The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-02-27

You will save twenty-five dollars
month-Hiram's wages"
"And have twenty-five more coming
in. l guess you're on the right track"
Not so fast. want the rent-money
for another purpose. l will give up
Bridget and be my own servant"
You can't"
81 think can. l will put out the
laundry work and have woman come
occasionally to give thorough clean
ing"
"That would cost as much"
" In money paid as wages perhaps it
would, but we save the board of one
hearty person, the waste, the general
wear and tear"
/" How about your CLASP"
"That would be given up, and, as
that means a loss of all my pocket
money, l should require my compen-
sation. l want the rental of it,"
Her listeners eyes blinked sur
prisedly, but not at all abashed by his
astonishment, his wife went on: "Now
for my figures. You pay Bridget
fourteen dollars month besides an
extra five at each house cleaning
AT how much do you value her board
and waste?"
" AT quite as much more"
Your own figures, then, are three
hundred thirty-siX with ten extra),
forty-six dollars year. In return for
the salary l ask | will assume all
charge of Ruth's and my personal ex-
penses, that is, clothing and so on. The
laundry work will cost about seventy
five dollars year, and that is for you
to pay, but / will attend to the hire of
the woman who comes to assist me in
the house. Out of your thousand
dollar income this will leave you over
nine hundred to meet the expenses
toward which you now have less than
five hundred. Wouldn't that stop the
leak?"
1t sounds well.n
Don't be faithless. want to help,
but | am not willing to go into your
kitchen for no recompense save the
necessity of begging few dollars to
buy my clothes. If l grew feathers
like the chickens-but | don't. The
way have proposed is right and fair
on both sides.'
Scales were beginning to fall from
the husbands eyes; he laid aside his
glasses that they might do so without
obstruction; then he rose, held out his
arms, and Mary nestled in them.
81 never dreamed you had that
feeling about it, dear; forgive my
laundering"
Enough. Will you try this?n
" You will not feel it mental and get
discouraged"
Sc / make no rash promises. | shall
get tired-I do now; but l see nothing
mental in ministering to my own"
"Then we will try"
So Mary Kent entered upon a new
life. She sang about her tasks like
happy girl and devised ways and
means for saving time, till she laugh
ingly declared the house nearly ran
itself"
Ruth furthered her mothers plans
with childhood's ready sympathy, and
" saved steps " where she could, every
Saturday evening receiving her own
little salary" of fifty cents to do with
as she liked, and growing, mentally,
with every payment thus received.
Many a little "picnic" they had
during the bright summer days, lock-
ing their house and driving about the
country. A cold dinner in the woods
tasted better than a hot one in the
house, and there was no one left alone
at home to grow lonely or discomfort,
and to fret if they were late in getting
back.
" Come home with me, Halford, and
take supper"
" Guess I'd better not. If Mary does
her own work, she won't want an un-
expected guest"
"That's just why | ask you. We
are free from kitchen tyranny now, and
do as we like"
The autumn evening was chill, so the
house-mother had lighted a fire on the
dining-room hearth. Its dancing
CLEANS fell on daiutily-spread table,
and fingered caressingly about the
happy woman and child who were
waiting for papa"
From an adjoining kitchen came
odors of tempting little supper, and
it was upon this pleasant scene that
John Kent brought his friend.
81 wonder, Mistress Mary, do you
always keep fixed up this way, with
your company dishes out?"
"They're not company any more,
Uncle Jack. Mamma and l take care
OF everything, so now we have all as
pretty as we can. | feel older and big
ger when we keep nice"
Dear little girl, you've hit the nail
on the head; we all put on dignity
with improved surroundings; but Pm
in earnest pursuit of information on
this domestic question. AT our house
there is continued turmoil over the help,
changing, scolding, worrying Mrs.
Jack has often threatened to do with
out, but | feared it would be a losing
experiment. How do you face the
drudgery which must be as inevitable
as distasteful?"
1t has ceased to exist for me, like
this: Washing dishes was my snare. /
hated it. Such deal of grace it takes
to do an unpleasant thing over and over
three times a day, on all the days which
are to come! MOnOtonouS is mild. |
began to grow snappy at sight of pan
of hot water, so | said; Mary Kent, if
you must wash crockery, some noble
L.