Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-23
OUR MARY.
a sketch from Life.

us out of our muddle and take care
of us.
1t was the winter of our direst neces-
sity. The rector's wife newly dead 4;
her baby left to me. the reotor's sister,
maiden lady with no knowledge of
babyhood, to bring up as best could (;
Guy, the other child, i'll with whoop-
ing-cough; the rector himself-always
an impractical, dreary natured man.
almost paralyzed by the trouble which
had befallen him-nearly useless as a
guide or support in his disorganized
household; the servants, as IS the
nature of their class, DESERVING us in
our sorest need.
She was not person Of promising
appearance-the new general. We
groaned in spirit when she first made
her appearance among us-an over
grown, freckle-faced, sandy haired girl
of 16, wearing her best frock, gar
ment of green merino trimmed with
black braid, far above the tops of her
heavy boots; her short white apron
there were no bibs to aprons in those
days and no embroidery to adorn them
standing out stiifly from n huge
waist; lace tucker in the neck of her
dress and round her beef-red wrists.
i look back with a smile still to
Mary's first appearance upon the scene.
l was sitting by the dining room fire,
the baby in her wicker cradle at my
side, the nursery having been made
over to Guy and his whooping- cough,
when startling knock at the door an
nounced the new servants arrival. TIC
the present day our Mary insists on
hammering at doors with knuckle as
hard as a poker, and with vigor that
is like to splinter the panels. A rush
of cold air always enters with her.
Eff ye phase, miss, I'm come, she
announced.
With sinking of the heart muir.
INJURED that | was pleased to see her,
and was going on family to speak tc
her about her future duties in tht
house-an grafton upon which she in,
truded without any ceremony.
'fe look rare and conf 'table-don't
ye?" she inquired.
Her pale blue eyes with the glitter
in them roved about the room. They
fell at last upon the brown wicker
cradle, and with a whoop and swooI
Mary had hurled herself into the room
and fallen, SO to say, upon the baby.
Well, amt she rare po'r littli
thing ~ she remarked, with no consid
GRAFTON whatsoever for the feelings o
the relatives of the infant under dis
cussion. Amt she got big eyes
naytherl My mothers little Uthel
that ha' got eyes as blew, but they
amt SO trumeniuous large."
Upon these signs of friendly Interest
asked her if she were specially fonc
of babies; and Mary, on her knees b,
the cot, looked up at me with her side
long glance, which, darting forth from
between her white lashes, has some
thing sly and yet deprecatiug in it.
m fond of 'em-bain't yew?" sh,
inquired.
She had and has an incurably familia
manner; it is difficult to keep at
dignified distance from Mary.
tShe be a chookin' - she cried
looking back at the child. Her word
filled me with terror. In my inexperi
ence each fresh Development Of infan
tine ways was a cause of new alarm
'Tha's COS she's laying on her back
few shouldn't shove little uns like he
on their backses. -
Paying no heed to my feeble protests
she pulled the baby from the cradle
Her arms, awkward us they look, an
pear to have been made for the holdin,
of children. The child, rocked in then
its little face pressed against the greel
frock, tight to bursting across Mary
bosom, was soon asleep, and lay peace
fully on Mary's knees. She had So
down upon the hearthrug at my feet
her feet tucked under her, and she nos
Z looked critically down upon the infant
whose tiny hands she held locked il
her red fists.
My mothers little Uthel I'D max
two on her, she soliloquized. "Well
she du be a po'r little thing! l spec
she bain't long for this warld," sh
continued; land 'ont that be q mussy
neither, when tn Lord'll take 'er?''
l thought it less painful to decliu
the discussion of the baby's future
and talked to Mary instead upon wha
would be her duties in the house. The
were duties, took occasion to remark
with which the nursery and the chi
dren had nothing to do.
Mary gave me that sidelong glanC
which would so prejudice physics
nomist against her.
When he done my work sha
hold 'er, though she said, indicatin
the baby on her knees 81 shall hi
ter hold her, du l shall miss m
mothers little Uthel so trumenjuous
We thought from former experient
that the work which fell to her shal
would probably exhaust the '.gel
eral'so energies, but we did not kno
our Mary. No amount of dishes
wash, of bread to bake, Of floors
scurb, would keep her out of the nu
sery il Margaret cried, no remonstran,
or entreaty or command. Nurse aft
nurse left on account of the "eel
erals" unwarrantable interference
Reused to indignation at last by I'll
resignation Of a really efficient nurs
by whose experience we particular
desired the baby to profit, gave Ma
notice to quit.
Her sense of injury was great. 81
aruged the point with me with muC
spirit.
"Ain't l KEEP you straight al
looked arter thingsl'' she demande
Don't your tea and sugar last twi,
as long since I'm here? Jew said
yerself. Bain't there as much aga
bread ate in the house since l b
baked its An if so be as yew i.
bread ye can't ate mate, and so 70
butchers bill is seft (saved)."
l acknowledged our indebtedness
her III various ways, and commend
her honesty add fidelity, but point
out that the baby's nurse would q
brook her interference.
''Yew and her want me niyer
much as to touch tn baby, then
she inquired slowly; and l confess
that that was the plain state of t
case.
Mary said no more, but for a cou,
of days went about her work in a ve
half hearted and indifferent fashion
male of face mink of avps and nose