Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1896-03-13

no business meddling with woman at
fairs" Then, temporising, "fll tell you
wot'll cheer you up, old girl. You
come in to town tomorrow and I'll give
you lunch and treat to follow. Wot'll
it be?"
ooh, l know, Tony. Pork pies and
stout, and we'll go to the Aquarium
Maud carried the heavy tray down
stairs, and dumped it down on the
Kitchen dresser. The apartment was
decidedly untidy. Soiled plates lay
beaped on the table. Two dirty sauce
pans and greasy baking tin Uttered
the steel fender. On the stove the ket-
tie sputtered furiously and boiled over;
but the cook, seated in chair drawn
close undec the gas jet, was too abb
sorbed in book to notice matters eX-
ternal. Her cap was set awry over a
mass of tawny hair drawn loosely back
from a pleasant, studious face. Evil
IDENTIFY hers was the artistic tempera
loent, full of ideals, showing an intense
love for the poetic, but useless as re-
CARDS mere household affairs. Her
younger sister Maud was cast in diff
ferent mold. Clever, impctuous, de-
string to command, she suffered kccnlyl
under the restraint of her present scrvi-
tude. The knowledge that, while adj
mirably suited TO fill the part of mis-
tress, fate had apportioned her the role
OF servant, CALLED her bitterly.
Having deposited the tray on the
dresser, Maud cast Disguised glance
round the kitchen, and sank discon-
solately into chair On becoming
aware-of her presence and attitude, the
cook with an effort withdrew her
thoughts from the volume, and looked
inquiringly at her sister through her
glasses.
well, what is it tonight, Maud 2"
she asked, placidly.
"Oh, Christine, I'm sick of this" was
the passionate reply. Talk of the
drudgery of govenessing. Gowrnesses
can keep their hands clean. and look lii Z
ladies', at least"
"But we know we are ladies, DEAR
interposed the milder Christine, "and
goyernesses are often much worse off
than we are here"
"Governesses never need to come
down to a black beetley kitchen at half
past six on cold, dark morning, and
kindle fire"
Cleaning the fues is the greatest
trial | have yet experienced" paren
thesized Christine, with a shudder
"This is supposed to be good place, =
continued Maud, ~ wonder what bat!
one is like"
well, we might have had washing to
do, and windows to clean and children
to look AFTER" replied the more con
ciliatory Christine. II do think, Maud,
it is because the work is so new to US
that we are awkward ami don't get On
quickly
but it humiliates me to find that
work which quite uneducated girls
would think nothing of, should seem Sc
difficult to us"
u certainly never anticipated finding
any difficulty" said Christine, thought
fully, though naturally what people,
have been working at all their lives
must come easy to them"
I'VE are nothing but rank amateurs
and we must face the fact thar third
of our salary-wagcs, Leg its pardor
lis squandcred in secretly employing
charwoman"
IL loathe and detest caps and aprons
too" went on Maud, getting up am
beginning noisily to collect the dishc.
by way of letting off her oteam. IF tho
postman smirks at me | feel mad, an;
when the greengroccr's man tried tt
kiss me | wanted to murder somebody. :
But Mrs. Porter is really kind, dear
She was quite anxious when you has
that cold last week. Only mist con
fess, Maud, that / cam Vt respect EN-
ployers whose only idea of literatur,
is represented by the penny weeklics.
You forget the histories in the Ii
brary bookcase" said Maud, bitterly.
"All uncut. Come, let us make til,
best of it, said her gentler sist, +; "yo,
must look back and remember hnw glac
we were to be able to come here TO
gether, where there were 10 othc
maids with whom we would have bee,
obliged to associate"
"Yes, and look forward to nothin,
but this endless cleaning and washin.
| up all our lives. But, to tell you tn,
plain truth, Christine, don't beliey
| they're satisfied with us"
"Oh, never dreamed of that" ey
claimed Christine, aghast what shall
we do if they send us away?"
Il 81 don't really care. / know it
silly when we are SO dependent, but
don't feel as if | could endure this ex
istence day longer" and, laying he
hcad on the kitchen table, Maud. tn
dauntless, who had so braveiy endure,
their reverses, worn out by thre
months of ceaseless, mcongenial toll
burst into an uncomfortable flood O
teurs.
Good Mrs. Porter's already perturbe,
mind was greatly exercised next morn
ing by the receipt of an epistle from tn
faithful Martha, her late cook, statini
that as Marthu's mother had nov quit
recovered she proposed returning +