The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-09-17

~ Little Janet Rae stood will
S arms akimbo and looked
about the great Mason kitchen. Sh'
was nearl y twenty, but understood
She had but one beauty-her pretty
curly head. She was Mrs. Titus
Mason's bound Outbound to worE
for that lady until she was one-and
twenty. Such were the terms of thu
contract when Janet had been taker
from the orphan asylum, tiny
| creature Of ten, nine years before
and it was the hard work and scant
fare which had prevented her grow
ing.
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
capaciOus wood boxes.
That morning Mrs. Titus, the
authoritative, the energetic, had
fallen down the cellar-stairs and
broken her leg. The doctor had
been called ard set it; Mrs. Titus
had had a nap, and then lifted up
her voice and proved herself equal
TO the situation:
Pm laid up for a month, Janet
that's plain to be seen. Eve done
everything for you; now you must
take right hold and 60 on without
me. There'll be the cOokin' to d
and the butter to make more than
you have done, extra. But you can
do it, if you try. You'll have to,
anyway. Hayin's over and Mr..
Dent'll be goin' home sOon,so that'll
be one less to provide for"
Janet heard in silence. She gave
Mrs. Titus her valerian, and then
went away, and stood looking
around the kitchen.
IN have to do everything alone -
There was such a large family
and so much work to be done, no
wonder little Janet shrank; but she
never thought of Sinking. With
breakfast at o'clock and supper
dishes to be washed at eight; but to
undertake all the active duties
which Mrs. Titus had been accus-
toned to perform, was almost ap-
palling.
Janet stood thinking how it was
to be done She was such a little
thing. 1t took SO many of her arm
fuls to fill the wood boxes with hard
and soft wood. She must needs
stand on box TO work at the tubs
on the wash bench; and her arms
grew tired at the churning. She
had been trained to great capabili-
ty; but she was not strong enough.
But there was no time for re1ec-
ton. There was supper to get for
the four farm-hands, Mrs. Titus
cruel to make and carry up, the
milk to strain, the dishes to wash,
the wood boxes to fill and sponge to
be set for bread.
Janet rushed for pail OF water.
Mr.. Dent was at the well.
Mr.. Miles Dent was the summer
boarder. He had bought a mill
privilege OF Mrs. Titus and was
building a mill.
He was a handsome, very pleasant
man-as perfectly healthy people
are apt to be, and he was very large
and strong. In age he might have
been thirty, or whereabouts,
Every old, indeed" Janet had
pronounced him; and she had al
ways been a little afraid of him,
his manners were so nice and he had
such nice books in his room.
Whether re vas aware Of her ex
istence or not, she Was Eqt quite
sure.
But he seemed to see the hurry
ing, anxious little creature now
for, saying ''my arms are the strong
est" he took the pail, filed it and
carried it into the kitchen.
'IIave your hands full, haven't
YOU. little one?' he said pleasantly,
glancing about him. "Your shout
ders hardly look strong enough for
all this baking and brewing"
Janet smiled shyly-pleqsed, sur
prised; but she was too abashed 10
more than murmur some faint re-
Spouse, and Mr.. Den t went away.
But she felt cheered by the friend
ly words of the big, brown bearded
man; and though Mrs. Titus scold-
ed her because the Cruel hadn't
milk enough, and she was obliged
TO 90 up and down stairs three times
before the lady was served, she laid
her head upon her pillow more light
ly than usual-all for one kind
word. Poor little Janet.
But evil days were too surely at
hand.
1t made Mrs. Titus very cross to
lie in bed, inactive, and she COULD
not give up the oversight of the
kitchen below.
A score of times a day she would
call Janet from her work to know
what she was at and what she in
tended doing next. Countless or
ders issued flom her cham Der.
These idiosyncracies added great
IN to Janets fatigue as she toiled
through the day, and she actually
sobbed with WEAKNESS one night,
when she commenced to bring in
the wood.
She was standing in the wood
shed. Suddenly she heard a sJep
on the gravel of the path in tue
yard.
1t was Mr.. Dtnt. He had not
zone. He came swinging along IN
his shirt-sleeves, his linen duster
over his arm.
How rich, and pro porous, and
happy he was!
Janet did not desire TO dispossess
Mr.. Dent of his good fortune, but
she thought it hard that a little o.
the brightness OF life could not be
hers.
But when Mr.. Dent came Oppo
site the shed-doOr, the happy light
died out of his pleasant gray eyes
Well it might. Janet did moi
dream what a piuful sight her pool
little tear stained face was.
Mr.. Dent spoke cheerily.
~AU work and no play makes Jill