The Middleburgh post. (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, December 11, 1902, Image 6
MIDDLEBURQ POST. A General Utility Girl. for her own support, but there wu but one. Mid to Dora one day: Ton , rigorous protest on the part of the do the neate.st patching and darning1 ( rest of the family because of Dora a, I ever saw. It is something l never 'manifest usefulness at home. could do well anil that I hare always Tt was 'a great shock to the family disliked exceedingly. It is Much a re- when, one autumn day, Mr. Fifer was lief to me to get rid of it and to have brought home very ill and before it done so much better than I could DOHA FIFKK had none of the ac-i-omplishmtMits tf her three sis ters, vhich was n matter of some surprise to her family and friends. May, the eldest daughter, was not only a beauty, but she was regarded lis little short of a genius because of her skill in painting on china, velvet or anything that would retain paint. Then she had a dashing air and was a brilliant conversationalist. Kose, the next daughter, was utmost us dash ing and gifted as her sister, and she had a grunt deal of that somewhat indefinite thing that roiiio people call "style." She confessed to a great fondness for dress, and some of her admirers would have been surprised if they could have known how unpleas ant really disagreeable Kose could be when compelled to give up the pur chase of a dress or hat on which she had set her heart. Kose could make a greater variety of embroidery than nny other girl in Wilford. She learned ull of the new "funey stitches" as soon ns they came out, and she spout more money than her father could really afford to have her spend for Hums and other kinds of embroidery nilk and stamped mats of every de scription, some of which she was two weeks in embroidering. llora was the third daughter, and then canto Margaret, who had her first visiting cards printed "Margue rite." Margaret was fond of society, and no one could "pour" at an after noon ten with more graeo than Mar garet. Fhe had no end of small talk at her tongue's end, and tho people vl Wilford regarded hor as a phenom enal singer, but those qualified to ' judge would have said thnt her voice was little more than an ordinary so prano of limited rango, with one or two serious defects. Margaret was in great demand as a singer at the local concerts given in Wilford, and no so ciety event was regarded as ft perfect success without her. She was one of those girls who always "look pretty," mid she was witty in a way that was not always pleasing, because there was often n certain sharpness in her witty sayings and uninindfulncsa of the feelings of her friends. Dora had nono of the traits that pave her sisters the reputation of be ing "such bright, smart girls," and she lacked their beauty of faco and form. She lacked "style," she had none of the "air" of Margaret nor the "dash" of May. She was not clever with her t-Jngue, but it would havo surprised soiue. "of her sisters' friends to know that'Pora's reading was of the high est order, and that she sometimes wrote her sister s notes for them be cause she wrote a beautiful hand, and because, as they were sometimes generous enough to admit, she always "put things so nicely in a note, She knew nothing about Itose's "fancy stitches," but when Dora sewed on a button it "staved." lis her father de clared, and it wns admitted in the family that no one could mend or darn like Dora. Slit; cleaned gloves for the whole family because none of them could take a soiled pair of gloves and make them look as Dora could make them look. And she could take an old dress skirt that almost nny one else would have resrardou as Hopeless and turn and sponge and press it, and add little, touches here and there that made it look "as good as now." Although some of the friends of the Fifers thought Dora "so common place," they said that she was "a good-natured little thing," nnd that the had "really irood manners." Some times it was said thnt she had "a real wholesome look," nnd I suppose that this remark was prompted by the fact that Dora had fresh, rosy cheeks and a pair of honest brown eyes, and that she was always exquisitely neat, if not exactly "stylish." It was true that Dora had abundant pood nature, and that Bho did cheer fully a great many things for her sis ters and the whole family thnt a less kindly girl would have declined doing, She was "handy" at doing many little things. Rome of them wero not real y agreeable duties, but Dora often fcuid: "Some one must do them if the mn chinery of the household is not to get all clogged up, and I may as well do them as any one. Mr. Fifer did not have a large in come. In fact, it was so small that it required a great deal of contriving and good management to make both ends meet, and it was Dora who did most of the contriving, for Mrs. Fifer was too much of an invalid to take upon herself nny household cares. Dora's sisters confined their house hold duties to some perfunctory sweeping and dusting and the care of their own rooms. May sometimes made a enke and liose occasionally attempted a fancy dessert that was in most cases a failure. The fact that it required every dol lar of his income to meet the expenses of his home was a source of much anxiety to Mr. Fifer, because he was no longer young, and he felt the ne cessity of making some provision for his old age. Hut if he thought at times that some of his daughters ought to do something to make them selves self-supporting he did not say an. He was an affectionate and over ludulgent father, and he knew that at least three of his daughters had the kind of pride which made them feel that it would detract in some way from their social position to become clerks or bookkeepers, or even teach ers, had they been fitted for any of these duties. Dora had intimated that she was willing to do something night the angel of death had entered he home and the four girls were fatherless. May and Rose became hysterical and Margaret locked her self in her own room. Dora, although her heart was as henvy as the hearts of her sisters, bravely took upon her self the duties that some one member of the family must always assume at such times. She discharged these du ties so well that old Squire Addison, a lifelong friend of Mr. Fifer's, said to his wife when he went homo after several hours spent in the Fifer home: That little Dora Fifer is worth more than all the rest of the Fifer girls put together at a time when com mon sense is needed. I did admire tho way she held herself In the midst of her sorrow to-day. I don't see how her folks can talk as if she wasn't as smart as any of her sisters. To my mind she's smartor than the whole caboodle of 'em. I don't know what's to become of thnt family now. I doubt If poor John Fifer left more than enough to bury him decently, unless there's sonio lifn insurance that I don't know anything about." There was one life insurance policy for $1,500, und this money and her omc constituted Mrs. Fifer's entire fortune. What In tho world are we going to do?" asked May with tearful eyes as tho bereft family sat at the breakfast table ten days after tho death of Mr. Fifer. "What can we do?" added Kose, clasping her hands together with a gesture of despair. "(ioodness only knows! exclaimed Margaret, shaking her head dolefully. "I know very well what I shall do," said Dora. "I shall go to work." "At what?" askod May. "At anything I can get to do." "Dora Kstello Fifer!" said Kose. You wouldn't do just any kind of common work, would you?" "I will do nny kind of useful work nnd as I am but a commonplace girl am fitted for only commonplace work." "Itut you wouldn't go Into any one's kitchen, -would you?" "I expect to do that very thing." "Dora Fifer!" exclaimed Kose and May In the same breath, and May add ed: "Do you want to disgrace the whole family?" Nonsense!" retorted Dora, laugh ing as Bhe had not laughed since her father's death. "It Is not a disgrace to do any kind of useful, honest work. What I propose to do ia to become a general utility girl, I am not go ing to take a regular place, as a house servant, although I am not above doing so; but mother needs me at home some of the time, and I am going to oiler my services by the hour, day or evening to people who want all Borts of commonplace but necessary things done. Squire Addi son has already engaged me for two hours a day to help him in his office. He says that he has often wished that he could get some one to help It i in about two hours a day, for ho has not enough to do to employ an ns sistant all of the time. He and Mrs. Addison are going lo speak to their friends in regard to employing me us a sort of an 'odd job girl.' " " 'Odd job" sounds so unrefined," said Margaret. "Well, then, you may call me a gen eral utility girl," replied Dora. "Since I have no great talent for any one thing in particular, I must make the most of my ability to do things in general. It cannot and shall not be said thnt I am a useless person be cause I have no great talent in any one direction." The very next morning Dora re ceived a note from one of the wealth ier women in Wilford saying that Mrs, Addison had spoken to her about Dra, and that she had been glad to hear of soma one whom she could em ploy two or three hours a day. "My eyesight is fading so that I am wr some one to write notes and letters for ma and relieve me of a good many other duties I am no longer able to attend to myself. Will you kindly call on me at your earliest con venience?" A day or two later Dora had a re quest to" assist a mother in the care L tOSO - - rirls on Scott's do that hereafter I am going to pay you 25 cents an hour for it. You do this homely, uninteresting work as if you really enjoyed it." "I enjoy being useful and I believe j Erriilj.J "1 in doing even homely and uninterest-j . . ing work thoroughly," replied Dora. vc CO TxOt nCCCl to give .111 May and Kose and Margaret had thc reasons wny Scott's pride enough to be unwilling to al-i m . J low Dora to support them in idleness, ItmulsiOIl restores tllC Strengll" even if-her income had been large 1 n . 3 r enouch for her to hnve done so. They expressed themselves as w iiiing to "do health to those who suffo something" if thev could find Bonie- - e;l 1 1, J thimr tliv p,.ii1,I ',c Mnv e-rncious- U01'' S1CK 01000. The fact that it is the bes become an operu and offended her voice culture tell her frtutUv Uutt her voice was oi too snm 1 jrjjst aas too ordinary in quality for her to hope it to make a source of income even with the best of training. May finally secured a few pupils In china painting, nnd Itoso formed a little class in embroidery; but Wilford was a small town and as there were already several teachers of painting and embroidery in it, May and Kose found it difficult to secure pupils. A relative of Mr. Fifer's offered Mar- ly indicated her willingness to travel lis a coiULUllllou Willi Bouiv imij, auu T . svi Kose was willing to do embroidery at preparation 01 Cod Liver Ol home, while Margaret tried' to get a rich ill nutrition, full of llCaltb position as a singer in some church, ! . . . . , and she even taiked of studying to Stimulation 15 a SUggCStlOn singer. It surprised wj Jt docs Jfc QQS to have a teacher of ...... ! c r? 1 jjluii s imuision prcscnu Cod Liver Oil at its best, fullest in strength, least in taste. Young women in their " teens" are permanently cured of the peculiar disease of the blood which shows itself in oaleness. weakness riiirlnprvnns- garet a home with her in a large city , in return for some such servico as ncss, by regular treatment .1 m It is a true blood food and is naturally adapted to the cure of the blood sickness from which so many young women suffer. We will be glad to tend a sample to any sufferer. He mre t'-at this picture In the fnrm e' a label w on the wrapper ol tvery bottlt ol Emulsion you buy. SCOTT & BOWNE, Chemists, 409 Fearl St., New York. 1 Dora was rendering to others in Wil- wjtft Scott's Emulsion. iori, out ai me end 01 two inonins Margaret was at home again, her mother's cousin writing with unnec essary bluntness that "the girl was of no aocount." Finally, Margaret mar ried a clerk in a storo in Wilford who was fascinated by her dashing man ners and pretty face, and they began a Ufa of almost certain unhupplness in a boarding house. One day Dora came home from one of her afternoons with Mrs. Raymond, the wealthy woman for whom she wrote letters and notes and to whom she had become useful in many other ways. Dora's brown eyes were shin ing and her step was quick and elas tic. May was in an ill-humor because of what she called the "uttur stu pidity" of one of her pupils, and Rose had just said that she fairly loathed the sight of embroidery of any kind. "O girls and O mother, what do you think dear Mrs. Raymond wants me to do? You never could guess!" "Then why do you ask mo to try?" asked Kose petulantly. "It is foolish of me, Isn't it?" re plied Dora, with her unfailing good humor. "Well, Mrs. Raymond is go ing abroad next month to bo gone a whole year and she has asked rue to go with her. Think of it!" "Dora Estello Fifer!" exclaimed Kose in much the same tone in which she hnd used when exclaiming over Dorn'B intention to go out as a gen eral utility girl. "You don't mean it?" cried May, while Mrs.Fifersaid with shining eyes: "I am so glad for you, dear. Tell us all about it." "I never shall tell all of the nice things Mrs. Raymond said to me when she asked me to go," said Dora. "It would Bound too vain. Hut she said thnt I had become so useful to her and so necessary to her comfort that she could not go without me. She is going to pay me as much as I have been earning in my other places, and of courso, sho will poy all of my ex penses. We are going to Paris, to Rome, to Geneva, to Germany oh, all over Europe nnd to other countries! Can you spare mo for so long, moth er?" "Spnro you, dear? I would not for anything have you miss the oppor tunity. You know th'at my health is better now that it has been for yenrs, nnd I am perfectly able to take full charge of tho house." "Mrs. Raymond is going to pay me half of my year's salary in advance FURNITURE..... iu are id need of Furniture, CnrjK'N Mattings, Kugp, Oilcloth, Linoleimi.Luee CuitaiPH, VinuYw Shades, Pictures, and Picture Frames, give us a call. "We can suit you in Style andEBin Prices....... Our stock is new" and up-to-date. It is no trouble to show goods and quote prices. ' . REPAIRING neatly and promptly done Lewisfown Furniture Co,, No. i2-i4LValley St. Felix Bloctf NOTICE I Special Coats At the NEW STORE 111103 upj.w "03 HaAIIS IVMOIlVNiUOlNI sjiriim sin tlKnti)UD jo. 040M.tt.UaAJ uaiuop iiuiput I'l0 340 Xjq.r, 'auipujipv. I33xd ns.ija pan ssn 11 j uosi a.n 14 p.KTumis ''3i.i 'B?1J0,. 'suood? AiniH W L'jp.'ll jd.ujior! 't(Ji'ui-oi)!;ji i:.on?j .t. ti Hlllju.xi o.iu.tt .wi:i'(n.itt'l iui.v s-ipm .iiAi.-B imn.m jo SJ':o. Juio j-iiiu p.iniuu.f) p 91) A'lltO II U3 aV-'M JJApB no 1 We have decided to maki d action on all Ladies Coat! the holidays, so as to give body a chance to buy a brail coat before Christmas at a price. This sale will go intj to-day. We will surprise ok customers when they M prices. Remember, every coat t new and the styles are beani Special bargains in EedKi Comfortables, Underwear, m Goods. Con,( in and & trouble to show goods. A specially grand lot ofw make selections ironi. H. F. CLEMMER, 44G MARKET HT. SUXiiCffl Three doors east of the Market House. A Provldeittlnl I'nrlrr. A gentleman, Scotch Presbyterian, traveling with his five-year-old son, told the child as he put him to bed to say his prayers as usual, which the boy flatly refused to do. "Don't you wont the Lord to take care of you to-night?" asked the anx ious fnther. "Whit's the porter here for?" was the child's response. Lippincott's. compelled to give up reading and , 8a,d Dorn oh doegn.t ,t BOUnd iting," she wrote, "and I want tQ be tnje? j am . plest, happiest girl in the world, even though I am only a general utility girl." A few days later Mrs. Raymond called on Mrs. Fifer when Dora was out and said: "I came partly to ask your forgiveness for taking Dora nurflv finm Villi na vnu YiflVA fmir of her children two or three hour. dant9 one t you mRy be willing to let me have one of yours for a while. Dora has really become 1 indispensable to me. I have come to 'depend upon her so much. She does everything so well. ?so duty is too each afternoon. "Dear mo, it seems so much like going out as a common nurso girl," aid Rose. "The 'common nurse girl' who does ncr amy mm. uny ,lllmi,ie for her to do it cheerfully nnd a JH I Boil iin A jmjv ui, ii-j'iiuu with unusual spirit. "There can be no more responsible or honorable po sition than that of giving proper care to little children. 1 am fond of chil dren, and the three little ones of Mrs. lilaney's are dear little souls. I shall accept the place and thank Mrs. lllaney for offering it to me." At the end of the second week aft- thoroughly. Then she has so much tact and such beautiful patience. In 11 the year and more that she has been my heler I have never known her to become irritable or impatient or to slight nny duty. Indeed, Bhe has taught me lessons in patience and cheerfulness. I cannot tell you how fond I am of her." So it came nbont that a "common- Xuthlnir to Lire For. Mrs. lleuham The paper tells of a bad accident. Benham Vhat kind of an accident? Mrs. Henham A woman's dress took fire and was ruined and the woman was so badly burned that she will not recover. Benham I don't suppose she wants to recover if her dress is ruined. 3f. Y. Times. Tell nie your ambition and advise me as to your alii mav be the brainiest man in the world, but unless you have tlx tunity to prove it your brains are valuless. I aid you to ski opportunity. The Keystone Law and Patent Co., of which I so dent, will secure you a valid patent at the lowest possible Mi the broadest claims, aud thereatter assist you in securjng a ma uurchase for your invention, by placing: it before the public inai systematic nnd businesslike manner, und without cost to you 4 patent has been sold. Thus for the one object for which all 1 should aim namely, the conversion of their ideas into cash-l - - possible without expense to you. Success 111 life depends upon doing everything well. Success has come to us from careful attention to our & terests. Our success lias drawn to us thousands who are ew their reouirements and to these satisfied clients we refer you. ...... ... - ... 1 1 This is the strongest possible endorsument that can msi Write to me personally. S. S. WILLIAMSON, President, Kpvstonn Taw nnd Patent Co.. 2012-2024 Beta Building j , i . I'hilaaeim er Dora had announced her intention pftce.. girl nict with the reward that of going out as a general utility girl not lnfreqently comes to those who she had all her time engaged from do the humble, commonplace duties of nine in the morning until five in the 1!fe cheerfully nnd faithfully, the re afternoon, excepting on Saturdays, ward of appreciation and gratitude, which she reserved for duties in her for there nre niany who glve these du. own home. She had even some of her Ue8 their true vnlue and rank thera evenings engaged, and some weeks with the brilliant accomplishments she earned ten dollars. She was very and achievements of life. Young skillful with her needle and sewed two people. forenoons and ona afternoon each -week. So great was the demand for I CoId " a really capable seamstress that Dora Doctor You say you are troubled could have made engagements for with insomnia. Did you ever try bath every day in the week at a dollar and ing your feet in hot water before a half a day; but soma of her other going to Dear work wai even more profitable, and 1 Mr. Ilenpeck Alas, it isn't my feet I she preferred variety. that keep me awake, but my wife's, . One ladj with five children, all boyi Ohio State Journal. , ' . . , ,, i : ; ' .. How He Won Her, "Yes, I proposed to her by letter." "And what was her reply?" "She simply referred me to a certain chapter and page in 'The Life of Lord Kelson.' " "And what did you find?" "It says: 'After fruitlessly apply ing for command of the ship by letter, he went in person to see about it, and then he secured it.' "Tit-Bits. DR. FENNER'S KIDNEY 1 Backache CURE All diseases of Kidneys, Bladder, Urinary Organs. Also Rheumatism, Back ache, HeartDUeaae. Gravel, Dropsy, Female Troubles. Don't become discouraged. There li a cure for you. If iiecesHury write Dr. Fenner. Ue has spent a life time curing Just such cases m yours. All consultations Free. "ElRht months In lied, heavy backache, pain and soroness across kidneys, also rheu matism Other remedies failed. Dr. Fen ner's.Kldney and Rnckache Cure cared me completely. H. WATERS, Camlot, N. Y." ' Druggists. 60c tt. Ak for Cook Book Free. CT tITIIC'n I UPC Sure Cure. Circular. Dr ', Fanner, FrdonIa.M.Y Christmas Presents, Silverware, LftJatches, Jem I pride myself in selling only re liable goods. I do not promise any thing that I do not fulfil. I po not agree to furnish the best article for the least money. Tho best; article costs for expert labor ; the cheap article does not, but I will charge you less profit than any other dealer and I guarantee every article as represented. Repairing of all kinds Skillfully K J. H. HEIM, 19 North 4th Str? SUNBURY,