Mrs. Day's Daughters

rom Life

s of Brockenham left their particular grocers to bestow their custom on the widow. From kindness of heart, from curiosity, from the impulse to do as others were doing, people flocked to purchase

sanction the engaging of a youth to assist behind the counter. Mr. Pretty, therefore-he was called "Mr." for busi

stairs sitting-room. For the neighbouring tradesmen, all of whom had stretched out friendly hands to the poor lady so unwillingly becoming one of them, had the bad habit of forgetting to make the

bly in her chair when she would arise to go to them. "Let people get their goods at regulation hours, or refuse to serve them," said t

I have held by all my life is, 'Business is Never Done.' And you may take my word for it, ma'am, succe

with an averted head. "As it happens I

aves and corners, the beetles, the rats. In the shop again, they would take down one of the monster green canisters, purchased of the retiring Jonas Carr for the purpose of striking awe into the bosoms of customers, but a few of which did, of a truth, hold tea, and select the special mixture to the tast

es everything so uncomfortable and spoils the evening," she compla

nly to advertise home-made mincemeat, but to make the mincemeat at home, and of a quality not procurable in shops. The housewives of Brockenham made their own mincemeat because the article on the market was not

second week in January, the little family worked at stoning raisins (there were no machines to make the task easy then), cho

le she lived to do it for them they would never be bothered to make the stuff again. Others came with the intention to wheedle the receipt from the shop-woman. Such was the unbusiness-like dispos

at the relations between the Days and their boarder, the Manchester

e shared with the family over, he would retire, preferring silence and, generally pretended, absorption in his book to the obtrusion of his conversation on the widow and her daughters. But in the harassment of the time of minceme

he asked. "It is comfortabler in here. Chop your plums and

eep our sitting-room, at least, fre

alone, mayn't he bring his pipe and see

of the Days' back yard. But, one of the girls proving tender-hearted on the subject of cats, bottles were substituted, Franky being admitt

d drew up a chair to the table between Bessie and Deleah, and proceeded quite

and least messy of all t

he had it on her mind that he lived among them, lonely and apart, and often anxiously

e eats it, and feeds Franky on it. Mama, I should think Deda will soo

dear," mama dutifully admonis

bits that you can't cut up. Bessie can take my

thumb as well. We can't have any of your

ad never entered either her mind or theirs, so completely had the long service made her one of them, that she could do anything else-and she now occupied the position of "general" in th

mily commented; but she removed her ma

rate," Bessie said, with her head on o

in the world that think

ss

s Bessie languidly murmured.

night then, dear

you all! Why should not I work as w

ide glance at Bessie's white hands. "I'm one of the workers. I don't mind tackling

y if he came in now and found me workin

plimentary,

e sitting over the fire reading. I was in your co

e honour of sitting in it, Mis

table; and Mr. Boult too

rews up his courage to lecture you, Miss Bessie, p

d Miss Day smiled obliquely at the

ely not! What can y

rone, mama. A dro

you answer

ing my toes at the fir

then, Mi

and preached me a sermon. A sermon of

petulant, tired Franky. In the stress of their work t

off, this minute. Mam

ce to bed, my

h and see her cut the citron peel, was remove

ning him with the nutmeg grater. "Mama, Franky is

Tell me what Mr. Bou

'peevishness,' and my 'nervy fits'-wasn't it rude of him!-came

him one for hisse

ot!" from an

gets. It is bully, bully, bully, all the day, with th

id 'I wonder you dare to use such words to me, Mr. Boult!' You should have seen him look! 'It's because

o say he takes an int

Miss Bessie could take an interest in him, there'd

a ridiculous ol

ve got his

looks driving in it!

r look twice in that di

s. Day gave one of her

l talk such non

eah pleaded. "It so helps

jury against him which had helped Bessie to support the tragedy of his death, nor had she Bessie's engrossing preoccupations with herself, her looks, her fancies, her love affairs. Bernard at George Boult's little

night on earth. She tortured herself with a secret, unearned remorse. Forgetting her habitual love and dutifulness, her mind would dwell on some remembered occasion

reproachful eyes. She forgot his ill temper, his unlovableness, his want of consideration for any one but himself, during the last wretched weeks of his sojourn amo

a sympathetic ear into which to breathe her maternal admiration. With Bessie the subject of Deleah's beauty was like a red rag to a bull. Emily, the general and confident

at them when I wheeled 'em out, times gone by, as babies. Ofttimes the pavement got blocked, as you've hear

charitable critic could have credited poor William Day with good loo