The Press., 1885-02-05
{Nrs. Annie A. Preston, in the Chicago Stan dard
 ESQ MUCH TO DO."
A HOME MISSION STORY.

ms WIG lnGO tuG UuGluy klCCQ0u. where she had withdrawnin the martyr-like mood that now-a- days seemed to enshroud her like an unlovely garment.
 ssVery we'll, Mr. Hines, will have your best shirt and vest and your linen ulster freshly done up, never fear.'
 The parson looked annoyed. s'That is not the point, wife, he said. ''You are to accompany me to Granville. It will make no end of talk if you do not go. Every one will ask for you, and when we are all blessed with good health, 80 much to do is not a reasonable excuse for your remain ing at home besides shall enjoy having you with me, and the drive will do you good"
 tThere are a thousand reasons why I should not leave h 1me for whole day, as much as have to do. am in no pre- paration to go out among folks, but if you insist, must go about finishing my new dress ot once. You will have to put up with the house as it IS, and have mush for dinner; for supper also unless I manage to get around to cook some hing
 "Where is Lizzie? Set her about the housework.
 "Lizzie p Mrs. Hines ejaculated the name, and casting a1 indescrlbuble look at her husband, shut her thin lips very close l "When Llzzie's father, your brother, en- gagged you to board his notherless daugh- l ter, he stipulated that you should teach her housekeeping. He has paid her board regularly, and very convenient the money has been, to be sure. She might be a great help to you. When do you intend ! fulfilling your part of the contract ?' ssWhen she shows disposition to be 1 useful, and developes taste for something besides ry-reading and singing the plantation melodies she learns of old Aunt I Chloe, whose society she evidently prefers over and above that of any one in this house. She is there in Chloe's kitchen, by this time, will warrant"
 "And might be in worse company, nut tered the minister as he crossed the green lawn to pretty little ornamental summer house in the far1hest corner, used during the warm season as 8 study. 4
 Mrs. Hines closed the door to the break fast room and calling Tommy, the oldest oi her half-dozen children, she said to him
 "H you will be good and keep the little ones out of duors until dinner time, so that I can finish my new dress, will give you 8 quart of moiasses to make into taffy while we are away tom orrow, attending the ded- ication at Ora ville." .., ....-
 ''All right, mamma hnrrah ]" shouted Tommy, and gathering hls brothers ane sisters about him, he imparted to them tn, sweet tidings, and to pass away the time marshalled them off to the top of ''Blrct ! Hill" a charming bit of woodland half mlle across the field.
 = Breakfast had not been over fifteen min utes, yet the parsonage was to all appear ances as utterly deserted as if 1t was tn ? habitat alone of the flies that hummed an. ! buzzed and made themselves merry owe the traces of maple syrup left upon tn soIled china.
 = As shout from the retreating childrel 3 was waited in by gentle breeze, the cur 2 tains were pushed back from the ope window, and bright-faced young girl the very picture of active health, steppe into the room from the deep stoop wher she had fled with her book the momen breakfast was over.
 It was the current number of the Hom Mission Monthly, iu which she seemed
 be deeply interested, yet she placed carefully on shelf, saying aloud:
 .'Charity begins at home and it is hig time my disposition for usefulness deve oped for the benefit of this hou ,eholo Poer mistaken Aunt Emily how muc help might have been to her had she no persisted in maintaining the fiction that
 made more work than I saved. I wtsi
 there were way to make her look at life i different way. She seems to be predetel mined to be abused, and her chief glory in making of herself domestic martyr She would not allow of my lifting fnge to help if she knew it, and I will give he surprise for once, just to let her see wha l Can do If have the privilege"
 All the long, sweet summer morning MI Hines, in his cool, airy study, with all tn freshness of out of doors peeping in tn open windows, scratched away with hi stub pen upon the dedication sermon The children shouted and laughed the Der fumed hours away as merry as the bird in the graceful, swaying black birch tree y about them, while poor, mistaken Mrs Hines, oblivious to everything but the dis ' comforts of life, stitched and fretted au stitched in the little close attic chambe that she persisted in using as 8 sewing room because 1t was out of the way. A she put the finishing touches to the prett dress, she mentally went over and over tn work, some of 1t necessary, some of 1t uu necessary, that must be done in order tha she might make pleasant and profitable day of the morrow outside of her monot onous domestic round, and more than one she said aloud E
 ''Lizzie It is exasperating, my being constantly reminded that I promised broth er John to teach her to work. When took her into the family, little kney what care she was to be nor how quickIy she was going to grow up into the great awkward, helpless girl she is. I am sur, that am heartily tired of being instruct ed as to my duty concerning her. If send her away l lose the boarI- money ant :: her cast-of clothes for the children. Iii teach her to work, she will right away think herself capable of keeping house fol t,' father and coax him into sending fo,
 .'-r. She Is great overgrown, lazy thing that IS what she is,-and will never bt E Asi for anything in the world but to reao l aud siDg and romp. It is pity, really, for it was her mothers dying wish tha' she should be useful. Strange that she develops no practical qualities I'm sure I'm not to blame for it, and can only slave myself to death for her and the rest and let things take their course.
 All at once the town clock struck twelve, the shop whistles blew, the factory bells rang, and from below came the merry iin gle of the dinner bell, eliciting responsive shouts from the children who were racing across the lawn. ~
 "Well, 1 declare P said Mrs Hines, ''how the morning has flown. My dress almost done, too Who rang that bell, l wonder Oh, Lizzie, of course. half fam