Year: 1877




have Charley amused and kept out of
trouble


| began to rest upon Mr.. Slade, to
confide in him. to ask his advice, and
invariably take it upon all occasions, to
gratefully take advantage OF his knack
in repairing things about the house,
and putting in order troublesome do
mestic utensils. He always put up the
shakes in house-cleaning time, and hung
the pictures; and what l should have
done without him that time the ma
chine got out of order, Heaven only
knows. l had dress to finish for Mrs.
Chapel, and was working away, when
all at once the machine began to squeak
dreadfully. 1t was rasping noise, fit
to raise the hair on ones head, and mine
had ached dreadfully all the morning.
l oiled and fused at it, but all to no
purpose; it squeaked more and more.
And, to crown all, the nice pumpkin
pie 1 had made for Mr.. Slade's luncheon
was burned to a crisp. l smelled it,
and rushed to the stove, but too late.
1t was a nasty black ruin, and l just sat
down and cried over it. 1t seemed to
me so sad and terrible. wanted to lie
down and die, when in walked Mr..
Slade to his luncheon.


cts no use coming in, said. 81
don't know how you can stand boarding
here, anyway; I'm such a miserable
housekeeper. 1t would be so much
better if Charlie and 1 were dead p


"What has happened?" said Mr..
Slade; and was ashamed when 1 saw
look of alarm in his face.


"It is very sad," 1 said, "to burn the
crust of nice pie all to crisp"


"Do you think SOP" said Mr.. Slade.
"Now for me it is a most excellent mis-
chance. OF all things in the world, I
revere the burned crust of pie. 1 have
hesitated to declare this prediction,
because know it is remarkable one,
and not at all likely to be shared by the
majority of people; but fortune has ia
vored me to-day. Mrs. Sweet, let us
have the pie by all means"


And he actually lifted the horrid black
thing to the table and ate it yes he did;
he ate it-which was the most perfect
and graceful piece of martyrdom 1 ever
saw in man. And then I got courage
to tell him how burned it. That Mrs.
Chapel must have that dress, and the
machine had begun to squeak in the
most terrible way; that 1 oiled it, and
fused with it, all to no purpose, and
how was to finish that dress of Mrs.
Chappel's with that dreadful noise dis
tracing my poor brain didn't know.


"We1l look at it." he said, in that
resting, comforting, soul-cheering way
of his; and as followed him into the
sitting-room I knew in my heart he
would exercise that squeaking demon
from the machine. And he did.


"It's the ball." he said; sit becomes
smooth from friction, and if you'll bring
me little -four or meal, Mrs. Sweet
stay here is piece of chalk, which is
better than ALL" and with that little
white lump that he took from his waist
coat pocket he made the machine perfect
in fiVe-in two minutes.


Now how could help watching him
| from the door again, as he walked away
to school; and let his coat tails flap as
they may, or he be knock-kneed to
eternity, how could 1 help sending af-
ter him my heartiest benediction and
blessing?


And can it be wondered at that when,
only two or three months after, he told
he was going away, was like one
stunned and bewildered? We were sit
ting in the little front room, and I was
finishing off that diagonal overskirt for
Mrs. Chappel. Charley had gone nut
ting, for it was already autumn, and an
early frost had set the leaves afame. A
breeze from the west blew my hair into
my eyes, and 1 put it back with trem-
bling hand. The soft, warm day OF
golden light seemed to cloud over and
become one of moody sadness.


"I have an opportunity for advance
ment in my profession which 1t would
i'll behoove me to put by. In my native
town is offered me a position OF trust
and confidence-no less, I may say to
you, dear madam, than professors
chair"


I hadn't the least idea what he meant.
1 knew that one chair differed very
much from another, and whereas one
was easy, comfortable and enjoyable,
another might be for the time being a
seat of torture, but wherein q profess
sor's chair excelled I could not at that
time imagine. ] sat quite still, and the
rufle fell from my hand; my foot rested
upon the treadle of the machine, and
sat and stared at Mr.. slade like one de-
mented.


"And it has occurred to me that the
position I have held here, which is an
exceedingly easy and pleasant one,
might proftsbly and suitably be filled
by one Of the other sex; the duties are
not at all arduous, and could be per-
formed more readily, it appears to me,
than those pertaining to the needle.
have spoken to the committee in your
behalf, and with little attention on