The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-03-01

some other remark-just for the SAX
of variety, you know"
Dorothy smiled absently and al
swered:
''Yes, Frank"
Frank groaned.
"Tnere it is again!" he exclaimed
Then he added kindly: Aren't yo
well, Dotty? Seems to Inc, you loo
white. Does anything trouble you?
wish you'd tell me what you're thinking
about"
"Pm thinking about mother an,
myself, Frank" turning towards hin
and raising her ewes wistfully to his
You always thought me rather nice
girl, didn't you, as girls go?"
"Rather-as girls go?"
well, I'm not. l only found it OH
to-day; but" sitting erect with sudden
energy. Pm cruel, wicked, selfisi
thingi On, Frank, l hate myself! I've
been thinking, and l must speak oui
to some one. Mother is killing her
self, working for us all; but it is no
the children's fault, it is all mine.
am the oldest, and l should have
big tears rolled unheeded down hel
cheeks.
The expression in the brown eve:
looking at her grew rather tender.
Il think" said Frank, slowly. THAT
on the whole. prefer cruel, wicked
selfish people to Others"
Dorothy's smile was a failure.
''Dotty," he said, gently, why dc
you feel so terribly about it? Youl
mothers all right, you know; and il
You want to help her, you can begin
now-can't you?"
Eyes, indeed. l am going to AT
once"
"How?" with interest.
''Well, think I'll do the cooking
that will be quite a weight off her mind
I'm going to get up early tomorrow,
and have breakfast ready when she
comes down"
The next day Dorothy opened her
eyes to new life. The room was
filled with the grey morning-Iiyht. she
dressed hurriedly, and VITA StealtIIy
step, descended to the kitchen. How
cheerless the usually bright little room
appeared.
Patty can't be up yet" thought
! Dorothy. Patty was the 16-vear-0ld
maid-of-all-work. Il wonder if moth.
er has to awaken her every mornin g?'
She passed through small passage
into tiny room at the end. where
Patty was sleeping the sleep of the
just. Rousing her proved to be work
of time; but it was finally accom-
plished, and Dorothy returned to her
| labor.
"I'll leave the fire for Patty" she
thought, because of course she knows
! just how to build it. What shall !
have for breakfast? Let me see
here's something in a covered dish
| Oh! potatoes, cut up ready for frying:
that will be easy. And eggs-I Il
scramble them; the boys like them that
way best"
Here Patty appeared, yawning and
rubbing her eyes, which opened in
round astonishment when they beheld
Dorothy.
81 thinked misses looked rather fun
ny when she woke me up this morn
in" she remarked.
Now, light the fire, Patty" said
Dorothy.
'.Yes'm. Misses mostly does that.
cause waste so much kindlin'."
Light the fire? Mother?"
"Yes, miss, she do; cause /"
"Well, you light it this morning
you can, l suppose? Now let me see.
you fry potatoes in butter, think. |
know just how to do that, for I've seen
mother grease the gridiron for cakes. +"
Taking small piece of butter, she
rubbed it carefully over the surface OF
the gridiron, and deposited the pota-
toes thereupon, to have them ready.
''And toast-Pll have toast. Patty,
that fires going well enough now.
Where's the bread?"
Patty, walking backwards, so as not
to lose the slightest movement of Dor
othy, whose proceeding she watched
with the liveliest interest, brought the
bread, which Dorothy proceeded to
cut.
That amt the way to cut bread, y
the knife t'other way"
The blade at that moment entering
one of Dorothy's fingers, proved the
truth of Patty's observation. But she
was too much in earnest to be daunted
by slight discouragement, and present
ly a small pile of uneven slices lay
near her.
.They look horrid that way-thick
at one end and thin at the other" she
thought, her cheeks beginning to grow
rather hot ''but,. if they're toasted
nicely, maybe it won't matter. Now.
Patty. getme something to cook the
eggs in. We must hurry, or motherll
be down. Put the potatoes on, while
l make the toast and break the eggs.
Mercy! there goes some of the shell in.
Why, they're beginning to cook al
ready. Oh. they're burning! they're
burning! Patty. bring me a spoon
quick-to stir them. But what makes
the potatoes smoke so? Ought they to
smoker"
mo, thev oughtn't You didn't put
enough grease in. Why don't missus
get breakfus? Is she ill?"
''No. Pm always going to do the
cooking after-Oh, the toast is blaZ-
ing! These eggs are stuck fast! The
potatoes are burned! What shall |
do?"
Mrs. Maynard awoke with con-
fused idea that the house was on fire.
Yes, there certainly was smoke in the
room. Springing out of bed, she hasti-
ly thrust her feet into slippers, and
throwing on wrapper, ran into the
hall. There the smoke was more dense
and strong odor of burning pre-
vailed; and, surely, there were voices
somewhere.
She paused an instant; then, going
quickly down stairs, she threw open
the kitchen door. For a moment the
smoke blinded her; then she saw Patty
running wildly about, ilourshing a
long iron spoon; and by the stove, with
crimson cheeks, a cut on one hand, Al
burn on the back of the other, and
spots of smut and grease all over the
front of her pretty morning-dress.
stood Dorothy, trying to lift grid
die filled with some smoking mass. off
the fire.
why. Dorothy" cried her mother.
Dorothy dropped the griddle upon
the floor with crash. and throwing
herself into chair, burst into tears of
disappointment and Encouragement.
Mrs. May nard ran to herin alarm.
Dorothy, what is the matter?' she
exclaimed. "What were you doing,
child?'
"Oh, mother" she sobbed. "Pm a
stupid, stupid goose! ] thought I'd
holm Won and oct breakfast. hut I've