Year: 1865

the poor children" said Mr.. Henry, as the
door closed after them it's early yet"


This was drop in the overflowing cup.


If you could just have attended to them
little" was the reply, instead of going
ON with your newspaper as if you never
heard a word ! might have let them stay
You haven't much idea of how my head
feels !" And the husband in his secret
heart made the same accusation to which
his little son had given voice


do not mean to follow Mrs. Henry in
detail through her labors. Various untold
circumstances arose, as they always will
at such periods. The dining-room carpet
was found to be broken in hundred places
and to require as many darns. 1t was a
three ply of admirable constitution, as
three-plys were in the days when they cost
one dollar and nineteen cents per yard, in
stead of three dollars and twenty-five
cents but series of beating every spring
and fall had impaired its pristine virtue and
it yielded at last before the blind zeal of
the two stout Hibernians Great was the
lamentation over it, unconsolable almost as
that voice of weeping in Ramah But Mrs
Henry found comfort at last in rejecting
that she couldn't be everywhere at once, ,and
so was not to blame and the carpet, since
it was to fall had fallen in a good cause !:
It's numerous darns were so many tongues
testifying for cleanliness Then the man
'who was to paint and paper the sitting
room kept her waiting whole week. and
a careless whitewasher dropped five drops
of lime on the lovely bordering in the back
parlor. These were heavy crosses, but
they were borne. Day after day did Mrs
| Henry forsake her pillow with an aching
frame but an undaunted heart day after
day did she WELD the broom, and duster,
| the scrubbing-brush One mournful morn,
indeed, beheld her vanqushed for four
and twenty hours her place knew her not
and she lay moaning on her uneasy couch ;
but she rallied speedily, and held her ground
till the last tack was driven, the last stair
rod in its place. Then the tension gave
way she yielded, as she known all along
she must do. Neuralgia was king; his
fierce pangs racks every portion Of the
feeble form. In the height of his sway
cold rain set in ; then how the rain suffered
with the suffering body What visions of
mud and mire beset it of uncean tracks
through the immaculate hall Every body
was made to come in at the back door
mats, scrapers were in constant requisi-
ton, and what peace could visit the pertur-
bed spirit, unable itself to oversee these
precautionary measures?


Her day of triumph came, however One
bright May morning she was well enough
to dress herself and walk over to her sis
ter-inlaw's. What contrast did it pre-
sent to her own well ordered dwelling
The porch was full of furniture, the case
ments of the front bedroom, empty, the
hall and stairs uncarpeted. Thank good
ness, she was through, and could take the
comfort of it.


Helen came forth to meet her in a print
dress and clean collar, with her hair quite
smooth. Doesn't look much like bust
ness ~ was Mrs. Henry's inward comment,
doesn't put her own shoulder to the wheel
as | should"


Come into the back room, Margaret
we haven't interfered with that yet. Take
this easy chair and rest yourself You'll
excuse my keeping at work"


Certainly ; wouldn't hinder for the
world" and Helen went on dusting and re-
placing the books.


You've got Phills. haven't you?" asked
Mrs. Henry


9" Yes, she is in the back yard, washing
the windows"


"Can you trust herr" spoke Margaretta,
in a voice of horror


She does very we'll as a general thing,
but always look over the panes and pol
ish off any that are streaky."


"Shiftless !" thought Mrs Henry, II
should rather do it all myself" she said


"Oh, no." said Helen, calmly. 81 find
this much the easiest way"


Ease, indeed The idea of house-keep-
er talking Of her own ease ! 1t was hard
to be silent when such heresies were ut
tered.


"You are all nicely settled, l suppose ?"
asked Helen.


Eyes, entirely, more than week ago"


That is pleasant 1t is long business,
and one feels quite relieved when it is
over"


ooh, l couldn't think of having it around
so late. | don't see how you can bear to
be cleaning in such fine weather" !


al rather enjoy it. The country never
looks so pretty as when | see it through
sashless windows they seem to frame
the landscape, somehow, and make it
living picture. Haven't you ever noticed
it ?"


Not |, indeed; | am too busy"


at doesn't take much time. ButI know
how you feel about early cleaning it's
very tempting l often find it so myself,
till | steadily remember how comfortless it
makes the house And think, too we are
liable to take cold with the doors and win
dows open so much before the air is warm"
Margaretta could not combat this theory as
she would have liked to do, for Mr. Henry
had turn of sore throat which he would
persist in attributing to these causes, but
she had feeling that people ought not to
complain of ailments contracted in the SER
vice.


"What do you pay Phllis ?" she inquired


" Seventy-fve cents"


Isn't that high 7"


al believe Mrs Brown has a little less,
but had rather give Phillis the extra shil-
ling; she knows what to do and can go on
alone"


"Why, yes, if you feel easy to let her"


"0f course | superintend she is very
willing to be told 1t costs something, but
l think it is economy on the whole. to have
her. / am not strong, and the hard work
of cleaning is too much for me-"


81 am not strong myself" observed Mar
garetta, on whom this plea for Incidence by