Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII. No. 3. March 1848Various
General
Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII. No. 3. March 1848
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
of time and labor," &c., &c., he began to prick up his ears, and fancy
his thrifty little daughter Enna was not quite so excellent in her
management as he had blindly dreamed. Poor man! his former ignorance
had surely been bliss, for his unfortunate knowledge only made him
look vexed and full of care whenever he entered the house. He even
noted the door-handles, as to their brightness, rated poor Ike about
the table appointments, and pointed out when and how work should be
done--told how he managed in his business, and how we should manage in
ours. I was almost distraught with annoyance; and, kind as my aunt had
been, I wished for the time of her departure silently, but as
earnestly as did my servants. Heaven pardon me for my inhospitality
and ingratitude.
"Now, Lina," said my father, the morning she left, "don't forget the
woman you were speaking of. Enna needs some experienced person to keep
things in order. We shall have to break up housekeeping if affairs go
on in this disordered state. I do not know how we have stood it thus
long."
I opened my eyes but said not a word. Three months before and my
father had been the happiest, free-from-care man in the city; now the
little insight he had gained into domestic affairs--the peep behind
the curtain given him by my mistaken maiden aunt, had served to
embitter his existence, surrounding his path with those nettles of
life, household trifles, vulgar cares and petty annoyances. I almost
echoed Biddy's ejaculation as the carriage drove from the door with my
aunt and her numberless boxes, each one arranged on a new, orderly,
time-saving plan.
"Sure, and it's glad I am, that the ould craythur is fairly off--for
divil a bit of comfort did she give the laste of us with her
time-saving orderly ways. And it's not an owld maid ye must ever be,
darlint Miss Enna, or ye'll favor the troublesome aunty with her tabby
notions."
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