Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-01-30
HOME C0,OPERATTVE SOCIETY.


HOME TIVE SOCIETY.
'rm sick Of It," said Kate, dalhing a
handful OF hairpins upon the table, and let
ting big brown braid go tumbling down her
back.
80 am l, said Beth.
80 alb !" said Mamie, who was suffering
with adreadful cold.
"what is it, girls ?" said I, tuning my
book face down in my lap.
IT'S the suppers," said Beth.
ITS the everlasting gossip" said Kate.
Its so different from hobe, said Mamie,
to whom boarding house life was new e1
pereuce.
ITS all three, and much more" was what
l wanted to say, but being the Oldest of the
four, it seemed my duty to make the best OF
things; so l said, quite cheeTfully; ~ didn't
see any thing unusual about the supper to-
night"
That's the trouble" groaned Beth. at
was altogether too usual l am 30 tired of
bread aud butter and apple sauce and dry
cake that feel like gnsshing my teeth at the
sight Of them. | should like a slice OF toast
or a bowl Of bread and milk occasionally
without being made to feel that had disar-
ranged the whole internal economy of the
house"
The suppers are bad enough, " said Kate,
'but they are nothing to the gossip. I'm
tired Of hearing it whispered round that
Mr. johnson and his wife had quArreled in
their room last night, or that Miss Robin.
son has worn three new dresses this month
or that 'Mr Jewett came in ever so late the
other night, and it sounded Is though he fell
up stairs Bah :" and Kate looked as scOrn-
fol AS a round face with a dimple in it would
allow.
II could stand every thid else, " said Nan
ME, ''if it was odly hobe.like Oh! if
could odly sit dowd in a clead kilched, with
by feet in the stove owed, and see a braided
mat in frod Of the stove with dice cat cd il,
should be perfegly habby."
We all laughed at this idea of bliss but
after the laugh there was a sudden silence,
for each one of us recalled such a kitchen,
and the presence that bad made it home like.
We were not sisters, or even kin to each
other, but meeting as strangers in a city
boarding house, a strong friendship had
grown up between us, starting, l think, in
the fact that we were each orphaned and bad
our living to earn, and strengthened by ma
ny congenial tastes. We were doing our daily
duties in rather a brave, cheerful way, usual
ly with few complaints, but tonight we were
under a cloud. Outside, the November rain
was lashing the windows, aud inside the
stove smoked.
1t was pay day at the mandatory where
Kate was book keeper, and that was always a
hard day for her Beth bad worried two Of
her dullest pupils through their music lesson
and had had time at school that afternoon
with a wretch of boy, and was at my wits
end what to do with him on the morrow, and
Mamie was more than half siek-so we sat
there quite still for awhile. Finally Beth
spoke: II suppose We might make these
rooms look q little pessanter We each have
few pictures and knick-knacks."
DO you suppose l would hang my few
pictures against this awful paper?" said
Kate. Besides, what would bs the use
just as We got every thing nicely fixed, some
man would want the room, and We should be
invited to go up higher. I've boarded in
this house two years, and in that time I've
advanced from the first hoor back to the
third floor front, and two moves more will
take me out on the roof"
ave blight go subWhere else" said Nan
ME.
"Oh! you poor little Innocent" laughed
Beth You'd change the place and keep
the pain They're all about alike"
At this, Mamie lifted such woebegono face
that felt something must be done.
Girls !" said /, in my most impressive
school room manner.
But here there was an interruption, for
Mamie left the rocking chair and rushed
toward the bed.
"Oh, Mamie !" cried Kate, don't muss
the bed ; it's hard enough any way" But
she spoke too late, for under the combined
! influence OF homesiokness and influenza,
Mamie had hung herself on the bed In a for
lorn little heap aud was lifting up her voice
| in a hoarse cry.
This was simply dreadful
Beth and puTred over her and cuddled her,
and Kate slipped down stairs and coaxed the
cross kitchen girl into making bowl of sage
tea, and by the time she was back with it the
invalid was somewhat comforted
When quiet was restored, l spoke again.
"Girls let's go to housekeeping" Nan
ME stopped the bowl half way to her lips.
Beth sat upright on the trunk. and Kate
dropped the stick of wood in her hand back
into the box.
where's the furniture coming from p
said she.
"who'n pay the bills ?" said Mamie.
"Who'll do the work ?" said Beth, who
was born south of Mason and Di1ons line.
"we'll all do it," said 1, answering the last
| question erst land as for the furnishing,
that needn't cost so very much aud about
tho bills-Kate, how much do we all pay a
week 2"
/ our llulob I'VE 10 lhGutys huu TWO uOlhEh
| for washing, makes twenty-five" said Kate
with book-keeper promptness.
why" said Beth, beginning to be eager,
''lots of families live on less than that, and
pay for every thing out of it-clothes and
| doctors bills and every thing"
/ Well, we talked till midnight and the
more we talked the more feasible the scheme
seemed, and it was decided that we should
commence tenement hunting the very next
morning, and after Beth and had gone to
our own room, Kate came hurTying across to
say that she had spoons aud forks which had
been her mothers, and that Mamie said she
knew how to make lovely watfl4s.
| We expected a tedious time finding a rent
within our means but it is astonishing how
fortune helps those who try to help them
selves. That very week a nice little scholar
of Nannies stopped after school to say that
her parents were going to move out of the
city. We knew where she lived--a pleasant
house in respectable locality so after sup.
per Kate and hunted up the landlord the
next day we went in a body to inspect the
place, and the bargain WAS concluded.
Between that time aud our departure we
bade fair TO lose our reputation of being the
quietest boardtrs in the house, for every nigh
there was talking aud laughing in one room
| or the other while we stitched aud hemmed
aud hgured-this last the hardest of all.
Kate, with a confidence born of much
handling of money, made out a list in a
twinkliDg, which list was perfectly satisfacto
ry to all of us-uutil we inquired prices
One thing We agreed upon, and that was rig
id economy, so we cheapeDed this aud LETT
out that, until it looked quite reasonable.
Well, the first day OF December found nj
in "our own hired house" and as Beth turn
ed the key in the hall door, we felt that WI
had burned our ships behind us.
The outgoing tenants seemed to regard Ou
experiment in the light of huge joke
which they we're willing to help along, 81
they gave us a number Of housekeeping
things, among others a braided mat, and
half dozen plants all in blossom, and sold u
their range at very low price. Those ia
miliar with the peculiar attributes of stove