Middletown transcript., 1906-11-03
.a&ed. stesnly What doe!

sarah put her iron Oh the stOvf
and then ran and threw hersel.
upon me, laughing and crying ant
trying to talk. Oh, Becky Becky
Becky Dear Becky. I'm SO glas
to see you she managed to say
and then she began sobbing as i
her heart would break.
There, now, Sarah /! / said calm
II, you sit down and comros.
yourself.
Have a cup of coffee, Ma /? as ei
Prue, who was at the stove PEI p
ing into the numerous kettles.
see the coffee.pot's on.
Yes, give me a cup. Prue Per
haps it will brace me up, sobbed
Sarah. I've laid a lunch f6l
Becky in the dining-room, and
made o cup of tea for her.
know she doesn't drink coffee.
Have you had any coffee to
day, Sarah ? I inquired.
Yes, had two cups for break
fast. That was all | could s@al
low. Then | took q cup at nine
O'Clock to brace nfs up for this
ironing, and 7 need one now tc
steady my Nerves, said Sarah,
wiping her eges, and appearing
revived at the prospect of more
coffee.
Three cups of strong coffee on
an empty stomach I cried, pro
Tossing to be greatly shocked.
Then4 added, sternly: Prue, you
eIAyh that coffee into the sink, and
ct some milk on to heat. You
can drink cup of hot milk, and
eat a cracker, aud march yourself
off to bed, Sarah Everton. If
you've got me here on false pre-
tences, III go back and if you're
q sick woman, beds the place for
you.
On. Becky, how unfee1Ing you
talk, she walled. I can't 60 to
bed and leaVeall this ironing and
dinner to get. Sade's going to
have a nusicale tonight, and
there's the parlors to fix, and the
guest-chamber to tidy up for
them to lay their things in, and
there's salad to make, and sher-
bet to freeze, and the dining
room to put to rights-beca
she wants to give them a spread.
Then there's Bert's things to look
over, because he's going on a
little trip tomorrow with quite a
stylish young man, and
Stop! In the name of Heaven,
stop! | screamed, putting my
hands over my ears.
Horsay shouted Prue, bang-
ing saucepan down on the stove.
That isn't half of it. You forgot
/ motioned Prue to be quiet.
and demanded of Sarah /: Where's
your help? Have you turned
them all off +? Why didn't you
walt until this shindy was over !?
Help? My help? echoed Sarah
turning her anxious, wrinkled
face to me in perplexity. Help ?
oh, We don't keep any maid,
explained Prue. Ma won't even
have a washer woman. She says
she has enough to do without
waiting on hired girls. We've
all talked to her until we're black
in the face, but it doesn't do one
mite of good Ma just stews
round from five o'clock in the
morning until ten o'clock at night
and does every BIT of the work
herself.
You've got four great girls Of
your own, Sarah Everton. Why
don't you make them turn in and
help you, If you're SO foolish and
stiff-necked that You won't hire
anybody
Make my girls do the work !?
repeated Sarah. Ny girls? Why
I wouldn't let them, and besides,
they don't know how.
Don't know how ! And you
was raised on farm, Sarah
Everton sensible, too, like the
rest Of the Browns. And you've
raised an idle crop, have you?
Perhaps | was too severe. At
all events, Sarah sat down and
threw herself forward on the
ironing board, and began to cry
again. She sobbed until the
ironing board shook, and / had
TO tell her to take the table, be-
cause that wonldn t break down.
The milk's hot. Will you drink
it now, Ma ? asked Prne, tender
Iy stroking her mothers hair,
and looking at me with reproach-
ful brown eyes.
Yes. she will drink it, / said