The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-06-04
THE BOUND GIRL.

/ THE BOUND GIRL,
i Tll have to do everything alonep'
Little Janet Rae stood with arm
akimbo. and looked about the grea
Mason kitchen. She was nearly TWEEN
ty, but under-sized. She had but on
a beauty-her pretty curly head. Sh
was Mrs. Titus Mason's bound-girl-
bound to work for that lady until sh'
was oue-and-twenty. Such were tn,
terms Of the contract when Janet hat
been taken from the orphan asylum, q
tiny creature Of ten, nine years before
and 1t was the hard work and scant
fare which had prevented her growing
There she stood, looking about heI
at the array of cooking utensils, the
rows of milk-pans, the pile of wash
tubs, the shelf Of flat-irons, the capa-
ciOus wood-boxes.
That morning Mrs. Titus, the au-
thoritative, the energetic, had fallen
down the cellar-stairs and broken her
leg. The doctor had been called, and
set it: Mrs. Titus had had a nap, and
then lifted up her voice and proved
herself equal to the situation:
"I'm laid up for month, Janet -
that's plain to be seen. I've done
everything for you; now you must take
right hold and go on without me.
There'n be the cookin' to do 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 III be goin' home
soon, so that'll be one less to provide
for."
Janet heard in silence. She gave
Mrs. Titus her valerian, and than went
away, and stood looking around the
Aitchen.
"pll have to do everything alone!'
There was such large family, and
50 much work to be done, no wonder
ittlo Janet shrank; but she never
thought Of shirking. With breakfast
at five o'clock, and supper-dishes to be
washed at eight, she had always had
enough to do; but to undertake all the
active duties which Mrs. Titus had
been accustomed to perform, was al
most appalling.
Janet stood thinking how it was to
be DONE She was such little thing.
1t took so many of her armfuls 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 so tired at the |
churning. She had been trained to
great capability; but she was not
strong enough.
But there was no time for reflection.
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 mill privi-
lege of Mrs. Titus and was building a
mill.
He was 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 thereabouts.
Very old, indeed" Janet had pro-
nounced him; and she had always been
q little afraid of him, his manners were
SO nice, and he had such nice books in
his room.
Whether he was aware of her exist
ence or not, she was not quite sure.
But he seemed to see the hurrying,
anxious little creature now-fo:, say
ing "My arms are the strongest" he
took the pail, filled it and carried it
into the kitchen.
"Have your hands full, haven't you,
little one" he said pleasantly, glanc-
tr oh a. IL |
hardly look strong enough for all this
baking and brewing"
Janet smiled shyly-pleased, sur
prised; but she was too abashed to
more than murmur some faint response,
and Mr.. Dent went away.
But she felt cheered by the friendly
words of the big, brown bearded man;
and though Mrs Titus scolded her be-
cause the Cruel hadn't milk enough,
and she was obliged to 60 up and down
stairs three times before the lady was
served, she laid her head upon her pill
low more lightly than usual-all for
one kind word. Poor little Janet.
But evil days were too surely at
and.
1t made Mrs. Titus very cross to lie
in bed, inactive, and she could not give
up the oversight of the kitchen below.
A scoro of times day she would
call Janet from her work to know
what she was at, and what she intend
ed doing next. Countless orders is
sued from her chamber.
These idiosyncracies added greatly
to Janets fatigue, as she tols! through
the day, and she actually sobhed with
WEAKNESS one night, rs IS s~s'