St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-10-15
A FAMILY STRIKE.
BY SARAH SCARBOROUGH.

''l'm glad of it!'
"Why, Malviny Maria Mcckcr!"
The young woman, whose baptismal
name was thus theoretically pronounced,
dropped the dishpan, one weak ear Of
which had caused the disaster, and stood
for moment gazing at the broken
crockery and the spreading puddles of
dishwater Then she wiped her hands
and having deliberately Ut tied her apron
suddenly turned to face the speaker.
YES, | am glad OF it."
"And that blue platter all in pieces ~
Mrs. Mceker qucrulously rcjoincd.
"What hcathcnish sinner! Amt you
ashamcdl"
"Wen I don't know as heathenish
sinners worse than any other kind, so |
can't say am,' calmly returned the
girl Owe washed that blue platter
and every other dish there three times a
day for three hundred and sixty-tive
days every year since | was high as that
table-and goodness knows how many
that makcs-and I'm tired of it. I am
glad, so theren
The apron fell into the nearest chair,
and, snatching up a sun-bonnct, Malvina
darted out the back door with the last
words on her lips.
Mrs. Mecker was used to such cbulli-
tons of feeling, so she meekly caught up
a dish-c cloth and proceeded to mop up
the rivulcts, picking up each interfering
piece of broken ware with an especial
grodn as the fragments of the blue plat
ter were laid upon the table.
"Only the sugar bowl and milk
pitcher left out of the whole set. What
ever did possess Maiviny to try to lift
that pan full of dishes by them old ears
she might've known they'd come off
Just so.'
But with no regard for the solution of
such Il conundrum, Malyina 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 washed2'
questioned her aunt, meeting her at the
door.
1.-THE fact that we've been saved the
trouble of washing ours, she lightly an
swcrcd 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 all the other breakfast things, and
| did it myself, and the old dish-pan, "
she exultantly explained, adding with
savage emphasis, Il am so glad | don't
know what to do"
"You're dangerous, then. Please keep
good distance from my china if that is
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
"Why, what is the matter now,
VincyI" her cousin asked. ''That sounds
desperate.
ct is. I've rebelled, mutinied, struck,
anything you please to call j., on be-
ing iack-a forty -elcvcn-trades in house
work for my victuals, drink and clothes"
"You have come to an unfortunate
place them" was the reply, ."for house
cleaning is the order Of the day, here.
Mrs McCarty's reign is over and VIC are
on the brink of another desperate plunge
as soon as we can find an individual to
paint and hang paper"
II believe I've come to fortunate
place then. Why can't I hang your
paper Id like to know? Malvina Mceker,
er-hangdr and painter, at your ser
vice, has practiced that profession at
home for three years past"
q thought you had just now struck
on work." cried her cousin.
So have for no more than I've been
getting. Now, Aunt Ann, | can do that
job just as well as old Stafford, and if |
can, you might as we'll let me have the
job and the pay. Besides, the old mans
rheumatism makes him very uncertain
quantity to employ. He might have a
'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 a
hearty voice at the door where Malvina' s
Uncle Jack had presented himself in time
to hear the proposition. ''Let Whey do
it I say, Ann. She can; that job on
their dinin' rooms as good a piece O.
grainin' as [ want to see; and she won't
make nail the Spatter. CONSIDER your
self engaged, sis, and at Stalfords rates,
too. I'd be ashamed to pay you any
less
''But Jack, what will Abram sayg'
His wife hastily followed him out into
the kitchen to anyiously ask.
''Ha! ha! That's just what I'd like to
hear. I'm glad of a good chance to let
him say. That girls father don't think
a woman's fit for anything but house
work and what is the mcancst of it is
that homework with him means any
thing and everything that has to be
done, outside and in, to make things
comfortable and fit for livin'. It's all
right enough for her to paper and paint
at home; he saves the money and he
doesn't think Whey ought to expect a
cent of her own for it. She's stood it
longer than l expected she would I
guess little show of spirit IL be good
thing for her and her mother both. Any
way, Ann, you let her do the work"
81 So it was settled, and two weeks later
Whey slipped across the fields again to