Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-04-30

without having to wonder If Mrs
King would be cross"
"And there would never be anyone
to scold about my practising" said
Lizzie, as if that were the one thing
needful to ensure her happiness.
'sIt's crazy scheme, and, of course,
1 was only Joking" Helen reptile !,
slowly; s'but have been convention
al all my life and now, if the rest of
you will venture, will; for another
year Of this will be the death of me.
We could never furnish a house
though"
IT have fire screen and a Sevres
cup" said Lizzie, actually laughing.
eve could take turns drinking out of
that.'
"Your piano would half furnish one
room," continued Helen. 81 have
book case and waste paper basket,
and I know Mary has a real Japanese
teapot"
Japanese teapot" was the scorn-
full reply. cat home 1 have all my
grandmother's blue china, and
closet full of woollen blankets and
patchwork quilts that she gave me
when she broke up housekeeping.
| She said [ should want them some
day, but I don't think she imagined
anything of the kind without man
| in the case.''
"Never mind the man when you
have absolute riches stored away in
hat closet" said Helen. Besides, 1t
believe we all have gumption, and
that will go further than anything
else toward furnishing house out of
nothing. I've always wanted to try
it.
"Try what?" said Miss Potter, who
had come in only in time to hear the
last words and she listened very quiet
IL while each one tried to give her
the whole thing in nutshell. cit is
an experiment I shouldn't dare to try
with very many people, she said,"
when they gave her q chance to
speak, "but I think we know each
other we'll enough to do it.''
"Here we are four women, all earn
ing what ought to be comfortable in
comes, yet we are without home com
forts or home feeling. 1 am SO tired |
Of living in one room that [ am tempt
ed to knock the windows out just to
see if it will not give me the feeling |
of little more breathing space.
II believe we could make a home
for ourselves and for each other, and
know the very place for it, too. The
old Benton house is to let; it is an old
fashioned house that was very hand
some in its day, and there is real
old time fireplace in it that will take
in sticks two feet long"
"Heavenly!'' cried Lizzie; but
Mary silenced her by asking, "what
is the rent?"
''Two hundred and fifty year-a
dollar and quarter week for each
of us. Now, if we are serious, we
might as we'll sit down and count the
cost" and Miss Potter, who was
nothing if not practical, brought out
her tablets and pencil. eve each
pay Mrs. King five dollars a week;
UWO dOi1dIS IL WS0k lEOH CdCu OI us
will be four hundred-that will en-
tirely pay for the fuel and lights be-
sides the rent, and will leave six hun
dred for the tables and other ex-
penses. 1 was brought up in a small
country parsonage where the salary
was small, and L know that amount
would have seemed positive luxury"
'sBut the work?" questioned Mary
''Wen," said Miss Potter, soberly,
eff orders don't come in faster than
they have lately, shall have time to
do good deal.'
$50 shall - said Lizzie, "for except
on Saturday never have any scholars
till ten O'Clock, and I like to wash
dishes.o
ssThen, continued Miss Potter, our
laundry bills are at least fifty cents
week. That four fifty cents would
pay woman two whole days, and
know one who would do the laundry
work in that time, and most Of the
sweeping and cleaning besides. Then
we could sometimes go to Austin's to
dinner, if we got into tight place.
You see, it is cooperative idea on
a small scale; one of us could not do
much housekeeping on five dollars
and a half a week, but if we put four
times that together and make twenty
two. It's very different matter.
Of course the scheme called forth
all sorts Of comments. Mrs. King
pra1ioto1 immediate financial min
while Tom FRASER gained an entrance