United States or Belize ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
'Rill Scattergood and her mother had already gone to housekeeping in three nice rooms just around the corner on High Street, and Mr. Haley had the good fortune to be "taken in" by Mrs. Beasely. The gaunt old widow was plainly delighted once more to have "a man to do for." "If my digestion holds out, Miss Day," whispered the young man to Janice, "I'm going to do fine with Mrs. Beasely.
Take Colonel Pa'tridge's fine house on High Street, stuck in right between Miner's meat shop and old Bill Jones' drygoods an' groceries an' I don't know which is the commonest lookin' of the two." "There you air right, Miz' Petrie," agreed the Widow Beasely. "Miner's got so dirty around his shop I mean that I hate to buy a piece of meat there."
An' that's about all men air, come ter think on it a pair of muddy boots an' an unquenchable appetite!" Mrs. Beasely looked horrified, shaking her widow's cap. "Poor Charles wasn't nothin' like that," she declared, softly. "An' I don't s'pose a worse husband ever lived in Poketown," whispered the pessimistic old lady, when the widow had gone out of the room for something.
It's a fac'. Poketown is all cluttered up what ain't right down filthy. An' I don't see as there's anything can be done abeout it." "Why Mrs. Beasely do you believe there is anything so bad that it can't be helped?" queried Janice, slowly and thoughtfully. It was the first time her voice had been heard amid the general clatter, since she had come to sit down.
Beasely dared raise a moist eye to the grim crayon of the departed, and observe: "I don't know what poor Charles would say to such a smeachin' supper, if he was alive. Oh, me! it does seem as though I didn't have no heart for cookery no more since he ain't here ter sample my work. A man's a gre't spur to a woman in her housekeepin'." "Good Land o' Goshen!" ejaculated the outspoken Mrs.
"We'll have no larks like that, Master Marty," she declared. Mrs. Scattergood and 'Rill were among the first to arrive; and then came Mrs. Middler, the minister's wife. Mrs. Beasely was there, and Walky Dexter's wife, and the druggist's sister, who kept house for him; and Mrs. Poole, the doctor's wife; and Mrs.
Beasely is helping 'Rill make her wedding gown. Little Lottie is going to have a new mamma." "And and Hopewell's been playing that old song to her all these years!" murmured Janice "They are just as happy " "Aren't they!" agreed Nelson, with a thrill in his voice. "I hope that when we're as old as they are, we'll be as happy, too. Do you suppose "
"But the other butcher ain't much better," cried another troubled housewife. "And the flies!" "Oh, the awful flies!" chorused several. "Them critters is a pest, an' that's a fac'," declared Mrs. Scattergood. "Talk abeout the plagues o' Egypt " "But Miz' Petrie was tellin' us how Boston was different " "My soul and body!" gasped Mrs. Beasely. "I reckon she's told us enough.
Beasely, its frame draped with crape, which glared down upon the groaning table in the dining-room, almost took the girl's appetite away. Fortunately, however, the widow insisted upon facing the portrait of her departed husband, and Janice was back to him, so she recovered her appetite. And Mrs. Beasely's "tea", or "supper" as old-fashioned folks called the meal, was worthy of a hearty appetite.
They walked down High Street together after school, and on Friday the pretty little school-mistress invited the new girl home for tea. "Mother wants to see you again. Mother's took quite a fancy to you, Janice and that's a fact," said Miss 'Rill. "Of course, we're only boarding; but Mrs. Beasely she's a widow lady makes it very homey for us. If mother stays we're going to housekeeping ourselves.
Word Of The Day