Ethelyn's Mistake

Barbara hardly knew herself how she should manage, or what she should

do. "Providence would direct," she said, though to be sure she had an

idea. Ethie had written that she had found employment, and what was more

probable than to suppose that the employment was giving music lessons,

for which she was well qualified, or teaching in some gentleman's

family. Taking this as her basis, Aunt Barbara intended to inquire for

every governess and teacher in the city, besides watching every house

where such an appendage would be likely to be found. Still her great

hope was in the street and the Park. She should surely meet Ethie there

some day--at least she would try the effect of her plan; and she went

quietly on with her preparations, while Mrs. Van Buren tried to dissuade

her from a scheme which seemed so foolish and utterly impracticable.

"Suppose Ethie was a governess, the family most likely would be out of

town at that season; and what good would it do for Aunt Barbara to risk

her life and health in the crowded city?"

This view of the matter was rather dampening to Aunt Barbara's zeal; but

trusting that Providence would interfere in her behalf, she still

insisted that she should go, and again expressed a wish that Sophia

would go with her. "It would not be so lonesome, and would look better,

too," she said, "while you know more of city ways than I do, and would

not get imposed upon."

Mrs. Van Buren could go far beyond her sister in abusing Richard, but

when it came to a sacrifice of her own comfort and pleasure, she held

back. Nothing could induce her to go to New York. She preferred the cool

seaside, where she was to join a party of Boston élite. Her dresses were

made, her room engaged, and she must go, she said, urging that Nettie's

health required the change--Nettie, who had given to her husband a

sickly, puny child, which lived just long enough to warrant a grand

funeral, and then was laid to rest under the shadow of the Van Buren

monument, out in pleasant Mount Auburn.

So Mrs. Van Buren went back to Boston, while Aunt Barbara gave all

needful directions to Betty with regard to the management of the house,

and the garden, and plants, and cellar door, which must be shut nights,

and the spot on the roof which sometimes leaked when it rained, and the

burdocks and dandelions which must be dug up, and the grass which Uncle

Billy Thompson must cut once in two weeks, and the old cat, Tabby, and

the young cat, Jim, who had come to the door in a storm, and was now the

pet of the house, and the canary bird, and the yeast, and look in the

vinegar barrel to see that all was right, and be sure and scald the

milk-pans, and turn them up in the sun for an hour, and keep the doors

locked, and the silver up in the scuttle-hole; and if she heard the rat

which baffled and tormented them so long, get some poison and kill it,

but not on any account let it get in the cistern; and keep the

door-steps clean, and the stoop, and once in a while sweep the low roof

at the back of the house, and not sit up late nights, or sleep very long

in the morning; and inasmuch as there would be so little to do, she

might as well finish up all her new sewing, and make the pile of sheets

and pillow-cases which had been cut out since March. These were Aunt

Barbara's directions, which Betty, nothing appalled, promised to heed,

telling her mistress not to worry an atom, as things should be attended

to, even better than if she were at home to see to them herself.