Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-05-15
LAPORTE, PA, FRIDAY, MAY Is, 1891.
were once more in order, went up and
made the bed of the Woods bows,

"oio oHCe HOIo III Oruer, Went up anu
made the bed of the Woods boys.
Done at last, went to my own room,
bathed, changed my dress, and went
down. Hearing Ellen's voice on the
porch, I went out then and found her
trying to quiet the baby, who is teething
and the hot weather makes him very
cross.
"Why Cousin Annie where have you
been all day, and what have you been
doing to get SO warm and red2" asked
Helen, as sat down.
I told her had been baking.
''Baking2 what makes you do it9
Why don't you buy breads never let
cook bake when it is so hot"
| said that in the country we could
not buy bread.
'.Oh, dear! I wouldn't live in the
country for anythingl" said she.
l thought I would like to try my ham
mock, so asked Ellen to move her
chair around to that side of the house.
AS we came in sight of the hammock,
behold Marguerite in it, with my lovely
copy of Longfellow, which Hugh gave
me last Christmas, turned backward and
folded together as she read it. That was
too much for my equanimity, and
asked her to hold it in q different man
ner if she wished to read it.
Remarking, angrily, that she did not
care to read it anyway, she closed the
book and threw it on the ground. I
went and picked up my poor abused
treasure, finding one corner broken, the
back loose, and big grease spot on the
fine Russia cover. felt like crying.
Tonight, Hugh said he would go and
see if he could not get a Jones girl to
come over and help me. But neither of
them could come, as their mother and
the baby were both sick.
I ought not to have spent all this time
writing, but all the house was SO warm,
and was exhausted from the heat, so 1
opened every door and window to the
utmost, and sat down to write. I feel
rested some now, and the night air has
cooled the house. will shut the doors
and go to bed.
August /. Such time as had with
those boys, and those Woods folks in
general, was a caution!
had to keep; going from early morn
ing until late at night to keep the work
done, and something cooked to eat.
Hugh did his best to get a girl, but
could not, as it was just in the midst of
haying-time, and everyone was busy.
And for the same reason, Hugh could
not help me much himself, or spare
either of the men. They brought allthe
wood, and water, and churned, and took
the big pans flmilk up from the cellar /;
in fact, did whatthey could.
Such reignsof terror. as those boys of
Ellen's inaugurated! The first day was
q sample of those'which followed-from
one days end, to the otherthey were into
some kind of scrape. They let the
hens out to destroy my garden; they
played ball in theSfront yard, and broke
three-dollar pane of glass; they fell
into the pond, by turns, narrowly es-
Gaping drowning they rode the calves /;
Herky tried to ride the colt and got
kicked; they let out;the pigs: they broke
all the eggs, until Iahadtto buy some of
Simmons.
Ellen langulshed insthehparlor, or on
the veranda, all day long never saying
much, except to grumblei at the country
and its disadvantages.
Hugh declared every night that it must
end, but / did not'want to seem inhos-
pitable, even though 1 must work hard
to care for them. did not want to Of
fend her; thought every day, she would
get tired of it all. and go home. But
she didn't seem to feel'worried over the
escapades of the boys. The baby was
very cross, and required all her time.
baked, and;cooked, and every blessed
day went up and put their rooms in
order; never oncesdid they lift hand
to help. pickedfup books, and hats,
and handkerchiefs, and fans from every
chair and table in Ithe house. The floor
was strewn ,wreckage. One of the
boys stolein the cellar, and while drink
ing from paniof milk let his hat fall
into it, while another poked about in my
jar of cream to see what it was, using a
dirty stick, and his,equally dirty fingers.
l had to buyibutter, but l kept the cellar
locked afte4that.
All. mel how long those days did
seem.
At last, one morning when they had
been here ten day, l woke up with a
sick headache of the most pronounced
type. Ifelt so sick did not care for
anything, and when Hugh came up,
after they hadibreakfast, and said he was
going to take Ellen to the train, I didn't
think or carermuch about it; onlyI felt
vague senseiof relief, even amidst the
green -colored mists of sick headache.
was sick alltthat day, and the next day
was Sunday, so Hugh staid about the
house and tended to things, while I
rested; 1 was fairly worn out.
Monday morning went about look
ing things over. Everything from one end
of the houseito the other was dirt; dirty
finger marks on every door and window,
my new best chamber carpet with those
big blue stains in the centre of it, my
Longfellow ruined, and my hammock |
I had never used it once, and it was all
torn to pieces. The boys had put the