Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-01-03

O1ScOmIOTG. tSudI1C6 ldu really d
tender heart Discharging Bridget is
not to be thought Of.
cit can and must be thought Of /
have plan to propose, and if you agree
to it ] can almost promise change for
the better in our affairs. The plan in
cludes work for you, but if you will not
agree to it [ must give it up
Lets hear the plan, said Charles.
"There is no reason why we should
spend an idle winter; there are grave
reasons why we should not. | alone
cannot add to the care of the children
all the work that Bridget does, but with
your help | can manage without over
work. Bridget and John form one
third of the family. and of course cause
us expense aside from their wages.
fore and after school. You are as
quick as John, and as you are not ex-
pected to go to school, you can devote
those six hours to helping me-"
"But what can | do? | know moth
Ing about housework;'
"You can make the fires and take
care of the children while [ cook.
Then if it is really necessary, you can
wipe the dishes (here Charles made a
wry face). Any honest labor is to be
preferred to debt" said Mary.
"Bnt what about the washing? Isha!l
have to run around and look up wash
erwoman every week, and that will be
bother
''No Charles, we shall do our own
washing, you and |. The new method
of washing with kerosene makes the
work much easier; besides, you will do
the heavy work, draw water, lift the
| tubs, turn the wringer, hang out the
| clothes and bring them in. l will not
ask you to iron if you will amuse the
| Charles opened his eyes wide and gave
prolonged whistle.
! ''Vell," said Mary, II have submitted
| the plan, and | know it needs only your
sanction to be successfully carried out.
If you do not agree to it, do not know
of any way by which our finances can
be improved. Do not decide now; wait
until tomorrow, and then tell me your
| opinion"
| The morrow came and Charles an
nounced his willingness to try the pro-
posed order of things a month. Bridget
and John were discharged with good
recommendations and Charles Percival
| entered upon his new duties. The
kitchen and sitting-room fires claimed
his attention first in the morning, then
| his horse, chickens and COW were at
tended to. He brought the milk into
| the house and strained it; then pro-
ceeded to dress the children, while
| Mary cooked the breakfast; the chill
dren were also his care during the
greater part of the day, and he lea rned
to love them as never before; their
quaint speeches and charming little
wavs bound him with the strongest
chords. Besides. he had the conscious
ness of doing the duty; if he could not
earn money in the winter, he could at
least save it. Mary's management
was much more economical than
Bridget's and her cooking was
superior On washing days he
followed Marys plan and instead of
being ''demeaned" by it, as he seemed
to fear, he was conscious that the work
was ennobling. Was he not tightening
the burdens of the dearest woman in
the world?
Of course, there were times when, be-
ing in the village, the old longing to
linger at the store and listen to the
spinning of the old yarns would come
over him, but the thought of the noble
little woman and the dear children at
home never failed to conquer that long
ing.
Mary accomplished her object, which
was not so much to save money Though
that was no unimportant item) as to
save her husband. She continued to fill
the days with work, andin the evenings
they sometimes planned the spring
work on the farm. The agricultural
papers were consulted for the best
methods of farm work. She always
managed to have something attractive
to keep him at home.
BY the time the spring work began
he had served SO good an apprentice
ship that labor was not so dlstasteful to
him as in former seasons. That year
his farm f1ourished as never before;
they hired Bridget for the summer, but
the next winter went back to the order
of the year before. MARY had hor
ror of seeing her husband idle }
The close of the next New Year Day
found Mary at the window, looking
toward the village, as before, not de-
pressed in spirits, but with the light of
happiness dawning in her eyes. Charles
drove into the yard, and she went to
the door to meet him. He handed her
some receipted bills and small roll of
bank bills. ''Happy New Year, Mary -
said he; thanks to you, we are square
with the world, and have little left"
Mary mentally contrasted the two
New Year days, and wiped the tears of
JOY from her eyes.
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