Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-10-13
The Little Old Lady.

after giving her such impudences a
YOU never heard in all your borl
DAYS, had told her she was no lady
and had 1ounced away with her band
box in her hand, shaking her fist OF
the corner and amathemizing tn,
humble cottage from the back plat
form of the car rs place not fit TO
a decent sgurrel' to stoop to live in
Consequently Mrs. Quiverfull ha6
executed her own washing, perform
ed her own cooking, accomplished he
own dishwashing and velocipeded hel
own baby to the accompaniment Of
what she described as a raving head
ache, and was not in the humor tC
greet her lord and master with the
beaming smile recommended il
"Guides to Young Matrons" and
other excellent works written for the
Improvement of those who are mar
ried, principally by those who never
were.
Indeed, not only did she fail to
smile, but she positively frowned
when Mr.. Quiverfull jokingly tickled
her under the chin and cried: "Well,
wifelet, how has the world been 60
ing with you to-day" and answered !:
"Going, indeed" with tragic
expression and appropriate gesture,
as of casting all earthly things-Mr.
Quiverfull included = away in de-
spair.
"Girl gomez" asked that gentle
man, assuming a serious demeanor
and pulling his feeble red mutton
chop whisker softly.
He was one of the few who still
cling with tenacity to those curious
outgrowths of the masculine cheek,
and are rather proud of them.
"Words can not describe how she
went, or the filth of the kitchen,
Quiverfull. GIVE been crawling
over it on my hands and knees to
scrub it, and there was a nest of
rats in the dresser drawer and cur
tain of spider webs over the window,
and her three Saratoga trunks right
in the middle of the entry, not sent
for yet. And she has left her hair
brush in the refrigerator and her pot
of pomade in the meat safe
"Dear, dear, DEAR sighed Mr..
Quiverfull. Nor what shall | do for
you? How can help?"
"Take those children from under
my HEELS" said his lady, elf you
want any dinner"
"Well," said Mr.. Quiverfull, who
had eaten a slice of bread and cold
boiled egg at noon, and had had
long journey from his office to his
suburban cottage, and was desperate
ly hungry; "well, wifelet, just bit
of something when it is ready"
ooh, I've no doubt. Nothing dis
turbs a mans appetite" replied wife
let, who was a head taller than her
spouse and weighed considerably
more. eff / were at deaths door
you could gobble."
Whereupon she founced into the
kitchen, and Mr.. Quiverfull, some
what injured as to his tenderest feel
ings, for his wifelet had never used
him thus before, formed the five
small specimens of young America,
who were rolling about the floor, to-
gether into line, headed them with
the baby on his shoulder and march
ed them into the garden, where he
PLAYED with them until his wifelet
thrust her head out of the window
and remarked:
"After all my toll and trouble he
intends to let the meat get cold be-
fore he carves it,
"Certainly,' said Quiverfull to
himself, 'Amelia is upset to-day"
But all he did was to marshal his
host in doors and help to incase each
in blue check eating apron, and he
tried to be che erful, poor man and
he praised the dinner, and he told a
funny story that Stibs had told him,
and he helped to wipe the dishes af-
forwards; but nothing soothed his
wife or restored her to her usual con-
! dition of mind. She had made up
her mind that her lot was hard, that
| she had made a mistake in marry
| ing a small clerk in a drug store, that
| fate had afflicted her in bestowing
| five boys upon her and in recently
adding girl baby. All day she had
been envying a maiden opposite, who
sat in her luxurious apartments, fam
ming herself and reading. What a
happy fate was hers ! She had an i'm
mense income. She boarded, she
wore diamonds, she was driven out
every afternoon she had no cares
and responsibilities.
Later, when she had retired, the
baby asleep in her arms, and five lit
tie Quiverfulis asleep in their cots
and cribs in the next room, she lis
tened to her husbands small, pecu-
liar snore, like the purr of a content
ed kitten, and scornfully curled her
nose in the darkness.
"Why couldn / have waited for a
good match % she said. "Why must
l marry a red-headed little man like
that?" | wish / was still Miss Stick
leback''
eff you really wish it, you can be,
said little voice at her elbow; and
opening her eyes widely, Mrs. Quiv-