| ing the table cloth out of the buttery win
dow, so that the long legged Brahma fowls
might have the benefit of the stray crumbs
| which might be going. Cranky, that's all
She always was as odd as Dicks hat band"
"Eh ?"
Mrs. Gctchey, a Western woman, was evil
IDENTIFY IMMERSED in local illusions.
Don't you know ?" said Aurilla Ann, with
| a chuckle. Dicks hat-band, that went hall
way around, and tied in the mddle?"
"Oh !" said Mrs. Getchey "BuL Marian
DorkIng used to be as smart, stirring wo-
man as ever | SEEN"
"She's took a notion t'other way, of late"
said Aurila Ann. 81 declare l never in all
my life felt as sorry as do for Daniel Dork
ing He's dreadful peaceabe, good temper
ed man, and Maraa treats him real mean
He does all of the work of the house himself,
even to the washing and ironing, because
Marian chooses to fancy herself sick; and |
jest wish you could see the poor mans shirts
Besides, there's the mill to see after,
and the farm work, though of course that
last amt so heavy this time O. year. But it's
too much tor one man, let alone the worry
of it,"
"Ain't they able to hire no help ?" said
Mrs. Getchey, who had fallen back on her
knitting work.
"Why, of course they ber' Aurilla Ann
made answer. "But Marian won't have no
help about the house."
"Thats rather hard on Daniel, amt it ?"
said Mrs. Gechey.
well, should think so" replied her sons
wife, piling fresh knots of wood under the
wash boiler, preparatory to her Mondays
| work
While the neighbor who, unconsciously to
himself, was the subject of 80 much solicit
tude among the surrounding families, hung
out his last wet and flappy sheet, securing it
by battered clothes pin, and hastened, with
blue nose and frozen fingers, into the house.
Maria !" he spoke, up the stairway, which
| wound around and around like wooden
orkscrew-"Mariap p
"Well p sighed mournful voice.
"Shan't make We a little buttered toast ?"
~ don't care for no buttered toast" return
ed the funereal strains.
Cor try we an egg? Do try an egg, Maria
with shaving o. bacon and some coffee
| For my sake. Maria, eat something"
Only sigh was the response.
But Daniel Dorking made the coffee, and
fried the little slice of bacon, with its accom-
panying eggs, speedily carrying the tray up
stairs, where he opened the door by means
| of a gentle impetus with his foot
Maria occupied the best room in the house
that was very evident.
A rag carpet, woven in gray maroon with
yellow stripes, covered the floor; cheerful
wood fire blazed in the chimney ; the window
was curtained with Turkey red; and Mrs
Dorking, propped up on apple of feather pill.
lows, was surrounded with variety of devo.
tional books, a camphor bottle, and fan.
"The washin' is all out, Maria" said poor
little Mr.. Dorking "and I've wiped up the
floor, and set the kettle O. vegetables back
where it'll simmer and not burn. And now
| I'll jest step over to the mill"
| "And leave me all alone, Daniel ?" said his
wife, lugubriously.
1.-THE mill has got to be seen to, now that
Eliab johnson has gone on his weddin' trip,
said Dorking. "And a man can't be in two
places at once, Maria, We know"
| ooh, well, it don't matter" said Mrs. Dork
ing, with melancholy sniff. I'm only q
poor creatur, shan't bother nobody very
long"
"Hev little more bacon, Maria ?" soothed
her husband.
But Mrs. Dorking, who had already eaten
enough bacon for working man, both the
fried eggs, a slice of bread and butter, and
drank about pint of coffee, shook her head
and fell back on "Hervys Meditatons
Among the Tombs"
fully. And I'll fetch bit O. fresh meat to
cook for dinner. P'raps you'd fancy steak
or chop. Salt meats gettin' sort O. monoton
ous"
But Maria declined 10 notice this remark
at all, and poor Daniel crept away, believ.
ing himself heartless poltroon, and his wife
prosecuted angel.
II don't see how on earth I'm goin' to get
along this way" said he. "Them clothes is
frz as stiff as boards, and ought to be took in
and dried round the stove and the chickens
amt been fed, and the soft soaps sp'ilin'
and the apples need to be picked over, and
the potatoes is all sproutin' down cellar, and
my stockings is full o holes, cobble 'em as
will, and Maria won't hear to no hired help
And my neuralgy was pretty bad last night
Pm most afraid I'm goin' to break down.
| I've half mind to 60 over and talk to
Getchey's folks about it,"
1t was just week aftcrward that the
| younger Mrs. Getchey made her appearance
in the bedroom of the melancholy Mrs. Dork
ing.
How are you feeling to-dayT she asked
in the carefully modulated accents of sympa
thy.
Mrs Dorking shook her head backward
and forward among the pillows with CLOSED
eyes.
"Im mis'able, thankee," she said
at must be a comfort to you havin' ABBY
Jane here" said Mrs. Getchey, seating her
self in the splint bottomed arm chair beside
! the bed.