f. No
explanations or smooth words would bridge over the difficulty. She refused
to stay in a house where "a big nager could stay in the room wid the missus
and hould the baby as long as she plased;" so she left the house, and quite
suddenly, too.

This disarranged household matters somewhat for awhile, as it was some time
before a capable servant could be found, and Mrs. Sherwood was obliged to
exert herself a little and attend to the wants of the baby, while Dinah
filled the vacant place in the kitchen.

But rheumatism had laid its torturing clutches on poor old Dinah's limbs,
and she could not be expected to get through the same amount of work that
Biddy accomplished, so the help of the twins was frequently necessary to
keep agoing the domestic machinery.

This was no hardship to Dexie; but Gussie, oh dear! it was just horrible to
have to wash up the breakfast dishes, and to polish the silver. And the
rooms _never_ needed to be dusted so often before, that she was sure! and
wherever the dusters went to after she was done with them was a daily
mystery. Dexie offered to solve this trying enigma, but Gussie's wrath
waxed hot when she read the words which Dexie printed in large letters on a
piece of wrapping-paper and stuck on the wall, for the moral was obvious--

"_There is a place for everything_; THEREFORE, _put the dusters
back in their own place when you are done with them, and you will be sure
to find them again._

"(NO CHARGE FOR THIS ADVICE.)"

But things moved along somehow, as they always do, yet everyone was glad
when the new Biddy appeared, who answered to the name of Nancy, and the
ways of the household fell back into former grooves; while the sigh of
relief which Gussie gave as she took up her neglected fancywork again,
might have been heard--well, quite a distance away.

As the weeks went by, the enforced idleness became irksome to Mr. Sherwood;
and having at one time been on the staff of a leading newspaper, he took up
his pen again--or rather Dexie did, as his amanuensis--while he brought
forth from memories' halls, things interesting, amusing or instructive. He
had travelled extensively, and always saw the ludicrous side of things, so
he was able to tell many amusing incidents that to others might have passed
as commonplace. His productions were eagerly accepted, and, what is better,
liberally paid for as well.

The short winter days passed very quickly. Time pleasantly spent is sure to
fly fa