The New Girl.

Otago Witness, Volume 15, Issue 1562, 15 October 1881, Page 25

The New Girl.

' Now, Charlie, you'll be sure to remember.'

4 To remember what ?' said Mr Meredith, with a hopeless expression of iDnanity on hla countenance. Kate Meredith dropped both hands despairingly afc h«r sides. 4 Charles !' she exclaimed, ' you don't mean to say that you have forgotten already ?' • My dear,' said Mr Meredith, fumbling in the depths of his over- coat pocket for a missing glove, ' I have not forgotten, but 1 don't exactly remember.' 4 The oy stars,' suggested hia wife. * Oh, yea j the oyaters,' said Meredith. 4 And the two ounces of double zephyr.' 1 ixaotly.' ' And the depot haok to be waiting at two o'clock for your cousin, from Philadelphia

Mr Meredith slapped his hands on the table.

4 She is coming to-day, I declare to goodness !' he ejaculated.

4 And a dozen Havana oranges for dessert, and two pounds of white grapes, and some of those delicious little Naples biscuits — oh, and let them send up a girl from St. Glair's.' 4 A— which?' 4 A girl, you gooae. For general housework. Phoebe went home this morning with a faceache, and I can't be left alone with company coming and ail. Mind she's a good cook and understands waiting at table.'

And Mr Meredith rushed off to catch the 9 30 express, with kaleidoscope confusion of grapes, zephyr wool, depot hacks, oysters, and servant maids careering through his brain, whioh boded ill for Mrs Meredith's domestic plans. While that lady, olasping both hands over her head in a sort of tragic despair, rushed down into the kitohen, where a good looking young man of two or three-and-twenty was on hia knees in front of a range, trying to coax a most unwilling fire to burn. 4 Well V said he. 4 Tom,' cried Bhe, hysterically, 'can you make a lobster salad ?' 4 Like a book !' said Tom. 4 And coffee ?' 4 1 learned it in Paris.' 4 Good. And I can make buttermilk biscuit—and between us we oan get up a decent lunch for a young lady from Philadelphia. As for dinner — ' <

4 Well ?' again answered the young man with the soot-bespangled nose. 4 Providence must provide,' sighed the matron.

4 There's an old chintz coloured rooster in the barnyard. If I could catch him I'd have a chicken stew.'

4 Tom, did you ever make a chicken stew ?'

4 No.' 4 Then you do not know what you are talking about,' said the lady with some asperity, 4 Yes Ido too, too. Onions, potatoes, celery, pearl barley, with a pinch of salt — ' 4 Nonsense !' interrupted Mrs Meredith. < Go pick that lobster out of its shell, and leave off romancing. You are a deal better at poetry and newspaper sketohes than you are In the kitohen ; though to be sure,' with a twinge of conscience, 4 goodness knows what I should do without you just at this particular emergency, you dear old darling.'

The lobster was only half picked out of the shell, the buttermilk biscuit was still unmixed, and Mrs Meredith, with a pocket handkerchief tied around her pretty brown hair, was dusting the little drawing-room, when there came a ring at the door-belL She put the perturbed head out of the window in a most unceremonious manner.

4 Who is there!' she demanded In a high dontralto.

4 Does Mrß Meredith live here?' retorted s woman's voice. And at the came moment the young matron caught sight of a neat blaok leather bag, a black alpaca dress, and a shawl of the plainest Highland plaid.

4 lt's the new girl, thank providence!' said Mrs Meredith, as she ran down the stairs, thanking honest Charlie in her heart for his unexpected promptitude. * Come In,' said she, opening the door wide, ' I am so glad you are punctual, my good girl. From the Clair's Intelligent Bureau, I suppoße. No, don't take off your things up here ; the servant's room is down stairs ; you may as well come directly down to the kitohen/

She led the way down, followed by the new girl, whose countenance bore a rather bewildered expression. 4 What U your name V she asked, patronizingly. ' My name ?' Oh, it's Martha,' replied the stranger, in confusion. 4 Martha,' critically repeated Mrs Meredith. 4 What an ugly name! I think I shall call yon Patty. Have you a good reference ?' 4 1— I believe bo.' 4 1 think,' said Mra Meredith, surveying her from top to toe, ' you are a little overdressed for your situation ; but of course you have plainer clothes when it comes I'

The stranger lifted a pair of blue eyes to the tall form girdled around with a towel, who was vigorously wrestling with the olaws of a stupendous lobster at the table beyond. * Do you keep a man cook ?' asked the girl> Mrß Meredith drew heraelf up. • Certainly not. This 1b my brother, Mr Selwyn, who is kindly assisting me to make a salad.'

4 But he is not doing 1b right. He will never get the meat out of the shell in that way. Let me show you, Mr Selwyn.' And with deft fingers she loosened the white fibre from the shell In a manner that made Mr Selwyn cry ' Bravo.'

* And now, Patty, I will Bhow you where things are, and leave you to get up as ntoe a lunch as you can, for at 2.30 o'olook we are expecting my husband's cousin from Philadelphia. I want everything in perfect order.' 4 I will finish thab salad,' said Tom, who had secretly been watohiug the pretty face and trim figure of the new domestic, 4 now that I have commenced it. But you need not look perturbed, Patty, if that is your name. I will be careful net to get in your way. And you ask my sister if lam not a handy sort of fellow around the kitohen,' 4 Kate shook her head surreptitiously at Tom behind the soreen, but he resolutely affected not to to perceive the warning gesture. Half an hour afterwards he came to the dining' room, where Mrs Meredith was arranging her best lilac and gold china. 4 Kate, she's a jewel j a gem of the first water. Depend upon it she has not alwayß worked in a kitohen. I quoted Shakespeare, apropos of something or other, and she recognißed the grand old words at once -her eyes brightened, and you should have seen the colour come into her cheekß.' 4 Quoted Shakespeare to a oommon kitohen girl ]' cried Mrs Meredith in amazement. 1 But I told you Bhe is not a common kitohen girl.' ' I don't believe in high life below stairs,' said his eluter disdainfully. The lunch cumo up at 2.30 In perfect

order, but no cousin from Philadelphia «r* rived, no hack rolled up to the door. , .< 4 How provoking,' said Kate. 4 Mlas Meredith mast have missed some connecting train* Charlie will be bo vexed. But, however, I do not so much mind company ooming In at any time, now that I have got aaoh an excellent girl.' The dinner of delicately roasted quail and rabbit fricassee, with a dessert of cuatard and jelly, was duly served at precisely 7 o'olook, at whioh hour Mr Meredith pounced In, hot and flushed with the haste he had made. 4 Where Is she V 1 Where is who !' cried Kate. 4 My cousin from Philadelphia.' ' Not come.'

4 No.' Mr Meredith drew a sigh of mingled relief and regret. 4 Then, after all, it Is not so very unlucky,' aaid he.' 4 What 1b not so very unluoky ? My dewr Charles, you are expressing yourself altogether In a riddle. 4 That I forgot all about the oysters and the zephyr wool, and the servant girl.' 4 Forgot?' * Yes-forgot ! Isn't that plain English V 4 But you did not forget/ remonstrated Mrs Meredith. ' You sent her, she Is here now in the kitohen.' Mr Meredith Btarted. i -■ ( I have sent no one. Never thought of the girl from that moment to this. I give you my word and honour.' 4 Then who did send her?' ejaculated his wife slowly. 4 Ring the bell. Let us have her up herej Who knows but she Is one of those confidence women, with an eye to the forks and spoons ?' As he spoke he jerked the bell-oord with some energy. In a minute or so the new girl oame up curtseying. Mr {Meredith uttered an exolamatlon of amazement. 4 Why, it is Martha Meredith !' shouted he. 'Itls my cousin from Philadelphia.' And he clasped her In his arms with a shower of kisses whioh made honest Tom'l hair stand on end. . ■ ;, 4 1 wish she was my coußin from Philadel* phia,' he uttered in a stage whisper aside, Kate turned as soarlet as a pepper pod, 4 Oh, good gracious/ Bhe cried, olasplog her little hands nervously, ' and I took her for a cook.' „ • 1 And I am a cook when oooaslon requires, Cousin Kate/ said pretty Martha Meredith, making her .peace with a kiss. 'Don't be vexed at me for humouring the joke i Indeed I could not help it. And I will show yoa how to make meringues, glances, and the Neapolitan to-morrow. And they all sat happily down together to roast quails and. fricasseed rabbits. And Kate and Martha went to . the. International Bureau on the morrow, establishing a Milesian damsel in the roundlnga, ana Tom, leaning over his sister's ' shoulder, whispered :— ' Didn't I tell you she, was a gem of the first water !'