“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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