Year: 1879

house, and the silver pitcher full OF
cream in the ice-box. and the man prom
ised to bring me two quarts of berries
as soon as the boat came in, and l had
lovely veal outlets and peas for dinner
( mean I was going to have them and
Jack came home early; but. oh he had
letter in his pocket-a letter from
Hillsdale-to say Sarah had been per.
suaded to stay week longer, but she
would come on the 18th,


Mother, 7 was just mad. I sat down
on the sofa and cried. I always do cry,
you know. when I am angry; but poor
dear Jack thought I was grieved, and
tried to comfort me.


"Now don't you try to coax me,
Jack" I sobbed. "I'm just as ve1ed
as I can be. I amt sorry bit; I'm
provoked. And then Jack laughed ;
and it was so queer to have him laugh
because was angry that couldn't help
laughing too; and then he thought it
was all right, but it wasn't.


(Note by Jack.-No, indeed, not by
q long shot. It was pretty much all
wrong for the next twenty four hours,
ma'am but we survivedit.)


never, never, shall think as much Of
Sarah again !; and of course we had to
eat cream and strawberries ourselves,
and the veal outlet and salad, and I had
an awful headache owing to the cream !;
but I did think it was my duty to use
it, and it won't keep, you know. 1
could keep the cake in a stone jar a
week, and so I did; but I didn't engage
any extra thing, and it was just as well
I didn't, for Sarah telegraphed she was
sick with severe influenza, but would
come as soon as she was able. She
didn't come till the 9th of June, as
sure as you live, mother, and then it
turned out she had had an attack OF
scarlet fever the doctor didn't like to
tell her for fear she would be scared
but she found it out. The attack was
light, but she really wasn't fit to leave
Hlllsdale 80 soon, and she wasn't at all
we'll all the time she staid here. Aunt
Staples was not coming till the 10th of
July-that would be Wednesday-so /
made Sarah promise to stay till Monday
morning, for she was not fit to 60 on
Saturday, as she meant to, and that
would give me time to get the spare
room swept and aired and busted, and
fresh cake made, and dinner all ready
to cook, and nice flowers arranged.
Sarah was coming with her mother-and
Jack had told me she was very deli
cate girl, the baby of the family, only
about fifteen, so I wanted to have things
nice for her. I had ordered spring
chicken from the marketman for We'd
nesday, and was going to make jelly for
dessert, and boiled custard.


Monday came, of course-Monday
always comes; but don't mind that so
much, for We send the washing and
ironing out, only almost always have
headache, for Mr.. Stark breaches such
long sermons, and my neck aches keep
ing it so still. Then this Monday I
wanted to get Sarah Bassett good
breakfast, for she was going away in the
early train with Jack; sc I got up very
early, and that made it ache worse, you
know; so thought it would be so nice
not to have to get real, proper lunch,
but only some tea, and I sat down on
the step to rest bit after the dishes
we're washed, when, 10 up comes tele-
graph boy-I do hate that kind of boys
always with a yellow envelope. l
don't mean I hate the boys exactly, but
you know they're always bringing some
dreadful message. I Idon'tknow that they
really are worse than any other boys,
but don't like boys at all, and the :ele-
grams make them seem worse; and what
do you think lit was from Aunt Sta
pies:


81 arrive on the noon train-e1plain
change of plans then"


I felt just as if somebody had slapped
me, mother. I declare I didn't know
what in the world to do. knew must
do something, 30 I called Aunt Staples a
few hateful names, and that seemed to
clear my mind. I was too angry to cry
this time I just scolded. Now I know
just how you look, nanny. You think
I ought to be more patient, and I know
that but Just then I was thinking of
ether peoples "oughts," and I do
think to this very day Aunt Staples
ought to have come when she said she
would, and l guess she thinks so too
now. Well, when I came to think, I
knew the first thing was to get the spare
room ready. Sarah had opened all the
windows as soon as she was ready to
come down, so I had only the bed to
make, for I had not time to sweep. 1t
never once entered into my stupid head
that Sarah Staples


(Note by Jack.-Bless the child
What would come to pass if any body
else called her stupid?)


Hadn't had scarlet fever. I thought
people always had it when they were
children, just like Group and measles
and such things. I put the room in
order, and busted all the corners and
cracks out faithfully; and then went
into the kitchen and made some tea, and
I was going to have scalloped oysters
for dinner; so I put them in the pan all
ready to stew, and there was little
cold chicken from yesterday to slice up.
and there was lunch ready, for I baked
bread on Saturday,


Well, at noon they came. Aunt Sta
pies turned out positive kind of 6
woman, and Sarah just as delicate af
she could be; but they we're pleasant
and they liked the oysters, and Sarah
liked the tea, 30 I did not mind much


(Note by Jack.-Lucid What didn't
the little madam mind much? Here's 6
mystery for you'd


But, OIL I was down stairs seeing te
the dinner, when Jack bounced in.


"What the deuce brought Aunt
Staples here to-day Ruthy2"


"Why, Jack, I know it isn't it bad
But, you see, she wanted to leave the
house a day or two before the people
who have rented it were coming in, so a.
to have her stoves taken out, for she wal
afraid Sarah would catch cold If she wa
there even day without fires. It.is .
brick house, you know"


"Why didn't she find il out before,