Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-07-04

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wicked. If ever there was wolf in
sleeps clothing, always granting
that Mrs. Perkins was right and that
she was a wolf, it was Mary.
Mrs. Perkins was the proprietress
ofthat commodious and genteel-look-
ing double fronted house which
stands in the best position of the
Marine parade, Hastings; commands
an excellent view of the sea, and con
DO thoroughly recommended tor it's
comfort and cleanliness and moder-
ate charges. Mary is the house
maid, parlormaid, nursemaid, foot
man, light porter and boots all roll
ed into one. The only portion ofthe
household duties of which Mary has
OF share is the cooking.
Mrs. Perkins had also among her
regular clients many clerical families,
and there is always something in
tensely respectable about the female
relatives of the clergy. When clergy
mems wives or widows take ono floor
in your housed really dosen't matte
who has the other apartments. A bish-
ops wife in the drawing room would
neutralize even q young foreign lady
with golden hair, who smoked cigar
cites in the dining room.
There was q Mr.. Perkins Mt Prospect
mansion, but he didn't matter much.
Nobody ever paid the slightest atten-
ton to him, except when no was in
tho way down stairs, which no
generally was. Mr.. Perkins was a
melancholy, thin man of about As.
He was supposed to be in delicate
health, which prevented him follow
ing any business.
His one occupation in life was OBJ
literating himself in his own house.
and keeping tho child quiet The
child was II little girl OF about 6. who
was always with Mrs. Perkins when
she was good, and always with Mr..
Perkins when she was naughty or
when Mrs. Perkins had one of her
bad headaches-a state OF affairs by
no means uncommon.
Very humble, very subdued, Mr..
Perkins endeavored as far as posi-
BILE to be invisible. He was afraid of
everybody in the house.
Except Mary.
Even Mr.. Perkins. who allowed him
self to be crushed by the cook and
would step aside to allow the boy
who came in for an hour of q morn
ing to do the boots to pass, plucked
up spirit enough to agree that Mary
was "a wicked gal"
In addition to Mary and Mrs. Per
kins and Mr.. Perkins and the little
girl, the family contained an Irish
cook of fiery temper and voluble ut
terance. "An excellent cook" said
Mrs. Perkins; IAN indefatiga BILE work
er-but really ut times, too violent
in her language to tho tradespeople."
1t was in this delightful household
that Mary Jones endeavored con-
scientiously to do her duty. She was
mild, amiablc girl, who, after living
n life of lodging house slaverydom,
had come to the conclusion thai
what everybody said was right, and
that she must be awfully stupid and
awiully wicked.
On Sept. II, 1882, day never to
be forgotten in tho life annals OF
Mary Jones, "the wicked gall had
been exceptionally wicked all day
long the lower regions had echoed
with cries of MARY, you wicked gal.
you've been and upset the gravy on
the stair carpet" MARY, you wicked
gal, do you know that you've LETT
your dust pan on the drawing room
soia? MARY, sture, it's n saint
from heaven that We d be aggravatin'.
and it's the mistress that we're MUIR
therin' with yere wicked way, and she
as she is. too"
This is n delicate allusion on the
part OF the Irish cook before missus
to missus' health and the approach.
ing advent OF another little Perkins.
Poor Mary had gone hot and cold.
md trembled as her varions delin-
luencies were pointed out to her.
She had wcpt and shifted, and de-
dared more than once that she would |
90 and 'drownd" herself in the con-
leniently situated sea; but for all
hat she had gone on with her work
Until she was dead beat, and, as she
it, "felt regularly sinking
ind all over alike"