What Diantha Did

bird fulfil

ar lean a

beasts se

beasts th

only kind

y upsid

d the dry silence wearingly. Rampant fuchsias, red-jewelled, heavy, ran up its framework, with crowding heliotrope and nasturtiums. Thick straggli

uld the cold grey steep-roofed little boxes be repeated so faithfully in the broad glow of a semi-tropical landscape. There was an attempt at a "lawn," the p

of; only the kitchen spoke of human living, and the living it portrayed was not, to say the least, joyous. It was clean, clean with a cleanness that spoke of conscient

But the place bore no atmosphere of contented pride, as does a Dutch, Germ

ugh the dangling eucalyptus leaves. The dry air, rich with flower odors, flowed softly in, pushing t

ughts dwelling on long dark green grass, the shade of elms, and cows knee-deep in river

d steadily, and her thoughts full of pouring moonlight through acacia boughs and Ross's murmured words, i

eary sigh, and laid dow

her dear? There's surely n

plenty else to do." And she went on with the long neat he

Mother-I always hated this job-

es don't. Now they're reversed. As to liking it-" She gave a little smile, a smile

-really?" her daughter inquired sud

it. I never tried any but teaching. I didn't like that.

e any of it?" p

loved arithmetic, when I went to sc

ework do you like best

l sometimes what part I like least!" she answered. Then with sudden heat-"

e time for that I fancy," she said. "But, Mother, there is one part you like-keeping accounts! I never sa

keep run of things. I've often thought your Father'd have

other with a sort of passionate pity mixed with pride; feeling always nobler power in her than had ever had a fair chance to grow. It seemed to her an interminable

chafe and fret of seeing her husband constantly attempting against her judgment, and failing for lack of the help he scorned. Young as she w

ay-taking her mother's also. "Now you sit still for once, Moth

htly, setting out what was needed, greased her pans a

it!" she said. "I never could make bread without g

got to have hot bread for supper-or thinks he has!-and I've ma

at night-and it did seem as if I couldn't sit up! But your Father's got to have his biscuit whether or no. And you said, 'Now Mother you lie right still on tha

note of feeling than her mother c

re teaching school,

ille," Diantha corrected. "When I ta

d! No matter how tired you were-you wouldn'

ow. I was tired enough of teaching school though.

tove; then poked among the greasewood roots to find what she wanted and started

your Father won't have one in the house. He says they're dangerous. What a

n't, Mother. Ross

what,

y chip from the hearth. "He's perfectly helpless the

better. He's certainly doing his duty. Now if his father'd lived you tw

t the pantry was in its usual delicate order, and proceeded

ty-one,"

ed. "It don't seem possible, but you are.

to marry-and to pay his father's debts-

"I know it's hard, dear child. You've only been engaged six months-and it looks as if it might

hree women, and two girls. Though Cora's as old as I was when I began

her don't approve of it. She thinks the home is the place for

ite sauce for it, talking the while as if these acts were automatic. "I don't agree with Mrs. Warden on that point, n

ed fanning, and regarded her dau

Why Diantha! You wouldn't

king at the feeble little woman in the chair. Then sh

Ross either:-it's because I do. I want to take care of you, Mother, and make life easier for yo

. It was only her sister, who hurried in, put a dish on th

baby's asleep. Gerald hasn't got in yet. Supper's all ready, and I can see him

ll weakly; wiping her

less me! I thought you and she never had any differences! I was always

and mother of nineteen; and patted the older woman's ha

ter," said her sister. "I have de

at up straight and stared at h

n over from her mother's eyes. "Well, why not? Yo

t to be married,-to have a home of my own. And besi

r than later on," Diantha said. "You

oing for? Ross isn't rea

for years. That's ano

or, for goo

oney-for o

r broke in eagerly. "I know you haven't got the same

ars. I don't like it, I don't do well, and it exhausts me horribly. And I should neve

you expect to get? I should think fifteen hun

he oven and turned he

o leave home just to

"Henderson did-when he was eig

erson's a boy, and boys have to go, of course. A mother expects that. B

d of yourself to think of such

, tall, slouching, carelessly dressed, entered,

daughter laughingly. "And Mother will straighten it out after him! I'm bri

proclaimed, raising a dripping face from the basin and

ster of presently," said Mrs. Peters pr

to the other for some explanation of this attempted

the doorknob. "But you'd better enjoy those biscuits of Di's while you c

," she said. "Do sit down, Mother," and she held the chair for her. "Minnie's quite right

jesting. He ate a hot biscuit in two un-Fletcherized mouthfuls, and put more sugar in his large cup of te

d in being the head of anything else. Repeated failures in the old New England home had resulted in his ruthlessly selling all the property there; and bringing his delicate wife and three young children to California. Vain were her protests and

nd fruit and ample living of that rich soil; but he had failed in oranges, fai

xed from childhood in that complex process known as "helping mother." As a little child she had been of constant service in caring for the babies; and early developed such competence in the various arts of house work as filled her mother with fond pride, and even wrung from her father some grudgin

but tried to eat; and tried still harder to make her heart go quietly, her cheeks keep cool, and her eyes dry. Mrs. Bell also strove to keep a cheer

mp, where he unfolded the smart local paper and lit his pipe. "When you've got through

ling, scalded them, wiped them, set them in their places; washed out the towels, wiped the pan and hung it up, swiftly, accurately, and with a quietness that would h

kind of work she specially disliked. "You'll have to get some

he replied, not looking at them.

not like to embroider, but

cited, but silent yet. Her mother's needle trembled irregul

nished paper and his emptied pipe

y parents exhibit, how difficult they make it for the young to introduce a propo

leave home and go

, with the same air of quizzical superiority which had

living. I have given up school-teaching-I don't like it, and, there isn't

made, eh? I suppose you've consi

er. "It is largely on her

r your Mother's health to l

ne. It won't cost you any more, Father; and you'll save some-for she'll do the washing too. You didn't object to Henderso

ather. "Have your plans also allowed for t

w," she answered. "Now I am twenty-one, a

e talking of rights-how about a parent's rights? How about common gratitude! How about what you owe to me-for

struck her like a blow. It was not the first time

t. So I've been at some pains to work it out-on a money basis. Here is an account-as full as I

iantha

nderson R

d dental expe

expenses

, in full..

ging at $3.00 a

entals..

$3.

feeling too, as he remembered that doctor's bill-the first he ever paid, with the other, when she had scarlet fever; and saw the ex

whistle-he knew he had never spent $1,130.00 on

rs at an average of

aging $20 each

raging $30 eac

aging $50 each

$53

fifteen years, $600.00. Mother's labor-on one child's, clothes-footing up to $600.00. It looke

counting books and slates and even pencils-it brought up evenings long passed by, the sewi

olded her for her careless tomboy ways. Slates-three, $1.50-they were all down. And slates didn't

as to house-rent in the country, and food raised on the farm. Yes, he guessed t

paid the winter she w

s-three

melodeon.

e of five to us

essons.

ch he smiled to observe made just an even figure, and suspect

kind of funny," he said-"o

or that, and $2.00 for the third-that takes out two, you see. Then it's $156 a year till I was fourte

ued slowly, "I guess that's a fair enough account. 'Cording to this, you owe

she. "But here's

ount was as clear and honest as the first and full of exasperating detail. She laid b

hirteen-real work you'd have had to pay for, and I've only put it at ten cents an hour. When Mother was sick the year I was fourteen, and I did it all but the washing-all a servant wou

t moun

derson

Diantha

and serv

urs a day at 10c.

ours a day at 10c.

wages at $5.00

f, three hours a da

$20

abor footing up to two thousand dollars and over! It was lucky a man had

a fine scholar and he had felt very proud of his girl w

ear $700, $800, $900; why it made $3,000 she had earned in four years. Astonishing. Out of this she had a balance in the bank of $550.00. He was pleased to see that she had been so saving. A

ady!-besides this nest egg in the bank-I'd no idea y

id she quietly, and handed hi

sick and Diantha had paid both the doctor and the nurse-yes-he had been much cramped that year-and nurses come high. For Henderson, Jr.'s, expenses to San Francisco, and a

his raisin experiment-for the new horse they simply had to have for the drying apparatus that year he lost so much mone

y balance, of the a

or... $

ard...

advanced".

$4,1

se for he

er from him

her quizzically; while her mother rocked and darned and wiped away an

e papers away and

eard of such a thing! You go and count up in cold dollars the work that every decent girl d

haven't," said

ly besides, should plan to desert her mother outright-now she's old and sick! Of course I can't stop you! You're of age, and children nowadays have no sense of natural obligation after they're grown up. You can g

conclusive form of punctuation much u