Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-10-10
WHITE HANDS AND MUDDY COFFEE

He1ry thornton had been q married man
just two months. He was proud of his wife
glossy ringlcts, her brilliant eyes, and, last of
ALL her small white hands. He never once
asked himself if these same hands could iron
shirt, make bread, or mend pair of socks
Not he; it was enough to know that they could
make trills on the piano, work worsted dogs
and horses on crickets and ottomans, and paint
something styled landscape. She was net
literary either. Henry Thornton could Mt tol-
crate that kind of absurdity In his opinion.
n woman had much better be asleep, than
putting her thoughts upon paper. He thank.
ed fortune, too, that she never took to reading
dry disquisitions, tedious essays, or egOtistical
criticisms On egotistical books Besides. his
Helen didn't care about politics. being a reg
ular % Know Nothing in regard to the item
of who stood the best chance of being the next
President. As to the war in the East, she
could not tell positively whether Sebastopol
| was up or down, whether it was in the
| hands OF the Allies or Russians. Reformation
| topics she never broached, either; temperance
was only ft for drunkard's wives to talk about.
| So it will be perceived that Helen Thornton
was not a " strong minded female; fact
| upon which her husband felicitated himself
| not little.
We have said that two months comprised the
| married life of the latter 1t would be graft
| flying to add that his happiness was complete,
| that he had nothing to wish for; but candor
| compels me to say that he had discovered
little alloy in his gold. To be sure it would
pass for pure metal, but close examination dis
closed the fact. In a word, his coffee had been
| exceedingly muddy for more than a week and
| when he cautiously dropped a hint to the cf-
feet that if her personal attention was given TO
the matter, the evil might be remedied, she
| rather tsrtly responded that ''cOffee making
| was not her business, - moreover shutting her
self up in her chamber in a milf, thus dep-iv-
ing him of her precious company for the rest
| of The day. A kiss and a new scarf set the
matter right the next morning, however, Mr.
| Thornton throwing in gratis an apology for his
| ill-timed suggestion. He remembered that all
| mankind (and we may as well include woman
kind seldom attain 10 perfection; the roses al
| ways grow in the immediate vicinity of thOrns
| and that rainbows and black clouds arc often
| seen together.
| 1t is a curious fact, but 10 less true, thct
| love scarcely ever outlives bad bread, smokey
! tea, thick coffee, hard boiled eggs, discolored
| silver, and soiled table linen After all the
| romance and rhapsody laid to his charge the
| little gentleman deals in prlcticabilities He
| likes bread and butter, and he wants the
| bread light and the butter sweet He is q
little exacting, too insisting that CATERS lock
better neatly laced than when open and fan
| ping at the sides, with the strings trailing on
| the ground. He was even known once to take
an abrupt leave Of lady on the ostensible
| plea Of dissimilarity of disposition but
| shrewd people suspected that the true reason
was because she wore dirty collars lie may
| be whimsical fighty, and extravagant come
| times, but he is just as sure to leave his air
castles and settle down quietly to the three
meals day and cigar In the evening, as
| feather is to obey the laws of gravitation. He
writes tender poetry, too; but generally in
| spiration seiZes him after eating heartily of
roast beef; the sly rogue knows that an emp
| ty stomach is not favorable to smooth rhyme
or soft sentiment.
The honeymoon had just expired, or, rather,
the months allotted TO that interesting period
| for it has been ascertained that that season
can be prOtracted by proper means to an in
definite length cf time The twain were
seated at the breakfast table. Mr. Thornton
looked obviously at the burned and dried
steak on the platter before him, made a wry
face at his cup Of coffee, took one mouthful of
the ciammy, Ieathery toast, and then spoke:
"Well, Mr.. Thornton"
Did you ever eat any of my mothers
bread ?''
"No-why do you ask ?''
Because she makes the best biscuit ever
saw" -
Undoubtedly, A mans mother is gener.
ally his wife's superior in everything. l only
wonder he is ever persuaded to leave her 20
IcSpOuutu 4uOIutOn uryly.
1t was the first time she had ever spoken
sarcastically, and Henry was puzzled.
= merely referred to my mother because
she superintands the bread making herself
wish you could be induced to do the same.'.
The lady lifted her taper fingers.
"Do you really wish mo to putty my hands
with pie crust, and bury my arm in dough,
Mr.. Thornton? ?' Fz 80
"No-not that exactly, my love; but You
cnuld oye rlonk Riddv and fnach har 10, ,al
better stuff than this, ho added, pointing to
the toast. s. That wouldn't spoil your han Is.
would it," -
81 don't know how; besides, Biddy don't
want me in the kitchen, and I'm not particu-
larly attracted there. l don't mean to spend
my life doing housework, or fretting about
servants. I'm not able to do anything more
than wait upon the table and entertain viz
itors' .- ' ..- ..- c..
The bride sighed and leaned back in her
chair. .... .-.-.-... H
"But your cousin Mary keeps no help and
still gets time to"
My cousin Mary is very foolish to do SO
much more than she used to. And then her
hands are as brown as a gypsy's.p- - ..
81 never happened to notice them. 1 only
remember she makes delicate pastry, and
plays the piano nearly as we'll as yourself"
rejoined MIR. Thornton, soethingly. .yss
IL wish you wouldn't quote Cousin Mary. |
L don t like comparison. She 5 drudge ard
a blue You said you did not like blues. VI
II don't-hlondes are my favorites; and
you are as pretty blonde as ever / saw
Z" She's an advocate of wOman's rights, too
How often you have said you were glad that
L don't interfere with subjects which don't
concern my sex. And-now you are finding
fault with my housekeeping. G 49, f,,.s.ec 1,
That's the idea, my loyc., I'm only re-
grctting your nom interference in matters that |
DO concern your sex" %. st
Mrs. Thornton defined her position" i'm. |
mediately. She did not design buryins her