HOUSEHOLD HELP. 349 



race to perfection, an utter carelessness in regard to prop- 

 erty, whether her own or another's, and an utter absence 

 of thought for the morrow. 



Once, after ''saving up," to buy a much-needed calico 

 dress, she expended the money in a glass card-receiver, 

 very pretty, it is true, and of course exceedingly useful to 

 her, only she broke it before she left the store. She returned 

 home sadder, but no wiser. 



Again, her savings were expended in a viniagrette bottle, 

 with gilded chains in a gay ribbon, which went into the 

 washtub the next day, and a gaudy fau which soon helped 

 to feed the kitchen fire. 



And when these purchases were made, we had been try- 

 ing to train the Goddess for over four years ! 



To go back to her several oddities, which caused us many 

 trials and tribulations : One day we heard a terrible clat- 

 ter of breaking china, and, stepping out to the kitchen, 

 found the Goddess performing a jig in the midst of a mass 

 of broken plates, singing as she danced, 



"Once there was six, now there's two; 

 Hoo, hoo, hoo ! hoo, hoo, boo ! " 



On another occasion, inquiry being made as to the dis- 

 appearance of a handsome china bowl, her eyes twinkled 

 and her teeth gleamed as she answered, 



" Tears like it hopped off de table, and went to ' King- 

 dom Come.'" 



As it was at first, it continued to the last, a matter of 

 perfect indifference as to how much destruction her rough 

 handling caused. 



She had a habit that became very annoying of asking 

 for any thing she happened to take a fancy to, and an- 

 swered every reproof with, 



' ' I'd sooner ast than take ; " and that was true — the 

 Goddess was honest. 



