Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-03-26

Then the mania she had for novels
Our young ladies' couldn't lay one
down for Eve minutes but she had
taken it and popped down, no matter
where. to read. Once | found heI
curled all up on the parlor sofa, the
babys clean clothes dumped down
on the floor, and Miss Jennie crying
her eyes out over the Cray Maid OF
Belfast" Next day she varied the
performance by sitting down on a
frying pan turned upside down, in
the kitchen, to devour. she said, 1.-The
Count of Monte Cristo."
Then she found "The Mysteries OF
Udolpho," /" and used to screech if the
candle went out and nearly squeeze
me to death nights with terror if a
mouse squeaked. With her head in
a novel and her mind after it she
would iron the fi4e things with fat
irons nearly red hot, scorching them
black. or scrape the flannels into
creases with cold ones. She would
put Willie's trousers on Nettie and
Nettie's bonnet on Willie, and then
if demonstrated say: "Oh, dear,
was wishing Miss Fannie would fin
ish the second volume of Great .Ex-
pectations. I'm dying to know who
Miss Haversham is. Oh, Alice, think
how deliciously romantic to wear
your wedding garments for twenty
years"
1T may be very romantic, but 1t is
particularly nasty" ] said, and the
only answer | got was the informa-
tion that had no soul.
One day. hearing dreadful crying
in the nursery while was busy down
stairs, went up. There sat Miss
Jennie, with all her hair pulled down,
and her nightgown on over her pet
ticoats, squatted down in the corner
of the fireplace, glaring like a maniac,
Willie, half dressed, was cutting his
coat to pieces with my scissors, and
Nettie. all ready for a walk, was
screaming with terror at Jennie's an
tics.
"Are you crazy, girl2" said an
grily.
"Oh, Alicel do ! look crazy2 l
thought would just try how it
would seem to do the scene in the
Bride of Lammermoor, when Lucy
goes frantic. Mrs. Green often used
to dress me like the heroines and let
me do scenes, but here-my soul
starves for it's wonted food"
was too angry to laugh, and for
the first time | boxed her ears.
"A blow Tyrant, bewarep she
cried, striking an attitude.
She was evidently so ticliled at the
idea of being i'll treated that l would
not give her the satisfaction of being
a martyr, and sent her to change her
dress and get ready to take the chill
dren out.
Doing scenes was one Of her favor
ite amusements. She nearly stran-
gled Willie in one of her tantrums by
taking him by the throat, saying she
was defying Rinaldo in the Pirates
Victim" and poor little Nettie she
took for a footstool and threw her
self despairingly right on top of
her as Leonie, in the MAID of the
Haunted Barnyard. At first ! let
her give the children their meals,
but after she sugared their eggs, put
molasses in their soup, made them
sick by letting them eat a whole
jar of jam at one luncheon, broke
a whole waiter of crockery by start
ing at a slight noise, poured a whole
pitcher of water on Willie's head
instead of into his cup, pinned Net
ties napkin to the tablecloth instead
of around her neck, spread nearly
a pound of butter on q small piece
of cake and wiped Willie's mouth
with a hairbrush, took care of their
meals myself.
Then / gave her the care of the
washing and ironing. That was no
better. She starched the fiannels till
they were as stiff as boards, made
the pocket handkerchiefs like shirt
front by the same process, squeezed
the indigo bag till all the white
clothes were bright blue and then
took out that tinge by scorching them
a lively brown.
1t was no manner of use to COM
plain. Mrs. Green had left her $500,
to be paid when she was married or
came of age, and she made the care
of Jennie until that time Mrs. Woods
charge by the conditions of her will,
so Mrs. Wood turned her over to me,
and a nice time had of it.
At last she fell in lovel All that
had gone before was mere trifie to
what came now. She met the man,
whom she persisted in calling her
fate, in the street. while she was
walking with the children. Mar
garet, the cook, insisted upon it that
it was the bakers boy, but Jennie
scorned the suggestion. No; he was
"A gentleman born, now in reduced
circumstances, whose heart went out
to her when they met. Our conver-
satons now were something after
this pattern;
Jennie, you are spilling that milk
all over the fioorp
"Oh, Alice, such eyesm
Take care, Jennie; you'n drop the
baby into the firep
"Oh, such a mustache, so black, so
silky, and such teethp
"Iannie Won ara brushing Willia'S