Year: 1877

Wanted-A young girl at No. 2O6 = street. A
quiet home and fair wages are offered TO a sat
fsfactory person. Call Immediately.


This little fifteen cent advertisement was
what brought Rachel to our house last fall.
We were sorely in need of a girl, for the
children had not been we'll all summer and
the extra work and care had completely ex
hausted everybody capable Of work, and the
approaching cold weather would find us un-
prepared for the sewing machine had been
idle for weeks. We had hitherto been
rather careful as to references and character,
but so unsuccessful had all our endeavors
been to secure servants that we resolved to
trust to human nature and hire
the first one who came, provided
she would be kind to the child
rem. Edith, our baby girl, was high
tempered and resolute, but our poor little
Harry was weak and shrinking and sensi-
tive, and we determined from the first to be
watchful as to whose care he was placed
under. Our former nurse had gone home
to stay, and we were worn out body
and mind when, bringing the advertise
ment for an introduction Rachel presented
herself. She was young, about eighteen /
imagined, though really she was little past
her seventeenth birthday, with quiet ways
and language that pleased us, and we hired
her While we were debating the question
her face was sad, but after the bargain was
made and / took her to her room to lay off
her wrappings the joy and thankfulness
transformed her completely. She was quick
and handy" anxious to please, eager to
learn, willing to be corrected-in all a per
feet jewel" By bed time the children we're
her fast friends, and when Edith had been
rocked to sleep and she was quoting Harry
with little stories and songs. went back to
the parlor satisfied, really q new woman.


Day by day she went about her work,
never gaily, never with loud laughter or
song, but now and then humming some old
tune or smiling at the odd pranks or words
of the little ones. She seemed to know no
one in the city. She had no company and
went nowhere excepting when l had her
take the children for a walk, and even then
i noticed that though she uttered no remon-
STRANGE, she seemed 10th to 60 and
glad so return. She never spoke of her for
mer life excepting when 1 asked some ques-
tions, and then / learned only that she was
an orphan, that she once lived in the coun-
try, and that she had been adopted by far
mer there, but preferring city life she had
left, and that she was willing to stay with
as as long as would let her. which men,
tally vowed would be as long as / could per-
suade her to stay. She was the most eco
nOmical human being ever saw. Scarcely
a cent of her wages was ever spent She
boarded money like miser. She patched
and darned and remodeIed her clothing as
long as two pieces would cling together, and
and when forced to buy more she was care
ful to get the plainest and most durable.
She kept the house daintily clean; her cook
ing was splendid; she was never hurried;
but above all, she was perfection as a nurse.
No matter how weary she was after long
days work, just let her hear Harry or Edith
cry or grow restless in the night, she was
with them in a moment, hushing them into
sleep with lulling songs OF soothing words.
She would sit hour after hour rocking them,
and cst-l noticed how tcnderly and gent