The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-03-19

weddin' trip" said Dorklng. "And a
man can't be in two places at once,
Maria, ye know"
'Oh, well, it don't matter" said
Mrs. Dorking, with melancholy
sniff. "l'm only poor creetur, shant
bother nobody very long"
"Hev a little more bacon, Maria?"
soothed her husband.
But Mrs. Dorking; who had already
eaten enough bacon for working
man, both the fried eggs, a slice of
bread and butter, and drank about
pint of coffee, shook her head, and fell
back on "Hervey's Meditations Among
the Tombs." ...-.
81 won't be gone long" said Daniel,
cheerfully. "And I'll fetch bit O
fresh meat to cook for dinner. Praps
you'd fancy steak or chop. Salt
meats gettin' sort O monotonous."
But Maria declined to notice this
remark at all, and poor Daniel crept
away believing himself heartless
poltroon, and his wife a prosecuted
angel.
Il don't see how on earth I'm goin'
to get along this way" said he. "Them
clothes is friz as stiff as boards, and
ought to be took in and dried round
the stove; and the chickens amt been
fed, and the soft soaps sp'ilin', and the
apples need to be picked over, and the
potatoes is all sproutin' down cellar,
and my stockings is full O holes, cob
BILE 'em as l will, and Maria won't hear
to no hired help. And my neuralgy
was pretty bad last night. I'm most
afeared Pm gcin' to break down. I've
half mind to go over and talk to
Getchey's folks about it,"
1t was just a week afterward that
the younger Mrs. Getchey made her
appearance in the bedroom of the
melancholy Mrs. Dorking.
How are you feelin' to-day?" she
asked, in the carefully modulated
accents Of sympathy.
Mrs Dorking shook her head back
ward and forward among the pillows
with closed eyes.
"I'm mis'able, thankee," she said.
at must be comfort to you havin'
Abby Jane here" said Mrs. Getchey,
seating herself in the splint bottomed
arm chair beside the bed.
"Havin' who?" said Mrs. Dorking
opening her eyes widely.
"Why, Abby Jane--the young
woman 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?'
Mrs. Getchey nodded.
"Dan'l wasn't goin' to say nothin
about it to you" said she. "He cal
culated it would only fret aud worry
you. But he found he couldn't get
along and do everything himself. And
Abby James right smart. I 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 candlesticks She's one to
turn off work, now tell your
"Well" calculated Mrs. Dorking.
"She's bakin' pies now," said Mrs.
Getchey; "dried apple, with plenty of
fennel seeds; and pumpkin, and a
cranberry 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; land cookiD' lot O things in my
own house, and never consultin' me
Him and his hired gal, indeed !"
"Danl calculated you was too feeble
to be bothered" said Mrs. Getchey,
consolingly.
81 amt 50 feeble as he'd like to make
out that l be" muttered Mrs. Dork-
ing. 81 was thinkin' spell ago
about settin' up little while. Jest
hand me my stockings, will you, Auril-
la Ann?"
II wouldn't try to set up" said
Aurilla Ann; "you amt able"
Eyes, be p snapped the hypochon-
! 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?"
"As 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 thistledown."
"Humph r said Mrs. Dorking.
"Give me my double gownd, Aurilla
Ann. / mean to see arter this busi-
ness myself; and if Daniel Dorking
thinks I'm goin' to put up with such
J treatment as this"
Better take my arm," suggested
Mrs. Getchey.
But the late invalid impatiently
rejected her offered assistance.
"Lemme alone |" said she; al can
walk as well as ever / could. Why
shouldn't II"
And Mrs. Dorking went down stairs
nto the sitting room, where her spouse
sat very close to a pretty young