The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-11-04
4 GIRL
VINO
PUNISHED
HERSELF.
9. es.E3:::+:E:E9E?:a.:s. Z. $500


lydia. Lydia. Lyd-i-a.' AS Mrs
Campbell called, she looked vaguel.
10 the right and left and, stranger!
enough. I'D into the trees, too, as II
lydia we're a bird which might have
liehted there. Yet to one who kne"
lydia and her habits it was not at al
strange to look skyward for her reply
She might scramble down from one
Of the large, scraggy trees in the yard
or she might thrust her head out OF
the tiny window high. high up under
the gables of the big barn. Once she
dropped from the piazza roof directly
IN front of her startled mother.
This time she came running from
the orchard and fell fiat on her nose in
an ambitious but unsuccessful attempt
to vault the fence as her brothers did.
"Oh, mother" she cried, 1t isn't the
dishes, is it,"
YES, LYDIA" replied her mother.
! you must wash them tonight; for
an obliged to go to the village on
IN errand. There are only few, and
you may set the bean-pot to soak"
: But, mother" lamented Lydia, II
an making well in the orchard and
lining it with stones, SO that it will
really, truly, hold water, and there is
just time to finish it before dark.
There will be just time to do the
dishes before dark, Lydia"
Cant leave them until morning."
"A good housekeeper will not go to
bed with unwashed dishes in the
sink"
There was no reply to be made to
this, for Lydia knew that she was not
. good housekeeper." She was-alack
the word!-a "tom-boy," and loved
better to romp out of doors than to sit
% cricket and sew patchwork or
perform the small tasks about the
house required Of the only daughter.
[he squares of patchwork were very
mall, and the tasks were light, but
Fell. sewing is sewing. and work Is
Vork, be it ever SO little.
Lydia jerked the cricket across the
oor In front of the sink. This was
ing before the days Of porcelain sinks
even iron ones. Mrs. Campbell's
rs made Of wood, and was what is
Uled 2 dry sink; that is, it had no
ltlet, and any water spilled in it must
eeds be wiped out. The dishpan was
large crockery one, heavy and cum
'rsome. But Lydia's dissatisfaction
= not with sink or dishpan. All the
'ighbors had the same kind and none
as kept cleaner or sweeter than Mrs.
'mpbells.
Lydia dipped hot water out of the
IRON kettle setting in the hot ashes
corner of the large fireplace, and
q water from the bucket full of
u water. She poured into the dish
little of the soft soap from the
"iiui on 1.-THE shelf. and sharply jerked
neaVy crockery dishpan nearer to
:. Then, oh, then, a dreadful mis-
Defell, SO dreadful that Lydia
pped off the cricket and sat down
II too frightened even to cry!
I've broken grandmother's sugar
y! she gasped-"grandmother's
k-iustre sugar-bowl that mother
SO carefully on the top pantry
II. Oh. what shall l do! know
II came to be in the sink. When
lef went out to the field after sun
ne wanted that handful Of fancy
l-corn Mr.. Barlow gave him, and
look 1t out the sugar-bowl where
las been keeping it safe all winter.
then he left the sugar-bowl in the
to be washed. But, oh, dear,
good does it do to know how it
there when it isn't there any
er, or at least only little pieces
netting had to be done. II she
mother, mother would say that
accident was 'the direct result of
essness"-as it certainly was-and
would be patchwork and patch
to sew; for patchwork was the ,
ted punishment Of heedlessness
"butter-fingers." At the thought
e sewing. Lydia rose up and pick ,
le broken pieces out of the sink :
carried them out into the wood !
where there was an old well ,
led over, and through the largest ,
between the boards she poked
,retty pink and gilt fragments
she went back to the sink and ,
ed the other dishes carefully.
the black bean-pot which mother
aid she might leave.
next morning Lydia anxiously !