Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-06-12
THE BOUND GIRL.

I'll have to do everything alone"
Little Janet Rae stood with arm,
aklmbo, and looked about tho great
Mason kitchen. She was nearly TWEEN
ty but understood. She had but one
beauty her pretty curly head She
WAS Mrs. Titus Ma5ons bOund-girl
bound to work for that lady until she
was one-and-twenty Such were the
terms Of the contract when Janet had
been taken from the orphan asylum, a
tiny creature Of ten, nine years before;
and it was the hard work and scant
fare which had prevented her growing.
There she stood looking about her
at the array Of cooking utensils, the
rows Of milk-pans, the pile of wash
tubs the shelf Of hat-irons, the capa-
cious wood-boxes.
That morning Mrs. Titus, the au-
thoritatiye, the energetic, had fallen
down the cellar-stairs and broken her
leg. The doctor had been called, and
set it; Mrs. Titus had had nap, and
then lifted up her voice and proved
herself equal to the situation:
I'm laid up for a month, Janet Il
that's plain to be seen. I've done
everything for you; now you must take
right hold and 60 on without me.
There'll be the cookin to do and the
butter to make more than you have
done, extra. But you can do it, if you
try You'll have to, anyway. IIayin's
over, and Mr. Dent II be goin' home
soon, SO that'll be one less to provide
for"
Janet heard in silence. She gave
Mrs. Titus her yalerian, and than went
away, and stood looking around the
kitchen.
"l'll have to do everything alonep
There was such large family, and
SO much work to be done, no wonder
little Janet shrank; but she never
hought of shirking. With breakfast
1t five o'clock, and supper-dishes to bet
anough to do; but to undertake alfv4r9
lctive duties which Mrs. Titus had
been accustomed to perform, was al
most appalling.
Janet stood thinking how it was to
le done. She was such little thing.
It took 50 many of her armfus to fill
he wood with hard and soft
wood She must needs stand on box
0 work at the tubs on the wash-bench;
md her arms grew so tired at the
burning. She had been trained to
great capability; but she was not
strong enough.
But there was no time for reflection.
There was supper to get for the four
Mrs. Titus Cruel to make
and carry up, the milk to strain, the
fishes to wash the wood-boXes to fill,
and sponge to be set for bread.
Janet rushed for a pail of water.
Mr.. Dent was at the well.
Mr.. Miles Dent was the summer
boarder. He had bought a mill priyi-
lege Of Mrs. Titus and was building
mill
He was a handsome, very pleasant
nan-as perfectly healthy people are
apt to be, and he was very large and
strong. In age he might have been
thirty, or thereabouts.
Very old, indeed" Janet had pro
him; and she had always been
a little afraid of him, his manners We're
SO nice, and he had such nice books in
his room.
Whether he was aware of her exist
ence or not, she was not quite sure.
But he seemed to see the hurrying,
anxious little creature now-lo., say
ing "My arms are the strongest, he
took the pail, filled it and carried It
into the kitchen.
"Haye your hands full, haven't you
little one?" he said pleasantly, ganc-
ing about him. "Your shoulders
hardly look strong enough for all this
baking and brewing"
Janet smiled shyly-pleased' sur
prised: but she was too abashed Io
more than murmur some faintresponse, .
and Mr. Dent went away.
But she felt cheered by the friendly
words of the big, brown bearded man.
and though Mrs. Titus scolded her be-
cause the Cruel hadn't milk enough
and she was obliged to 60 up and down
stairs three times before the lady was
served she laid her head upon her pil-
low more lightly than usual-aH i'l
one kind word. Poor little Janet.
But evil days were too surely az
hand.
1t made Mrs. Titus very cross to He
in bed. inactive, and she could not sNs
up the oversight of the kitchen below, o
A score of times a day she Wo0'o
call Janet from her work to hho"
what she was at, and what she la'en0
ed doing next. Countless orders 10
sued from her chamber.
These idiosyncracies added grea'l,
to Janet's fatigue, as she toiled th[ous
the day, and she actually soboed w
WEAKNESS one night, when she '0''
menced to bring IN the Wood l
She was standing in the "oou'''e.
Suddenly she heard step on the b'"
al Of the path in the yard