344 THE GARDEN OF A 



"Laundry? what laundry?" I asked, amazed. 



"Why, yours and the master's and the doctor's, 

 to be sure. I've rattled on that heedless that I've 

 brought it out end first. I thought, and no disre- 

 spect intended, Mr. and Mrs. Evan both, that 

 Eliza could go back to cookin', her bread bein' 

 approved, if her kidneys is as yet underdone and 

 bacon flabby, while I'd handle the laundry quite 

 away and private, besides lending a hand, as one 

 of the tenantry might, with jam and Christmas 

 puddings ! " 



- " Good Old Reliable ! " exclaimed Evan, patting 

 Martha on the back ; while I do not blush, dear 

 Garden Boke, to say that, braving an eye poke from 

 the red rose, I kissed her, the hereditary servant 

 with our comfort inseparable from her own. This 

 act, however, she promptly discounted by saying 

 with a suspicious sniff : 



"Thank ye kindly both. One aint hexactly 

 responsible for acts, when hexcited by talk of 

 weddin's. For Efne she's that pleased she's near 

 forgot her manners, too, on account of me asking her 

 to be bridesmaid, which belonging to his family is suit- 

 able, and Timothy'll give her a new gown to wear, 

 her savin's bein' small, and those she brought from 

 'ome bein' drawn too tight in the front o' the body." 



