Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-06-10
life. he carried into the kitchen.

although burning with curiosity to know
where she had learned what she had re-
vealed TO him, da, ed not commence con-
yersation in relation to it. The train of
life it might revive was fearful to the easy
mans mind. His breakfast over, forget.
ful OF its lesson, careless Raym ond wan
dered away from home, his necessary
morning labors unattended TO, and his
wood-pile unvisited. He returned home
at noon, strong in faith that he should
sit down TO good dinner because he
was one of those men who think that a
wife should give her husband good
dinner, whether she has anything to cook
or not. Mrs. Warren had enough to
cook, but nothing too cook with; how
ever. much to Raymond's satisfaction,
when he entered mis- house he found the
table spread, and he knew he should soon
be invited 10 take seat near it.
When the invitation came, he hasten
ed 10 his accustomed seat, lifted the COW
er from a dish-there was meat, but just
as it came from the butchers. Ray
mond was not cannibal; he looked at
his wife inquiringly, she appeared to be
waiting patiently to be served, he lifted
the cover from another dish; there were
potatoes just as they had been dug from
the earth. All the dishes that usually
contained victuals were covered. Ray
mond grew suspicious, and he lil:ed the
covers hastily. There was bread as it
had come from the tray; there was tur-
nips that had never been under the inAu-
ence of fire; there were apples handsome
ly sliced for sauce, and there were nu-
merous other ea,ibles, but none of them
could Raymond eat. He turned for
consolation to a cup of tea his wife had
deposited near his plate. There were
tea leaves floating in the cup. but the tea
looked remarkably pale; nevertheless.
Raymond, by force of habit, blew il eig-
orously to prepare it for his palate. But
when he put it to his lips, he found that
he had wasted his breath, for the water
was as cold as when it came from the
spring.
Raymond was not hasty man. He
pushed back his chair deliberately: and
thought aloud.
"ln the name of Heaven, what does
this meant"
Mrs. Warren whose countenance dur
ing this scene had worn a sober aspect,
now smiled pleasantly, aud answered:
"The victuals were all on the stove at
the usual time"
ut is strange they were not cooked"
| said Raymond.
"Not at ALL" replied Mrs. Warren,
"there was no wood TO cook il with"
In an instant easy Warren then saw
| what a moral there was in his novel din
ner, and with keen appetite, he went
to work on the wood pile. He took his
dinner and supper together that day and
he remembered that Mrs. Warren said:
Nov Raymond, whenever you leave
me without wood, you must eat vlctuals
that have been cooked on cold stove.
Many women would have stormed and
scolded, but Mrs. Warren knew there
was better way TO correct her easy
the reader pieases.
One day there was no -four in the
house, and Raymond was about 10 go
with some neighbors to town meeting,
when his wife hid his best coat and re-
minded him of the empty flour barrel.-
Another day his corn was to be gathered,
when neiehbor desired him to assist
him with his horses and wagon. Itwac
neighbor who often received favors but
seldom rendered them; yet easy Warren
could not refuse him. But when he
went to hitch his horses before his wag-
on, he found one of the wheels missing.
OF course the neighbor was disappoint-
ed. In the afternoon, when Ray mond
expressed wish to draw his corn his
wife told him where he could find the lost
wagon wheel.
Thus was easy Warren's household
managed, until he began to realize prac,i-
cally what the error of his life had been.
Warren's farm looks much better than il
did some years ago,
Mrs, " arren never interfered with
| Ray mond's business except when lie
neglected it, and then she never found
| fault or scolded, but took occasion to show
his neglect to him in a manner which
impressed him with his injustice 10 his
own interests.
Raymond's cattle are well cared foi,
and were in good order. When his fen.
ces were down, if he did not replace
them. his wife employed neighbor to
make the necessary repairs. His wife
took the papers and read; she knew the
state of the markets; and to oblige her,
Ray ymond had his grain in market when
the price was highest. Some people
said:
Easy Warren is hen -pecked hus band
But he knew better; and he often boast
ed that his wife was more of "a business
man. than he was.
They had lived together peaceably
some years when, one day, Raymond
was in good humor, thinking over his
prosperous condition. and he told his
wife, "Im woman's-rights man OF the
thinking for our firm. And now see
what fool have been-I must make
up for my early shiftlessness.
He did make up for his early shiftless