Year: 1860




cording to Scripture"


1t was wearisome, fatiguing day for
Mrs. Smelling, who did the whole work of
her household. Her oldest son was learn
ing his fathers trade, and the dinner for two
had to bo on the table precisely At twelve,
for they had but an hours nooning. So,
scarcely we're the breakfast things cleared
away, when there was the meat and veget-
Ables to prepare for boiled dinner;' and
twice she was obliged to stand and be pinned
up in the thick jean lining that Miss Prime
was fitting with unexampled tightness. The
afternoon was no better; she had Tuesdays
ironing to finish, her little boy was very
cross, he required to be nursed and tended
as if he bad been baby. She wanted to
sew with Miss Prime; but, no sooner would
she get her needle threaded, and her Thin
BILE on, than some new demand would be
made upon her time, and so the short after
noon passed before she could stitch up
seam, and tea must be ready by dark. Be-
sides all this, Miss Prime was disposed to
continue her conversation with every little
pause or stint, discussing the affairs of the
neighborhood and the church, with train
of moral, religious, and personal reflections
Every one knows how fatiguing it is TO be
expected to listen to such a discourse, and
respond in the right place, even when the
mind is unoccupied; aud then the dress did
not look nearly so well as Mrs. Smelling had
anticipated, the new pieces being several
shades darker than the main body Of the
material. Moro discouraging than all, it
needed "6nishing off" when seven o'clock
sounded the signal for the conference meet
ing. Miss Prime would not miss going on
any account.


81 wouldn't mind staying over my time
jist to give you heIpin' hand, if il wasn't
meeting night; but you know it is very i'm
portant that all should be there that cam
TO be sure Miss Hubbard is so took up
with other things, now, she never goes;
and though Miss James joined b. letter
when she came, she's never been to bust
ness meeting. For my part l think we've
got just as good right to vote in the church
meetin' as the men, and speak too, if We
want to, though Deacon Smith has set his
face against it Of late years. So you SEQ
I'll have to go; and there's only the facing
to face down, and them side seams to stitch
up and the hooks and eyes to go on. The
sleeves are all ready to bast in-oh, and
there's the bones; but the bones arc moth
ing to put in-especially as John Lockwood
is to be dealt with tonight for going to the
theatre last time he was in New York. For
my part, l never did put'much faith in his
religion-and the more some of us stay
away, the more some of us ought to CO.
Don't forget to take in that shoulder seam
little. For my part, l think his sister
ought to be labored with for singing songs
as she does on the piano. Clear love songs,
and plays opera pieces? Miss Hubbard's
Jane docs that when she's homo in vaca-
tious, though. That piece under the arm
don't look so very bad, Miss Smelling, there
amt more'n two hours work, any way"


Two hours work to woman who could
scarcely attend TO her mending from week
to week, was no trihe. Mrs. Smelling wa
vcrcd for little while between the accu-
mulatiug pileof diIapidated under-clothes in
the willow basket and the unfinished dress
but the dress must be done before New
Years day, now close at hand, and she
lighted another lamp, and drew her little
work-stand up to the fire, as the clock
again struck eight. Her mind had
opened itself to the discontented thoughts
in the morning, and "the enemy came in
like food until all the brightness of hei
lsfe had been swept out of sight She saw
only the successive woes of i'll health, loss
and wearing anxiety which had rolled ovel
them in the past, and blank dreary pros
pect for the future. Her very occupation
reminded her of it. If she could have af
forded Miss Primes assistance two days in,
stead of one, she might have got ahead in
her sewing little; now hero was another
drawback, and she had so little time. And
there was Susan Hubbard; but then she
did not give up everything to dress and dis
play, thank goodness, as Susan Hubbard did
bringing scandal in the church and setting
herself up over everybody"


A knock at the front door was fresh an
noyance; for the work had to be put dowr
again, and the sick boy quieted again, be
fore Mrs. Smelling went shivering through
the cold, narrow hall to answer it.


The neighborly visitor was no other thar
Mrs. Hubbard. "And no fire except in the
Kitchen" was Mrs. Sneling's first thought
as she recognized her with mixed feeling
of qualification hard thoughts, and curiosity
Certainly il was a curious coincidence tina
the persan who had formed the subject o
her thoughts aud conversation so much O
the day, should suddenly appear.


Don't mind me- Mrs. Hubbard said
pleasantly, stepping on before her old neigh
bor This way, l supposed" And sh,
led the way to the kitchen herself, thu
avoiding the necessity of an apology ON tn,
part of Mrs. Smelling. "How bright anC
cheerful cook stove looks, after all, anC
your kitchen always was as neat as wax.-
We never used to keep but one fire, yol
know" This last WAS an unfortunate allu
sion. Mrs. SnelliDg's softening face grew
coldly rigid at what she considered an at
tempt to patronize her.


"Poor folks had to- she said, taking vi
her work, and stitching away vigorously.


II haven't fore often old times, Mrs Hub
bard, went on, not caring to notice the un
gracious tone in which this remark wa
made, "when we were all beginning th'
world together. You seem to, though, 70
then you used to run in and see me, and
was thinking tonight, you haven't been VI
| In our house since OetobArn