Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1873 — OUR COMPACT: AND HOW WE KEPT IT. [ARTICLE]

OUR COMPACT: AND HOW WE KEPT IT.

BY HATTIE HALL.

“ A me nil Y heart goes all the day, Your sad tires In a mile—a.”—A Winter's Tale. “Girls, do you kuow it’s almost housecleaning time again?” said I, one bright October morning. “Why, so it is!” exclaimed Kate, looking up from her writing; “I declare, it doesn’t seem six weeks since we scrubbed this old bouse froth garret to cellar!” ‘“Well, it’s all got to be done over again, and pretty soon, too.” “I just hate it!” Nell spoke up, edergetically; “it’s just over and over again, and I don’t see, that we are one bit the better for it.” “Oh, now, Nell, you know you like a clean bouse as well as any one, and only last spring you said you rather enjoyed it when you once got into it,” said Susie, our youngest, invalid sister. “Well, so I do, or should, if it would only stay clean 1 ” admitted Nell, looking down somewhat; “but this turning a house upside down, and making everybody uncomfortable for a week, and then having to sweep and dust the very next day, just as usual, is what I abominate!” “Ob, I don’t feel so,” said Kate; “I rather like it; but one does get so dreadfully tired after washing paint and nailing carpets five or six days.” “And dreadfully cross,” I added, laughlug. “There is no time in the year so trying to me; and do you know, I’ve been thinking, lately, whether things would not go smoother, and we get through this semi-annual trial easier if we -were to do our best to —keep our tempers?” “Oh, yes, it’s very well for you to talk, who never lose .yours.” ““Nowyon are too kind, Nell; I’m no more amiable than the rest of you, only I am inclined to he sullen, while you talk it out and have done with it. Now, I propose we all make a special effort this fall.” "Well—l’ll try,” said Nell, soberly; “and, 1 ’ she added, with a laugh, “if ‘old Flash,’as Tom calls me, can keep her temper, I’m sure the rest of you can.” “Ladies and gentlemen,” began Kate, jumping up and striking an attitude. “Whereas, in the opinion of this family here assembled, ebullitions of temper greatly impede the work of renovation;” (cries of “Hear! hear!” from Nell;) “and Whereas, it is the ambition of the family aforesaid to clean house in the easiest way; therefore, Resolved, That each mem- * her herewith bind herself to keep the peace—so far as in her lies”—with an arch glance at Nell; “and furthermore, Resolved, That the forfeit for a failure to do the same shall be a supper prepared by her own fair hands.” “I second the motion!” shouted Nell, clapping her hands and danoing about. “And I third it,” cooed Shsie, from her sofa-corner. “You precious little dove!” said Nell, dropping down beside her, “there’s no danger of your having to get up a supper. But poor me! —girls, where is the cookery book?" There was a shout at the pretty affectation of despair, which brought in Tom from his smoking on the veranda. “I say, girls, what mischief are you plotting now?” “Only resolving ourselves into a Society for the Promotion of Amiability,” replied Neil; demurely. ' - - “Happy thing for us, eh, mother?” said saucy Tom, shrugging his shoulders, and , glancing back at mother, who had followed htnyrir. “But come, girls, toll a fellow what it all means.” Kate proceeded to explain, while mother beanfod approval. “Whew! honey ana pie!” ejaculated Tom. “Well, I guess I’ll ‘jine’ too,-if you admit masculines. Of course, I can’t hope to he as angelic as you girls., hut I’ll do my ‘level best.’ ” -- “And you won’t bolt if you’re asked to heat a carpet?” queried Kate. “Not. atalL”- 1 “Nor growl if you have a cold dinner?” said I. . “Or your slippers are missing?” added , Nell. “Just you wait and see,” answered Tom. _ “But,” said lie as a sudden thought struck him, “/ can’t cook a supper.” “Oil, you provide the oysters, and we’ll cook them.” “All right! But when does this thing go into effect?" “Not until house-cleaning.” “I’m glad of that. I say, Nell, where are those confounded slippers?” “Look till you find them, Sir," retorted she, pertly. “Perhaps it might be as well to practice a little beforehand,” suggested mother, smiling. "That's so mother!” 3uid Tom, and changing liis voice to softest cadence, ‘ASweet sister, couldst thou tell me where I might discover my trmjjnt slippers?” And so, amid jest and repartee, and yet, withal, an —undertone of earnest- purpose,- “Our Oompact” was made. Perhaps it might be well to state, more particularly just here, who “we” are. There are five children of us, a, 11 arrived at “years of discretion.” Kate, our eldest, is tall and handsome, a little inclined to presume upon her seniority and dictate to us younger ones, which I, being thirteen months behind her, am quite disposed to resent. Tom usually calls her “Lady Kate,” and when she is particularly lofty, “Her Royal Highness.” She is literary in her tastes, and lias written, some very good jliings. Tom, who is sodulously cultivating a mustache, has some vague ideas of the “Superiority of Man,” but they get pretty well rubbed out of him among so many sisters; father lias lately taken Turn' into his law office, and he is rather more impressible than usual. Nell, a brownhaired, black-eyed little gypsey, Is the life and fun-maker of the family, qutok and' impulsive, but with a noble character; while Susie, our beautiful, fair-haired darling—just budding into womanhood—fades like a snow-wreath from our midst. “-Tiie mother," whose placid, lovely face is just shaded by, son, gray curls, is our friend, confidant and counselor, entering into all our plans with a zest prompted by a heart young and sweet to the core. The conversation which I have given above took place on Saturday, ana the next week, after the washing and ironing was out of the way, bright and early Wednesday morning the work began. Mother always believed in taking hold of the worst end of a job first; so Kate and Nell went up into the garret, while mother and I undertook the cellar. It was a lovely, sunshiny day, end there was a crisp sparkle in the air that was wonderfully exhilarating, and everything went on as “merry as a marriage bell.” So energetically did we work, that not only were the two extremes of the house set in order, hut the girls finished the spare chamber, Susie’s room and the upper hall (taking up no carpets) while mother and I cleaned the kitchen and diningroom, pantries and

the china closet. That evening, when we gathered xound the grate inJhe sittingroom, we felicitated ourselves greatly on the wonderful success of ohr plan; while father, who now heard of the “compact” for the first time, somewhat chilled our enthusiasm by prophesying that every one of us would have to pay a forfeit before the week was over, and added, with a laugh r “80 much feasting will give us all the dyspepsia.” The next morning I found, on rising, that I had taken cold in my subterranean labors, and was dreadftilly stiff and lame, and Kate’s heavy eyes and listless manner at the breakfast table betrayed that one of of her headaches was coming on. We lingered at the table, and after prayers did not “spring to” as we had the day before. Still, Tom volunteered to stay at home all day, and the way he beat carpets, moved heavy furniture and made himself fenerally useful, was quite o, in spite of aching,head and rheumatic bones, we finished all the chambers, taking up the carpetß. Susie, of course, oould not join in the work, but her trial lay in her lonely hours and the inconveniences she was often subjected to in the general upheaval; and what wonder if the poor, helpless child sometimes grew a little fretful! I was racing down stairs for clean water that morning, when she called from her room:—“Bessie, won’t you shut my door?” “Yes, in a minute, Sue,” I answered, and hurried on. While I was in the kitchen, mother wanted me to peel the potatoes for dinner, and that done I went up the back stairs to my cleaning, quite forgetting poor Sue. In about half an hour I had occasion to go down again, and as I passed through the hall I heard Susie’s soft voice, this time a little tremulous: “Bessie, dear, you forgot to shut my door.” “Why, bless your heart! so I did!” I exclaimed, going in; and there the dear child lay, curled up in a heap, and with a great newspaper spread over her. “It’s lucky I had this big paper,” she said, trying to smile; “there is such a draught, and my fire’s all down”—and not a word of reproach did she add. But my heart smote me as I tucked the silk comfortable around the wasted form. I poked the fire, brought her a new book from the sitting-room, and with a penitent kiss left her once more alone. Friday morning came dark and lowering, and we AH Felt the depressing effect of the general gloom. Tom declared he had urgent business down town, and took himself off right after breakfast; and worst of all, Susie had taken cold, thanks to my carelessness, and was suffering one of her painful attacks, ami mother could only leave her a few minutes at a time. She gave us the hall, parlor and sittingroom for that day’s work, and we knew it was doubtful whether we could finish it; but we went to work with a sort of grim determination that was quite a contrast to our frolicsome mood on the first day. Instead of song and merry Jest, almo# complete silence reigned among us. I felt myself growing sullen and irritable, and thought despairingly of “Our Compact.” But 1 shut my lips, firmly resolved that however I might feel inside, there should he no outward sign; hut towards noon, as I was passing through the hall with my arms full of hlankets to he aired, Kate cstteiToutr— —— “~7“ “Here, Bess, you may polish the stair" rods.” ———- —7—Her authoritative tone irritated me. I knew “Lady Xate” disliked staining her white hands with such work, and would have been glad to humor her iiad she asked me kindly; but I was about to make her an angry retort, when I caught a roguish glance from Nell, and checking myself just in time, I marched off without a word. By the time I had the blankets all hung out I had recovered my equanimity, ana was able to speak pleasantly as I gathered up the stair rods, and Kate, whose back had been turned, never knew how near I came to incurring the forfeit. Half-past twelve came and we were still hard at work. Nell, perched on the high step-ladder, was dusting hooks on the top shelf of the secretary, Kate was nailing down the drugget in the sitting-room, while I was oiling the furniture, when suddenly Tom appeared in the doorway and surveyed the scene with a prolonged whistle of astonishment. “Ain’t dinner ready yet?” “No, it ain’t, sir,” responded Nell, curtly, but not offering to stir. “Well, step round lively, girls, for I’m in an awful hurry,” said he, roughly, but not ill-naturedly. I was just leaving the room, hut looked back as Nell- exclaimed with flashing eyes 1 “Get it vour—” Tom clapped his hands when she stopped suddenly and burled her face in her dust-cloth. “Bravo, Flash!” he cried; “you“shall have a premium for that.” A hearty laugh did us all good, and we bustled about with such hearty good-will that dinner was soon on the table. Tom made amends for his exasperating speech by starting the fire, getting the; ice-water, and carrying Susie’s dinner up stairs. Greatly refreshed by a good cup of tea and the pleasant chat at the table, we went hack to our tasks in much better humor. We accomplished wonders in that short afternoon, but night drew on rapidly—much too fast to suit our purpose—and we got into a desperate hurry. Nell was frantically dusting and setting hack the parlor furniture, when suddenly something went—crash! “What the dickens is that!” exclaimed Kate, as we both hurried to the scene of the disaster. But when she realized that it was her marble bust of Clytie—the apple ot her eye, bought with the first fruite of her pen—her wrath broke forth: “ You careless, miserable—” I sprang to her, and putting my hand over her mouth, entreated, “Oh, Kate, Kate, remember!” ; ... Whereupon she burst info tears and same in a heap on the floor, witli her battered Clyde in her hand. Poor Nell threw herself on her knees beside her, and put her arms around her, reiterating, through her tears: “Oh, Katie! I’m so sorry! I’ll buy you another, indeed I will l” “No, no;” sobbed Kate. “I don’t want it—it would never be the one I earned.” Our nerves were probably somewhat unstrung—we were so tired— for I could not help crying ia sympathy, and we must have presented rather a lachrymose appearance when father and Tom came in. “Halloa!” exclaimed that incorrigible brother, what’s going on—a second deluge?” “0, Tom!” said Nell, rueftilly, “I’ve bean and gone and done it, this time/’ “What! smashed Lady Kate’s idol! Well, that a bad job. But coins, Kate; a little cement will fix it out-better than a whole barrel of tears.”

Kate managed a rather watery smile, and then slipped up-stairs with her mutilsted treasure, and if she was gone a good while we were carefol not to notice it, There was no pleasant gathering in the sitting-room that night, for it took us nearly all the evening to put things to rights, and then we girls were glad to take refuge in bed. “Thank fortune, this is the last day!” . said Nell, yawning and stretching, as the rising-bell sounded Saturday morning. “Do you think we can finish to-day?” I queried, doubtfully, as I buttoned up my boots. “We must,” declared Nell, facing round quickly, brush injhand; “there shan’t be a speck of dust in this house to weigh on my conscience to-morrow if I can help it.” “Well, I guess we can bring it, if mother canhelp,” la&seafod- “I’m glad it’s a pleasant day; the weather does make ’such a difference in house-cleaning.” “Come, girls; ‘buckle to’—time flies,” Kate called out, giving a thump on our door as she passed. “Brevity, thy name is Katherine,” parodied Nell, as she opened'the door and scampered after her. Yes, it was a mercy the sun shone that day.' As if was, the work went hard enough, and only tin: thought of the end so near at hand enabled us to persevere. Kate and Nell had a little difference of opinion at the very outset, the former insisting that the kitchen must be left over for another week, while the latter declared that every nook and corner should be cleaned before Sunday if it took her till twelve o’clock; and the discussion was getting quite heated, when I rose, went to the book-case, and taking down Miss Leslie’s “Recipe Book,” I laid it solemnly in Nell’s lap. “No, I haven’t!” she said, hastily,pushing it from her; “take it away! I’m just as amiable as I can be!” Kate laughed, and peace was once more restored. Nothing special occurred that day. Mother put her shoulder to the wheel, and by tea-time everything was donle—kitchen and all. The polishing of the silver fell to my lot, and oh! how it made my arm ache! But if a few tiny drops moistened the whiting as I rubbed away at the spoons, they only made them shine the brighter. Nell took upon herself the kitchen, for fear it wouldn’t get done, and Tom staid at home again and shook the dining-room carpet. Kate devoted herself to the finishing of mother’s room, and mother herself lent a helping hand wherever it was needed. That was a tired hut happy group which gathered in the family room that evening. Susie, whom father had brought down for the first time since Wednesday, lay on her couch, which was drawn close to the right of the grate; father in his easy chair at her head, was reading the evening paper, while with one liana he stroked tenderly Susie’s golden curls. Nell, sib ting on the floor—her favorite seat, by-the-way—leaned her head on Sue’s pillow, where she could watch the flitting color in her cheeks and the rare smile steal over her wistful, patient face. Mother occupied the post of honor on the opposite side of the grate, with Tom by her side, resting his arm on the back of her chair in a loving, protecting way; for Tom was mother’s dariing, and his manner to her was more that of a lover than a son. I lolled in a low, easy ehair, almost too weary to raise my head; while Kate, our queenly Kate, the pride and center of our circle—sat gracefully efect, disdaining any such weak compromise with fatigue. We were none of us much inclined to talk, and there had been quite a long silence when father suddenly asked, as lie turned liis paper: “Well, girls, how about that supper?” “Oh, father, we have all been so good,” said I. “A ifost of cooing doves couldn’t have been more peaceful,” added Tom. “What! even my little spit-fire kept her temper?” said father, roguishly, laying his hand on Nell’s head, and drawing it back till he could look into her sparkling eyes. “Well, papa,” admitted truthful Nell, “we did come dreadftilly near losing it sometimes, but we didn’t quite, you see.” “And how much easier the work went for it,” I said. “Yes; I don’t think we ever quite finished in four days before,” said Kate, slowly. ——• • —‘ “Since you find the plan works so well,” mother remarked gently, “suppose you keep it Tor every day use?” “I’m agreed,” said Noll; “only there must be no forfeit, for it isn’t in human nature not to give way once in a while.” “80 I’m to be cheated out of my supper?” said father, as he resumed his readmg. “No, father, that you shall not!” exclaimed Tom. “We must celebrate our victory, girls, and I’ll send up the oysters Monday morning, and you must get up a royal good supper.” Anda “royal good” one it was. Each contributed her share. Nell the chocolate cake, which was her specialty; Kate the wine-jelly, and I the biscuits and sponge cake; but the crowning feature of the table was the charming center-piece arrang. ed by Susie’s deft fingers of fern and autumn leaves. Father surprised us by a basket of luscious grapes,-and mother stewed, scolloped, and Tried Tom’s oysters. It was a merry company that gathered around this “feast of good things,” and Tom’s toast, to “The Rival of Barnum’s Happy Family,” brought down the house. Rural Nob Yorker. A Detroit woman called upon a credulous family in that city the other day, introduced herself and began a conversation. Suddenly she fell out of her chair, very sick and feeble, and faintly said that she had no money and could not go to the hospital, and they would have to keep her through the run of the fever. They gave her three dollars to crawl out and try to reach the hospital, and she has a new blue sash. A car-load of live fish, consigned to the California Fish Commission at San Francisco, to stock the streams in that State, was wrecked in Elkhom River, twenty miles west of Omaha, and the entire car of forty thousand trout, lobsters, eels, etc., emptied into the stream. It 1b safet to be the best stocked stream in Nebraska at present. The cause of the accident was the wash-out of tike bridge of the Union Pacific Railway. Within a week after the commission of his offense, a New York burglar, who was caught by one of the ladies of a house he had entered after he had fired two shots at her, has been sentenced to thirty years’ imprisonment. ; . ; See, in another noiunra, the advertisement headed “J will help any own.,”