Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-18
A FAMILY STRIKE.
BY SARAH SCARBOROUGH.


Crashl
'I'm glad of itw
"Why, Malviny Maria Meeker!"
The young woman, whose baptismal
name was thus energetically pronounced,
dropped the dishpan, one weak ear OF
which had caused the disaster, and stood
for a moment gazing at the broken
crockery and the spreading puddles OF
dishwater. Then she wiped her hands
and having deliberately united her apron
suddenly turned to face the speaker.
"Yes, / am glad of it,"
"And that blue platter all in pieces p
Mrs. Meeker querulously rejoined.
"What heathenish sinner! Amt you
ashamed2n
swell, ! don't know as heathenish
sinners worse than any other kind, so
can't say l ann calmly returned the
girl. ''I've washed that blue platter
and every other dish there three times q
day for three hundred and sixty-fve
days every year since was high as that
table-and goodness knows how many
that makes-and I'm tired of it. / am
glad, so therew
The apron fell into the nearest chair,
and, snatching up sun-bonnet, Malvina
darted out the back door with the last
words on her lips.
Mrs Meeker was used to such ebulli.
tons of feeling, so she meekly caught uT
a dish-c cloth and proceeded to mop W
the rivulets, picking up each interfering
piece of broken ware with an especial
groan as the fragments of the blue plat.
ter were laid upon the table.
'Only the sugar bowl and milk
pitcher left ont of the whole set What.
ever did possess Malviny to try to lift
that pan full of dishes by them old ears
she might've known they'd come of
just sop
But with no regard for the solution O.
such a conundrum, Malvina was rapidly
making her way across the field and was
soon at her uncle's door.
"What brings you here so early in the
morning, before dishes are washedr
questioned her aunt, meeting her at the
door.
''The fact that we've been saved the
trouble of washing ours" she lightly an
swered as she passed in. "Aunt Ann,
I've seen the last of the old cracked, blue
platter. It's in hundred pieces or more
with oil the other breakfast things, and
/ did it myself, / and the old dish-pan, u
she exultantly explained, adding with
savage emphasis, II am so glad l DOM
know what to do"
"You're dangerous, then. Please keeI
q good distance from my china il that II
your mood" was her aunt's reply, but
with sympathetic twinkle in her eye.
Don't fear for your dishes, for moth
ing but force could compel me to touch
one.n
"Why, what is the matter now
Viney2" her cousin asked. THAT sounds
desperate"
'It is. I've rebelled, mutinied, struck
anything you please to call II, on be
ing jack-at-forty- eleven-trades in house.
work for my victuals, drink and clothes. ,
"You have come to an unfortunate
place then" was the reply, "for house
cleaning is the order of the day, here
Mrs. McCarty's reign is over and we are
on the brink of another desperate plunge
as soon as we can find an individual tc
paint and hang paper"
II believe I've come to a fortunate
place then. Why can't l hang YOU
paper I'd like to know2 Malvina Meeker
paper-hanger and painter, at your ser
vice, has practiced that profession al
home for three years past"
4" thought you had just now struck
on work." cried her cousin.
$50 have for no more than I've beer
getting. Now, Aunt Ann, can do thai
Job Just as well as old Stafford, and If
can, you might as we'll let me have tn,
job and the pay. Besides, the old mans
rheumatism makes him very uncertain
quantity to employ. He might have {
'crick when right in the midst of it and
there you'd be-"
"That's all So" meditated her aunt
"but-"
"That's just the thing" interrupted {
hearty voice at the door where Malvina'
Uncle Jack had presented himself in tim'
to hear the proposition. "Let Whey d.
it / say, Ann. She can; that job OF
their dinin' rooms as good q piece o
Rrainin' as want to see; and she won
make half the spatter. Consider your
self engaged, sis, and at Stafford's rates
too. I'd be ashamed to pay you an.
less"
"But Jack, what will Abram say2'
His wife hastily. followed him out int
the kitchen to anxiously ask.
"Hal hal That's Just what I'd like Il
hear. I'm glad of good chance to lie
him say. That girls father don't thinl
a woman's fit for anything but house
work and what is the meanest of 1t !
that homework with him means any
thing and everything that has to b
done. outside and in, to make thing
comfortable and fit for Twin. It's al
right enough for her to paper and pain
at home; he saves the money and h
doesn't think Whey ought to expect
cent of her own for it. She's stood
longer than / expected she would.
guess a little show of spirit III be goo'
thing for her and her mother both. Any
way, Ann, you let her do the work"
So it was settled, and two weeks late
] Whey slipped across the fields again t