The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-11

1 e~A1Ne
Il don't see how on earth I'm going
to get along this way" said she. "Then
clothes is friz as stiff as boards, and
ought to be took in and dried round
the stove; and the chickens amt beer
fed, and the soft, soaps spilin', and the
apples need to be picked over, and the
potatoes is all spilin' down cellar, an6
my stockings is full O. holes, cobble 'en
as L will, and Maria won't hear to nc
hired help. And my neuralgy was pref
| ty bad last night. I'm most afeared
I'm goin' to break down. I've half 6
mind to go over and talk to Getchey's
folks about it,
1t was just week afterward that the
younger Mrs. Getchey made her ap.
pearance in the bedroom of the melan.
choly Mrs. Dorking.
'How are you feelin' to-day?" she
asked, in the carefully modulated &C,
cents OF sympathy.
Mrs. Dorking shook her head back
ward and forward among the pillows
with closed eyes.
"Im mis'able, thankee," she said.
'It must be comfort to you havin
Abby Jane here" said Mrs. Ge.chey,
seating herself in the splint-
arm chair beside the bed.
"Havin' who?" said Mrs. Dorking,
opening her eyes wide.
"Why, Abby Jane-the young wom-
an your husbands got down stairs to
help with the housework, you know"
explained Mrs. Getchey.
Mrs. Dorking sat up in bed.
"A young woman," she repeated, "to
help with the housework? 2"
Mrs. Getchey nodded.
"DanI wasn't goin' to say nothin'
about it to you," said she. "He ca1cu-
lated it would only fret and worry you.
But he found he couldn't get along and
do everything himself And Abby James
right smart. 1 jest wish you could see
how white the clothes is out on the
lines. And how nice she's secured up
the kitchen tins and bleached the old
curtains and polished the brass candle
sticks She's one to turn off work, now
tell you'll"
"Well!" calculated Mrs. Dorking.
"She's bakin' pies, now," said Mrs.
Getchey; "dried apple, with plenty of
fennel Seeds; and pumpkin, and cram
berry tart for Elder Swift. Elder Swift
! is to be here to tea, and he's dreadful
partial to cranberry tarts and short
| cake"
Mrs. Dorking turned very red in the
face.
"Invitin' company, be they?" said
she; "and cookin, a lot O. things in my
own house and never consultin' me!
Him and his hired gal, indeed!"
"Dan1 calculated you was too feeble
to be bothered" said Mrs. Gretchey,
consol1ngly.
II amt so feeble as he'd like to make
out that bel" muttered Mrs Dorking.
II was thinkin' spell ago about SIT
tin up a little willie. Just hand me my
stockings, will you, Aurilla Ann?"
II wouldn't try to sit up," said AurilIa
Ann; "you amt able"
"Yes, bel" snapped the hyp ochon-
driac. "Who's the best Judge of my
feelings, you or me? What sort of a
lookin' gal is this that's bossin' my
kitchen while I'm in bed?" ~
GAS pretty as a pink" said Mrs.
Getchey; "cheeks as red as peonies;
hair as black as a coal; and she steps
off as light as a thistledown.
"Humph!" said Mrs. Dorking.
"Give me my double gown, Aurilla
Ann. I mean to see arter this business
myself; and if Daniel Dorking thinks
I'm goin' to put up with such treatment
as this"
Better take my arm," suggested
Mrs. Getchey.
But the late invalid impatiently re-
jected her offered assist ance.
"Lemme alone!" said she; "I can
walk as we'll as ever could. Why
shouldn't II"
And Mrs. Dorking went down stairs
into the sitting-room, where her spouse
sat very close to pretty young woman,
both engaged in examining the pages of
Universal Atlas"
Mr.. Daniels hand rested familiarly on
the pretty girls shoulder. and the pret-
ty girls braids Of black hair were close
to Daniels own iron gray locks.
Daniel !" almost shrieked Mrs. Dork-
ing, "Tm astonished at you, that bel"
Daniel Dorking started up, with an
exclamation of surprise; the atlas fell
from the pretty girls knee.
"Why," cried the farmer, otis Maria!"
"Yes, it's Maria" enunciated Mrs.
Dorkirg; "and about the last person in
the world that you wanted to see, I
guessT
But, to her surprise, Daniel Dork-
ing's face relaxed none Of its beaming
cheerfulness'
The pretty girl, instead of fleeing
guiltily from the room, came forward
with out stretched hands.
won't you kiss me, Maria2" said
she.
"I?" gasped Mrs. Dorking. kiss
you'll"
"It's Jenny" said Daniel; my young
est sister, Abigail Jane, from the old
farm at home. wrote to her how bad
off we were here, and she's come, bless
her little heart, to stay all winter with
us. We was goin' TO surprise you. rs
soon as you felt a little particle better.
But we didn't expect any such good
luck as your comm down stairs your
self. did we, Jennie?"
"No, indeed smiled the pretty girl,
"But now that you are here, Maria, we'll
make You comfortable!"
Nf,e no,1,,-- ,1rr IN Mro