Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
HEEDLESS HETTY
BY
ANNETTE LYSTER
AUTHOR OF
"KARL KRAPP'S LITTLE MAIDENS," "WHAT SHE COULD,"
"RALPH TRULOCK'S CHRISTMAS ROSES," "THE RUTHERFORD FROWN," ETC.
London
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY
56, PATERNOSTER ROW; 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD
AND 164, PICCADILLY
BUTLER & TANNER,
THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS,
FROME, AND LONDON.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
HEEDLESS HETTY.
CHAPTER I.
MRS. EYRE WANTS A GIRL.
"GOOD-EVENING, Mrs. Hardy," said a pleasant voice, as the speakertapped with her hand upon the half-open door of Mrs. Hardy's cottage.
Mrs. Hardy was a washerwoman, and her visitor knew that sometimes therewas but scant room in her kitchen for strangers; indeed, she oftenwondered how the children managed on a wet day, and how the littleones escaped scalds and burns. However, this being Friday evening, theactual work was over, and the big deal table was piled with heaps ofsnowy linen, which Mrs. Hardy and her daughter Martha were sorting outand packing in nice large baskets, ready to be carried home the nextday.
"Oh, come in, Mrs. Eyre; you needn't be afraid of the wash-tubs or thehot irons to-day. We've finished everything, ma'am."
"And such lots of things," said Mrs. Eyre, as she took the seat offeredher by Martha. "I am sure I don't know how you get through it all, Mrs.Hardy."
"Well, ma'am, it takes a power of method. When I first took up thisbusiness, often I had all the ironing to do on Saturday, or the mostof it; and then 'twas hurry-scurry in the evening to get the thingshome. I used to get so worried that I fairly thought I'd die. And oneSaturday morning, who should come in but your good mother, ma'am,that's in heaven now; and the pleasant way she had. There was I on thatchair in the corner, crying, and all the children crying round me. Sosays she, 'My poor Hannah, are you fretting so badly yet?' I dried myeyes and felt ashamed—for she thought I was crying for my poor man thathad died about a year before; and I had to confess that I was cryingbecause I didn't see how to get the ironing done. But indeed I have toomuch talk—all this don't matter to you."
"Ah, but it does—anything a