Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-09-23

"extra hazardous" by the insurance COM
panies) land we should see how long we
could get trusted. Ne. Hannah. We will
lie down every night out of debt. whether
there is anything in the house for break
fast or not" And have been thankful
thousand times for that determination. 1t
was all that kept our heads above water
during those long. struggling years
struggling but not unhappy.
| Elanthan put up q vide shelf. hinged to
let down, in the kitchen. for my baking
and ironing. and here spent my mornings
while Laddie played in the little green
yard in front of the door.
One thing was very certain, l could do
nothing to increase our income, and do
the work of the house beside. All l
could do was 20 manage what we had.
and save instead of earning. l read all
the articles could find instructing people
of small means how to manage. but as
rule did not find them helpful. They
made pleasant reading. but they presup-
posed the possession of more money than
the people they described were likely to
possess. and when read of some of the
articles adjoining the rooms their heroines
occupied, used to wonder where in the
world they ever obtained them.
often felt like the young wife described
by Dickens, who used to spend hours in
studying a work called 1.-The Complete
British Housewife" only to be baked by
the want OF some ingredient impossible to
procure, and who used to knock the book
against the table and cry out. where do
you suppose | am to get it. you stupid old
thing?' but The Complete British
Housewife" remained stolidly silent. And
| began to suspect that one OF the rights
of working people which had not been
discussed by politicians or agitators, was
the right to be let alone by the story-writ-
ers. they knew so little what they were
talking about.
! We found that we must manage so that
two expensive articles should not have to
be purchased in one month, and in this
way each pay day added something to our
store. Piece by piece we furnished a
guest chamber. Then, one thing at a
time, first carpet, then a table, then a
pretty lounge, the little parlor began to
grow habitable Aud when at last we
threw it open. moved bed and crib up
stairs. changed bookcase, workable and
sewing chair into the bedroom, and
moved the dining table out of the kitchen,
we felt as if we had built mansion and
taken possession.
| Every change was delight. When we
put up the little sheetiron stove in the fall
we bad an added sense of snugness and
coziness. When we took it down in the
spring we rejoiced in the sense of widen
ing our borders and gaining more room.
When we could not return thanks for
| hat had oa,lA nj do ho
cause things were no worse, and so we
counted up our mercies" day by day.
! After the first start we resolved that each
new article should be OF substantial quail
ty. even if we had to wait longer for it,
for Elnathan considered there was no
economy in cheap things that would soon
90 to pieces, and require constan renew
ing. Every new purchase represented a
vast amount of planning and calculation,
but that made it doubly precious. And,
after few years. as | looked about my
little rooms nearly everything spoke of
some particular epoch in our married life
The picture Elnathan brought home at
Christmas, the student lamp that marked
my birthday. the stereoscope, with its
carefully chosen views of noted places and
lovely statuary, that came on one wedding
anniversary, the fine clock, too expensive
but that 1t was to last a life time, that was
Valentine day gilt. all these were elo-
quent of love and happiness.
How glad | was when the clock came,
though mad gone on very nicely without
any. For there were plenty of ways to
mark the time; the steam whistles at
morning, noon and night, the school bells,
and the railroad trains which passed in
sight of the kitchen window, all helped,
and could soon tell the time very nearly
at any hour Of the day. If the bread went
into the oven when the nine O'Clock freight
went TO Podunk, it should be ready to
come out when the ten O'Clock passenger
train came in from Whistleville. When
the little children from the primary school
trOoped home it was time to put On the
potatoes. and so | was never at a loss.
But, nevertheless, the clock was great
comfort. especially when | was alone all
night, as | was for months at time
alone but for three-years- Maddie,
| whose soft breathing, mingled with the
ticking of the clock, made all the sound in
the house.
The cottage has disappeared long since.
The march of Improvement left no room
for it. left it with many regrets; re-
orets that are even now revived as [ re-
call the happy hours we spent there. when
! Elnathan, and Laddie, and took our first
lessons in home making Mrs. II. annette
Poole, IN Good House Keeping.
|