The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-14
ORIGINAL STORY.
How One Woman Solved a Vexed
Problem.

1t was summer at Glover Farm
Summer with its long, sunshiny days
summer with the sound of happy, bus
insect life, filing the air from tn
morning song of the robin, to the goo
night chirp of the cricket; summer wit
the scent of June roses, and the fra
GRANGE of new mown hay, coming in q
the wide open doors and windows O
the old farm house.
Mrs. Hathaway, mistress of Glove
Farm, paused in the wide open door
way, attracted by the freshness ant
harmony of that summer morn Ca
pable of approaching to the utmost thu
beauty and promise of the scene befor,
her, yet the clouded brow, the far away
look in the deep hazel eyes and a hal
involuntary sigh told to even a casua
observer, that trouble of some kline
marred for her any enjoyment in ma.
ture's song Of rejoicing. Mrs. Hatha'
way had but just recovered from a &C.
we're illness to find herself at the busiest
season of the farmers wife without help
of any kind, and with sadly impaired
strength. The uplifting, helpful infu.
ences of that morn were lost upon her.
To her over tired nerves and weary
mind, every sight and sound suggested
that the season of haying and harvest
ing was close at hand, yea, already be-
gun, and that to the initiated means ex-
ira help outdoors for the busy farmer,
early rising and almost constant prep
aration of meals and lunches by the
busy housewife. l Dan never think of
this season of the year but l am re-
noindaI ~ thnoo linno fron, ana IF M;oo
Wilcox poems:
"They do not know that the heart within her
They only know that they want their dinner,
Plenty of 1t and just on time"
1t was not Mr.. Hathaway's fault that
his wife was alone. For three days he
had roamed the country side far and
near in search of help, at the time of
year when an idle day meant loss I'M
told, only to meet with no success.
Help at all times scarce in a farming
community was now simply not to be
had. Any person who was so unfortu-
nate through sickness, or so IMPROVE
dent as not to supply themselves with
suitable help before the busy season
must suffer thereby. All these things
considered, can you wonder that the
mistress of Glover Farm was deeply
perplexed over the old and vexed prob
lem of how to secure suitable help.
A long time she stood there utterly
absorbed in thought. At last, a strange
idea came to her busy brain, suggested
unconsciously by the beauty around
her. To think was to act with Mrs.
Hathaway, and she hastily penned the
following advertisement and sent to
the city of r, where it soon appeared
in the Daily Herald. Wanted: A re-
fined, companionable, capable young
lady, to do general Homework, in a
quiet country family. All the advanta-
ges of home life and country surround
ings offered to such a person. Address
Mrs. Hathaway, Clover Farm, Hills
boro, VT"
1t was summer in the city of r. Sum-
mer with its long sultry days, where no
fresh breezes ever found their way be-
tween the great business blocks or
Merchants Row. Summer where men
and women not able to provide for
themselves a summers outing away
from the heat and din of the city,
toiled YEARLY forth in the morning,
worked feverishly at their separate
tasks and went home at night (f 30 be
tudl tucy Hdu q hOLuCJ wv uttCliJ ga
hausted to care what the morrow might
bring.
Margaret Duncan, one of these,
bookkeeper for the firm of Slayton &
Co., on the morning of which l write,
found it almost impossible to commence
the work before her. Country born
and bred, amidst pure air and health
full surroundings, the illness and death
of her parents and the necessity of earn
ing her living, had led a distant rela-
tive to seek and obtain work for her in
the city. Bravely and earnestly for a
year had she tried to fulfill the irk-
some duties of her new position, but the
close confinement was telling on her
health and spirits. To-day her head
throbbed, the close hot Office air strange
ly oppressed her, an intense homesick
longing for the country, for the fresh
ness and the beauty and the simple
joy in living that the month OF June
had once meant to her, and most of all
a deep yearning for the home and par
ents which had 30 recently been hers,
surged up in heart and brain.
Her eyes dimmed and it was only by
the persistent effort of a strong will
that she finally bent her mind to the
accounts before her. The long day
dragged YEARLY to a close, she arose
with alacrity to answer MI. Slayton's
summons to the desk.
eve shall not need you any longer.
Business is dull, many of our best GUS
toners are out of town, glad to give
reference, ETC."
1t was Mr.. Slayton's cold metallic
voice that uttered these words. She
heard as one in a dream, it was true
that she was tired of work, 1t was true
the office had seemed that day like a
prison. 1t was also true that she de-
pended on that work for food and cloth
ing, life itself.
She took her place around Mrs.
Scrimps' clearinghouse table that