Family Experiences and Home Secrets, by E. Copley and Others (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 Excerpt: ...to each of the servants, and two hundred and fifty pounds to her faithful housekeeper, who thus lost her home and her friend at the same time. Mary was clever -with her needle; she undertook the making of the mourning dresses of the other servants, as the last act of kindness she might have in her power to show to them; and after the first depressing feeling of sorrow had gone off, considered that dress-making would afford her a very good living, and in the course of a few weeks, was comfortably established in a lodging in the chief street of the village. The old house, where she had passed so many happy years, stood empty for six months, when one morning a party of workmen were seen busily engaged in repairing the antiquated building; masons, painters, carpenters, made the ancient walls echo again with their whistling, knocking, and hammering; and it was soon known in the village that a family from a distant part of the country might shortly be expected to take possession. Among the plumbers, who came from a shop at a village about eight miles off, was a young man, said to be the best and steadiest workman of the company. The gossips of Lapplngton now and then whispered that he liked a glass of good ala a little too well, and was sometimes the worse for liquor, but he was such a light-hearted fellow, always singing at his work, so much liked by his companions, that no one would believe the reports, and set them down to the score of ill-nature. He was seen at church on the Sunday, and before many weeks were over, it was known that Philip Harris was the accepted lover of Mary Gardner. From this time he stayed at Lappington, instead of returning at the end of the week to the village where his master lived, and might be met in the evenings, walking arm in...