Year: 1865

1t was dusky, dull April day, gloom


ier for the few bright promising ones that


had ushered in the month, and Mrs


Crawford drew her chair closer to the


window to catch the little light that the


thick gray clouds were fast hiding in an


early twilight. There were no sounds


in the room but the singing of the tea.


kettle on the stove, and the click of the


shears as she cut stitches, and clipped


corners, and tore into strips long pieces


Of cloth, for the filling OF the sixty yards


of carpeting, that must be on the floor


before the same dull days came in the


fall. The snow swept in gusts against


the window and the wind pierced through


the casing, and with a little shiver, and


rubbing of the red chilled fingers, Mrs.


Crawford gathered up the pieces in a


basket and set them in the closet, and


shaking the dust from her apron, she


took up the table, and W i b one lift


brought it to the centre of the ROOM


With little pause she counted aloud:


"Mr. Crawford and Henry and Simon


Burt, yes that is three, and four extra


hands for the cellar, and myself, why,
that is eight! What a family l am
afraid there are not cakes enough, and


| fried two panfuls yesterday w and With
little sigh she questioned, show can
do all this work through the hot summer
months ? But l mist not stop to think
about it,"


She paused but a moment to see if the
table set square with the sides ofthe room
and each corner of the table-cIoth the
same number of inches from the floor,
she hustled on to the pantry to bring out
cold meat, and potatoes, and pie, and
cheese, and huge platter of cakes, till
the table seemed actually ready to be
crushed by their weight. Not a moment
was to be lost, for it was too dark, even
outdoors, to see to work, so almost on
the run she hurried for the forgotten cas-
tor and cream>cup, and Just as the his
sing urn sent an aromatic fragrance
through the room. shuilling feet was
heard in the wood-house, and the seven
workers, their shoes fresh from the mud
of the cellar, poured into the room.


There was not much but empty dish
es TO carry away from the table, and as
the last workman who had fingered a
moment to chat with the master of the
house, closed the door behind him, Mrs.
Crawford poured hot water over the piled
dishes, and with a fresh towel wiped the
set, then carried them away for the early
breakfast Ere the floor was brushed
up, Mr.. Crawford had settled back in the
rocking chair, and with a
still spread out in his hands,
was nolding away, his body fast recup-
arating for the next days work. Not
more than five minutes his wife held her
eet to the open CRATE, and taking the
paper from his relaxed grasp she glanced
t over, then threw it down, and brought
,ut pan of apples to pare for pies the
lext morning, and another dishful of po-
atoes to peel for breakfast, and the last
lour before bedtime was filled up with ,
work over the basket of carpet rags, un'
il her hands ached as if held in a vice
rom the pressure of the shears. i


The cellar for the new house progress {
ed slowly. The walk from the back t
cor led by it, and each day covered it '
With new layers of sof! mud, as sudden
howers drove the workmen out of it to
be house for shelter. The neat house. 5
eeper tore up the carpet in despair, the s
econd week of their labor, and bent her (
loulders over the mop each day, until b
be almost wished the new house a thing v
as it so long had been-of the future.
iut the rain could not come down for s
YER and at last the sky cleared of, and f,
week Of pleasant weather finished up Ii
lie wall, then the underpining, and the 81
eavy timbers that were 70 support the :,
ghter framework were placed upon n
lem. But this brought no reduction of ?,
lmbers to Mrs. Crawford's table, for the al
,eleton of the large house must be a,
Used, then the roof covered, the floors II
id, and doors made, and the thousand
I'd one separate things done, that build 70
} goodly mansion. 50
June came with its enervating davs h,
e ihe floors were laid, and the cooking fe


the sultry kitchen, with the constant M
Use of the hammering in her ears, and 81
e care of providing not only wholesome ri
It nice food-for Mrs. Crawford was


e who prided herself upon her table, fa
d upon her strength, but neither hus- sb
nd nor wife thought for n moment Of