Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper

domestic who succeeded Kitty, pushing h

t be," I

e isn't the full of a lamp le

, in a firm voice. "It isn't four days sin

t's more nor

ly; "for I know better. I was out on last Mon

d, mum, thin! What el

said I, in answer to this. "You've

ly indignant, and indulged in certain impertin

prospect of sitting in darkness was not, by any means, an

hat was clear. The oil

f us came to the conclusion, that it would never do. The evil must

"it ought to last us at

" I replied. "We bu

to think. But four days

some trite remark about the uncon

arose from bed, he shivered in th

ad? This thing happens now every little while. I'm sure I've said en

bad, indeed

l again!" exclaimed Mr.

ell! So t

mackerel from the

on

annah orde

nd told her to have a slice o

es up through the register-particularly in the morning. I'll bet a sixpe

y be it,

ason, we agreed, for the tim

that our best sperm oil, for which we paid a d

le!" I ej

ere's not a scrimption left-not s

on of oil has never been burn

ing coolness. "The evenings are very long, and we have a great many

world. A gallon of oil in four days has never gone by fair means in this house. S

oved by this, however; and told her, with as much sternness of manner as I could assume, that I should hold her responsi

go to onst," was the g

I, coolly. "I'm not in the least troubled about filling your place; n

ould desert my house forthwith. But, no; unlike some others of her class, she knew w

, and I heard no more abou

orning, a day or two afterwards, and snuffed the air. "And, as I live, the fire in

same time hurriedly putting on his

said I, seeing him mo

y smell comes from," he repl

minutes, Mr. S

all!" he exclaimed, as h

ery natural

ll about that fis

t? Where does

h of Sundays! Well, this is a

f, Mr. Smith. I'

w words. The fire wa

es

n to where I expected to find our lad

el

he was, kindling the

I asked. "Wit

ds, and was pouring its contents freely into the furnace, in order

ce of a gallon of oil in four days. Kindlin

en

u say to her

k she'll not want me to loo

best sperm oil! Well,

o ejaculate, now and then, until my

to let the look my husband spoke of, do its work. By the way, I don't much wonder that she was frighte

seful article placed in her hands. If she would burn up the oil, it was but fair to infer that she would as remorselessly make

yself in the change,