The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-02-22
HOME AND HOUSEWIFE
CLARIsSA PoTTER ON HELPING IN IN
EMERGENCY.

How Death wa Met in the Farm House
and how "Aunt Martha Piper" Helped
the Yonng FarIa Wife in her Hour of
sore Trouafe-Nany CGers of Help. but
Few Helpers.
An old lady. the grandmotherof tho family,
had suddenly been stricken with paralysis,
and noon OF the morning that had found her
nctiye and helpful in that home circle, saw
her with the seal of death on pallid features
and rigid limbs.
Startling and bad news ny swiftly, and the
wide farm house was soon filed with neigh
bors and friends and relatives, who had
dropped all work in hand, when they heard
OF Grandma Birds death, and quickly rail-
lied on the house of bereavement.
Alfred faced little woman, q sons wife and
mistress of tho home, with a baby in arms
and two timid. wondering little children
elinging to hee skirts, t~earfully greeted all Of
grandmais friends, and leading them to the
white draped bed in the darkened east room,
reverentlY folded back the sheet for them to
to see their old neighbor and friend lying In
the strange sleep that comes but once.
In the stir and hustle that such a death
will cause in a quiet. country nelghborhood,
the young wife had but a little opportunity to
set her house in order, and the dinner dishes
still cluttered sink and table OF the back
kitchen, a big basket OF rough dried clothes
stood on the wash bench, q row of ragged
heeled stockings sagged from end TO end of
the long drying line behind the stove, and
undusted furniture and untrimmed lamps,
and tables Uttered with hurriedly thrown
down papers and work, and floors with
trackings OF many feet necessarily resulted
in disorderly rooms.
Surely, those thrifty, keen-sighted house,
wives, that by two and threes silently and
reverently crossed the threshold OF grand
mas room and with honest tears looked
down for q few moments on the placid face
OF the sleeper, then gathered in the cool par
Tor, their a~we-hushed whispers and low un-
dertones gradually giving place to the brisk
cosby chatter Of busy neighbors who sell
dom meet, must have taken note of the bur-
den Of work needing speedy doing in that
house.
Two or three Of the sun-bonneted arrivals
had said to the care-burdened young mis-
tress as they passed her, hurrying with the
kitchen work, on their way to ~grandma'S
room "If there is anything I can do to
help, don't be afraid to call on me- but no
one had said, 81 will help you with the
work = not until Aunt Martha Piper came.
She loved grandma, perhaps more han any
other old neighbor who gathered that day by
the sleeper's white-sheeted couch, but her
J;,,o,;.- a,o- +b1,1b lliplaI --;+b +oar-
had readily seen what needed to be done,
and at once set herself to do it.
What need to ask in such a house OF sud-
den calamity and confusion, sis there any,
thing l can do to help?" when unwashed
dishes. and unironed clothing and isorderly,
Uttered shelves and floors were there, silently
witnessing that the one pair of tired, hindered
hands for whom all waited, needed helpful
lifts.
"a mountain OF work and only one little
woman to undertake 1t! This is all wrong r
AUNT Martha said, coming back into the
kitchen after softly latching the door of the
cas- room.
She quietly donned q w~ork-apron that hung
o.. its nail, and had stirred the fire and put
on the irons heating and was washing the
heaped sink-full of dishes, before Mercy, the
young mistress of the house had opportunity
to give or deny permission to this ready
helper.
Then the rough-dried clothes were damp
ened and folded, and two skilled, swift
home-workers who had tip-toed out past
grandma's darkened bedroom, as though
fearful of waking the sleeper, on their way to
the kitchen in search OF Aunt Martha, were
promptly pressed into service by that
thoughtful, energetic woman.
With three skillful helpers, the work went
on briskly. Dishes clattered, and smoothing
irons thumped and broom and duster went
thoroughly whisking from room to room, till
the anxious brow of the worried, weary young
housewife cleared the way SO unexpectedly
and cheerily breaking through on the ava
lanche of work that had threatened TO over
whelm her.
The long line of unmended garments were
heaped on Mercy's work basket and needles
few swift and s~llilfully till the last needed
stitch was set, while the workers in hushed,
tear-fiIled voices spoke loving words in warm
praise Of her who had so long gone in and out
Of that home and had now entered into eter-
nal ~rest.-Clarissa Potter in Ladies' Home
1ournni