The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-18

cheerfully up into Mrs. Verinder's fiat
once more.
well, my DEAR" said she, "I've
discovered a way for you to help your
husband"
Mabel flung down the book over
which she had been dreaming and her
face grew radiant.
Dear Miss Crutchett," said she, "l
shall always, always be grateful to you'll
Is it literary labor?"
"N-no," said Miss Crutchett, "not
exactly literary labor"
is it painting?" urged Mabel.
emo, it isn't painting"
"Oh, / know" cried Mabel. "Type-
writing and stenographyl l am sure |
could easily learn them, if - Only"
she added, with an apprehensive shadow
coming into her face, q" / shouldn't like
to undertake any occupation, Miss
Crutchett, which would take me per-
manently away from home"
You needn't worry" said Miss
Crutchett, in the crisp, brisk way she
had. Your work can all be done at
home"
els it easy?" eagerly questioned
Mabel.
"Well, yes, after you have once
learned the trade"
"Oh, it's something that I've got
to learn, them" hesitated Mrs. YER
inder.
Exactly It's something that you've
got to learn"
And how much can / earn by it?"
Well, let's see," thoughtfully re-
marked Miss Crutchett. 81 should
think you might make as much as
twenty-five dollars month. Perhaps
more"
"Tell me what it is" she coaXed.
"Don't for PHYS sake keep me waiting"
Miss Crutchett sat calmly down, I'M
tied her bonnet strings, took off her
gloves and rolled them neatly up, each
within the other; then she gave her
spectacles an extra polish and took two
fat little volumes out of her pocket.
Here are your textbooks" said
she. master the contents of these
and your trade is learned"
Mabel made feverish snatch at the
books. One was Z" A Complete House
Book" the other was "The Manual
of Cookery"
Her countenance fell.
miss Crutchett," she cried, "you
are making game of me-"
" Not in the least" said Miss
Crutchett. mean every word that
say, and l am ready to prove it,
There is no way in which a wife can
help her husband so satisfactorily and
thoroughly as in the details of home
life. Take my advice, Mabel. Go down
stairs and dismiss that inefficient, care
less servant of yours, who is sinfully
spelling good food and feeding a swarm
of idle beggars at your back door, while
you are ordering expensive meals from
the nearest restaurant. There isn't
man living whose income could stand
the perpetual drain of wasteful serv-
ants and neglectful wife"
Neglectful!" cried Mabel, with red
bar rising to her forehead.
used the right word,n composedly re-
torted Miss Crutchett. "And here you
are pining to 90 out into the world and
earn money to help your husband
when you could help him a thousand
times more womanly and efficiently by
making the most of the money that he
earns, and by surrounding him with
all the best and sweetest influences of
home. Now, my dear, can read what
is working in your heart. | know per-
fectly well that you are wondering why
the meddling little old maid doesn't
mind her own business"
mo, am not" truthfully cried out
Mabel.
"But l think you are sensible
enough, went on Miss Crutchett, to
perceive the truth of what have been
saying. | have been looking around
your kitchen and jotting down in my
memorandum book few facts and
figures. Discharge your useless, eX-
travagant maid. Save, to begin with,
the fourteen dollars month which
represents her wages; save the twelve
dollars which represents her board ,
save the not-to-be-eXpressed sum of
her waste, her breakage, her careless
ness, her untidiness. Typhoid fever
and diphtheria rise out of just such un-
clearly corners as / find in your
kitchen and pantry. Purify the place
at once, avoid doctors bills, shut the
door on druggists. Housekeeping can
be made one of the fine arts-it should
be so. When you save you earn.
And, in addition to all this, your hus.
|
home-like. Now, my dear, l don't
know much about careers, but in my
eyes no career could be more attractive
more necessary, in fact, than this
Will you give it a trial, Mabel?"
EYES," said Mabel, in low voice
81 will give it trial. II don't
know how it is, but l never thought Of
all these things before, Miss Crutchett.'
"There must be beginning tC
everything, my DEAR" said the old lady
gently stroking the sunny braids Of
. Mabel's housekeeping head, "ant
you are as yet but a novice in life''
Journey"
Mabel Verinder thought it all over
She decided to take her eccentric ole
! friends advice, and at the end of the
t first month she added up the debit ant
5 credit accounts of the household.
Victoryl" she cried, 81 hav,
Y earned, or saved-or both-forty dol
lars this month by doing my own house
, keeping. I've had everything in eX
uuisite order and the same supplies