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Updated: June 29, 2025
They afforded a still stronger example of the influence exercised by Tommy Atkins upon the British domestic, and I therefore thought it right to relate them also to the boys. "The heroine of them," I said, "is our Amenda. Now, you would call her a tolerably well-behaved, orderly young woman, would you not?" "She is my ideal of unostentatious respectability," answered MacShaugnassy.
I think he was, without exception, the most clumsy and stupid boy I have ever come across; and that is saying a good deal. His mother undertook that for three-and-sixpence a week he should "make himself generally useful" to us for a couple of hours every morning. Those were the old lady's very words, and I repeated them to Amenda when I introduced the boy to her.
And then she added, "I think we'll always have them lighted in the old way, Amenda, if you please." Another time he showed us how to make coffee according to the Arabian method. Arabia must be a very untidy country if they made coffee often over there. He dirtied two saucepans, three jugs, one tablecloth, one nutmeg-grater, one hearthrug, three cups, and himself.
Ethelbertha's chief object in life at this period was to surprise and shock Amenda, and her chief sorrow that she had never succeeded in doing so. She had hoped great things from this announcement, but the girl remained unmoved. "Oh, are you, mum," she replied; and went on to speak of other matters.
When, therefore, Amenda announced to us that her engagement with him was "off," and intimated that her feelings would in no way suffer by our going elsewhere for our bacon, we secretly rejoiced. "I am confident you have done right, Amenda," said Ethelbertha; "you would never have been happy with that man." "No, mum, I don't think I ever should," replied Amenda.
Fate would not hear of our having a houseboat that summer, which was an exceptionally fine summer, but promised us that if we were good and saved up our money, we should have one next year; and Ethelbertha and I, being simple-minded, inexperienced children, were content with the promise, and had faith in its satisfactory fulfilment. As soon as we reached home we informed Amenda of our plan.
At half-past ten, we went down and got our own supper, and had it in the kitchen. At a quarter-past eleven, Amenda returned. She walked into the kitchen without a word, hung my hat up behind the door, and commenced clearing away the supper things. "Ethelbertha rose, calm but severe. "'Where have you been, Amenda? she inquired.
He proved to her that an immense saving in time and labour, to say nothing of coals, could be effected by the adoption of the Crim Tartary system; and he taught it to her then and there, and she went straight downstairs and explained it to the girl. Amenda, our then "general," was an extremely stolid young person, and, in some respects, a model servant. She never argued.
It drew nearer, however, as I approached the bottom of the garden, and at last I located it in a small wooden shed, used by the proprietor of the house as a dark-room for developing photographs. "The door was locked. 'Is that you, Amenda? I cried through the keyhole. "'Yes, sir, came back the muffled answer. 'Will you please let me out? you'll find the key on the ground near the door.
"Ethelbertha rose, calm but severe. "'Where have you been, Amenda? she enquired. "'Gadding half over the county with a lot of low soldiers, answered Amenda, continuing her work. "'You had on my hat, I added, somewhat gloomily.
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