Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper

by T. S. Arthur

  carpeted the earth in freshest green, and caused the buds to expand,

  and the trees of the forest to clothe themselves in verdure.

  How pleasant was every thing. A gardener had been employed to put

  the garden and lawn in order, and soon we were delighted to see the

  first shoots from seeds that had been planted, making their way

  through the ground. To me, all was delightful. I felt almost as

  light-hearted as a child, and never tired of expressing my pleasure

  at the change.

  “Come and see us,” said I, to one city friend and another, on

  meeting them. “We’re in a most delightful place, and at such a

  convenient distance from the city. Just get into the Frankford

  omnibus, which starts from Hall’s, in Second street above Market,

  every half hour, and you will come to our very door. And I shall be

  so delighted to have a visit from you.”

  In moving from the city, I took with me two good domestics, who had

  lived in my family for over a year. Each had expressed herself as

  delighted at the prospect of getting into the country, and I was

  delighted to think they were so well satisfied, for I had feared

  lest they would be disinclined to accompany us.

  About a month after our removal, one of them, who had looked

  dissatisfied about something, came to me and said:

  “I want to go back to the city, Mrs. Smith; I don’t like living in

  the country.”

  “Very well,” I replied. “You must do as you please. But I thought

  you preferred this to the city?”

  “I thought I would like it, but I don’t. It’s too lonesome.”

  I did not persuade her to stay. That error I had once or twice, ere

  this, fallen into, and learned to avoid it in future. So she went

  back to the city, and I was left with but a single girl. Three days

  only elapsed before this one announced her intended departure.

  “But you will stay,” said I, “until I can get some one in your

  place.”

  “My week will be up on Saturday,” was replied. “Can you get a girl

  by that time?”

  “That leaves me only two days, Mary; I’m afraid not.”

  Mary looked unamiable enough at this answer. We said no more to each

  other. In the afternoon I went to the city to find a new domestic,

  if possible, but returned unsuccessful.

  Saturday came, and to my surprise and trouble, Mary persisted in

  going away. So I was left, with my family of six persons, without

  any domestic at all.

  Sunday proved to me any thing but a day of rest. After washing and

  dressing the children, preparing breakfast, clearing away the table,

  making the beds, and putting the house to order, I set about getting

  dinner. This meal furnished and eaten, and the dishes washed and put

  away, I found myself not only completely tired out, but suffering

  from a most dreadful headache. I was lying down, about four o’clock,

  in a half-waking and sleeping state, with my head a little easier,

  when my husband, who was sitting by the window, exclaimed:

  “If there isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Peters and their three children,

  getting out of the stage!”

  “Not coming here!” said I, starting up in bed, while, at the same

  moment, my headache returned with a throbbing intensity that almost

  blinded me.

  “Yes, coming here,” replied Mr. Smith.

  “How unfortunate!” came from my lips, as I clasped my hands to my

  temples.

  Now, Mr. and Mrs. Peters were people for whom we had no particular

  friendship. We visited each other scarcely once a year, and had

  never reciprocated an evening to tea. True, I had, on the occasion

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  FB2 document info

  Document ID: b1f11f87-3d3e-4f2e-a286-dbc706865f55

  Document version: 1

  Document creation date: 19.4.2012

  Created using: calibre 0.8.10 software

  Document authors :

  T S Arthur

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