Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-08-20


the most ridiculous wages. OF course,
she had not told the new girl, but it was
quite true that she paid her not half
what she had been compelled to pay
the cook who had just left her. But
when Almira POllers, fresh, pleasant
featured young country girl, had ap-
piled for the place and had accepted
Mrs. MOnroe's offer Of 50 a week to
start WITH her new mistress did not
think it necessary to mention that the
prOffered sum was very low indeed
"Of course, you shall have more as
yOn improve, Almira, but you know so
little about fancy cooking | scarcely
feel able to pay you more at the start" :"
Mrs. MunrOe had smiling sweetly on
Almira, who did not know that very lit
tie fancy cooking was ever done in that
household. And so Almira took up her
burden, and for the first time in nine
teen years of her life began to earn
wages.
The POllers had always been farmers
and owned their own place, but AL
mira's father had somehow managed
to get behind and a mortgage had been
Fastened upon the farm. The man who
held the mortgage was very well salts
fled to receive good interest every
year and renew Peter Pollers' note, but
1t came to pass that 1t was hard to pay
even the interest. This particular year
the crops had mostly failed. 1t lacked
but few weeks until the interest was
due, when Almira, the eldest of the
hock-there were ten in all-made up
her mind to go out "to service" Her
determination created a great commo-
tion in the family. None of the Pollers
women had ever worked out, and the
idea was very distasteful, but Almira
eventually carried the day. Had her
education been thorough enough she
would gladly have taught school, but
the little Pollers had appeared at such
frequent intervals that Almra was oh.
liged to stay at home most of the time
to assist her mother and her educa-
tion was limited
SO, not without some inward strug-
giles, she had decided that the only way
she could help along would be by eX-
ercising her chief gift, cooking. Mrs.
Munroe's advertisement in the Week
ly Gazette had caught her eye, and
she was very happy when she secured
the situation. The wages were not
large, but she could save all the money
for her father, and there would be one
less to feed at home. That counted
for something.
Mrs. Munro's family consisted of her
self and Il brother Mr.. Monroe had
died several years before and his wild
ow was quite wealthy. Her home, sit
uatcd in an ariStOcratic suburb of the
city, although small, was handsome
and well appointed, and she had suili-
cicnt income to keep it up well. Mrs.
Munroe liked to call herself economic
al, and we cannot deny she was in
some things. She dressed elegantly
and gave largely to her church. bat
there never was Il closer woman IN
some respects than she. The shop pco-
pie dreaded to see her come in. for al
though she always purchased the best,
she invariably haggled ut the price
until she got the goods for less than
their marked price. At the groceries
1t was the same way, and woe to the
servant who wasted scrap of any
thing or presumed to eat more than
the mistress thought necessary. After
the first table Mrs. Munroe removed
any delicacicS she considered unneceS-
sary for servants coarse appetite
without the slightest conjunction.
Her brother Tom, who paid a hand
some sum for the privilege of sharing
her home, once saw this performance
and demonstrated with her. but to no
avail
sit would be casting pearls before
swine" she remarked to his intense
disgust, as she replaced dish of lem
on jelly in the closet and substituted
saucer of molasses.
Tom Bhncy was one of those big
hearted convivial follows who, left
with more money than they needed,
succeeded in getting rid of it in differ.
ent ana Improbable ways. He was
not really bad, but he drank a good
bit and never had done anything use.
full in his life. He had been put in
his fathers office, but he was extreme
ly weak in his arithmetic. and sue.
ceeded In mixing up the figures So
badly that 1t took an expert to un-
tanglc them. After that his fnthrr
had not tried TO make Il business man
OF him, hut said that as Tom had been
cut out for gentleman he should be
one.
But this was exactly what poor Tom
was not cut out 10 be-that is, II we
agree to the accepted meaning OF the
word-a man of refined manners. He