Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-23
POOR MRS. CRAIG

Miss Belinda dropped with a tired sigh into a seat on her own porch and her brother Ben frowned at her with disapprovaI.
 Look here, young woman," he be- gan sternly. how long are you going to keep this thing up?" First thing you know I'll have to send for a train ed nurse for you or at least pack you off to a rest cure at safe distance from the Craigs."
 Nonsense, Ben, I'm all right. You greatly exaggerate what l do for poor Mrs. Craig"
 Well, I don't exaggerate when l tell you that you have passed forty two hours with poor Mrs. Craig in the last week. l have kept time on you"
 How ridiculous to do thati I'd no idea, though, that I'd been at the farm so much. Still, 1t would be simply brutal not to do what l can for Mrs. Craig when she is i'll, and there's no one but the boys to wait on her or do anything about the house. The boys are very busy in the fields just now, too'
 Why in the name of all that's sem sible doesn't she keep a girl?'
 T think she would if she could find one. Girls are scarce in this neigh borhood'
 Whats the matter with that little Molly Johnson you sometimes have to help Norah? Why couldn't she work for Mrs. Craig?'
 Well" Miss Belinda laughed, "the matter with Molly is that her eyes are much too blue ard her cheeks quite too pink. Do you imagine Mrs. Craig is keen on offering that particular kind Of temptation to her bachelor sons?"
 Its an outrage that she should de- Ln,- kaLr rr Tnlr 4rga of her and ruE her house. l hope you'll have sense enough to stay at home this afternoon eand rest
 ''I shall stay at home
 And resJ?"
 Well, part of the time, perhaps, but now l must make a cake"
 "Why not let Nora make the cake? If she can't we can easily go without it.
 'Oh this cake isn't for us. To- morrow is Jimmie Craiss birthday and poor Mrs. Craig is terribly disappoint- ed because she isn't able to make angels food for him. It seems that that great six foOter, who looks as if he had never tasted anything less sub stantial than pork and beans, quite dotes on angels food"
 You little woolly lamb, so you promised to make him one Why don't you crochet him necktie, too?'
 Tn order to reinstate myself in your good opinion let me tell you that l have persuaded Mrs Craig to get d woman with a child, who will be glad to have a country home. l know there are plenty and I've written to Fannie Drayton to find one through her set clement work"
 That's d good idea. Be sure to order one with dull eyes and sallow cheeks By the way. here's d letter from Fan nie that came while you were gone"
 Miss Belinda's face frightened as she read the letter Fannie says she knows a good woman with a dear little girl that she would love to bring up in the country Oh, Ben, isn't it splen- did? Fannie has been hunting for just such a chance for the widow and what a good thing it will be to poor Mrs Craig, I must write Fannie to send her at once"
 'rNo I'll call her up on the long dis tance and ask her to send them out to- morrow
 Late the next afternoon Miss Belinda. and her brother drove to the station and returned with a capable but sad looking mother and child After gIv- ing them a comfortable supper, Miss Belinda conveyed them to the Craig farm, where, through her offices. they were expected
 Tt will be q relief to know that poor Mrs Craig has some one to look after her and the housekeeping" said Miss Belinda that night
 But when the next day came the woman and child came also, with the tidings that Mrs. Craig had sent them away.
 'SThere must be some nisunder- standing" sighed Miss Belinda You rest here and I'll run over to the farm and have a talk with Mrs. Craig"
 When she returned, looking discour- aged. her brother said, Well, how about it?''
 Ben. just think about it. That woman was actually willing to work for the board of herself and little girl. but Mrs. Craig was veXed because she washed out the childs one little frock this morning. She said she couldn't afford to furnish laundry soap for the child's washing! When I remoustrat- ed against her losing good help for such & small matter. she said very blandly, With such a good neighbor as you, Miss Belinda, l don't see that 1 really need any hired help"
 Well, I'll be jiggered. But how about our overhaSty importation Whats to be done with the woman and child2"
 They're to stay here and huild up on country air and good food for a while and then I'll try to find them perm auent home YOu don't mind their