The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-12-04

FROM THE LADIES PARTERRE
WHITE HANDS & MUDDY COFFEE

Henry Thornton had been a married man
just two months. He was proud of his wife's
glossy ringlets, her brilliant eyes, and last
of all, hor small white hands. He never once
asked himself if these same hands could iron
a shirt, make bread or mend pair of socks.
Not he: it was enough to know that they
could make trills on the piano, work worst
ed dogs and horses on crickets and otto
mans, and paint something styled land
scape. She was not literary either. Henry
Thornton couldn't tolerate that kind of alb
surdity. in his opinion woman had much
better be asleep than putting her thoughts
upon paper. He thanked fortune, too, that
she never took to dry disquisitions, te dious
essays, or egotistical books. Besides, his
Helen didn't care about politics, being a re-
gular Know Nothing III regard to the item
of who stood the chance of being the next
President. As to the war in the East, she
could not tell positively whether Sebastopol
was up or down or whether it was in the
hands of the Allies or Russians. Reforma-
ton topics she never broached, either. Tenn
perance was only fit for drmkard's wives to
talk about. SO it will be perceived that
Helen Thornton was not strong minded
female; a fact upon which her husband fe
licitated himself not little.
We have said that two months comprised
the married life of the latter. 1t would be
gratifying to add that his happiness was
+bat bo ba1 ,,Otl,i,,Cr 70 wish for
but candOr compcls me to say that he had
discovered a little alloy in his gold To be
sure it would pass for pure metal, but close
examination disclosed the fact. In q word,
his coffee had been exceedingly muddy for
more than a week, and when he cautiously
dropped hint to the effect that if her per-
sUnal attention was given to the matter the
evil might be remedied, she rather tartly
that 'coffee-making was not her
business moreover shutting herself up in a
chamber, i'll a milf, thus depr-ved 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. Thornton
throwing in gratis an apology for his ILL
timed suggestion. He remembered that all
(and we may as well include wo-
man kind) seldom attain perfection; that |
roses always grow in the Immediate vicini-
ty of thorns, and that rainbows and black |
clouds are often seen together.
1t is a curious fact but no less true, that |
love scarcely ever outlives bad bread, smo-
ky tea, thich coffee, hard boiled eggs, dis !
colored silver and soiled table linen. After ,
all the romance and rhapsody laid to his |
charge, the little gentleman deals in practi
liabilities. He likes bread and butter, and |
he wants the bread light and the butter |
sweet. He is little exacting too; insist |
ing that CATERS look better neatly laced |
than when open and tapping 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 dis
but the shrewd people suspect
ed that the true reason was because she
wore dirty collars. He may be whimsical,
fighty and extravagant sometimes, 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 a feather is !
to obey the laws of gravitation. He writes
tender poetry, too; but generally inspira-
ton seizes him after eating heartily of roast |
beef; the sly rogue knows that an empty !
is not favorable TO smooth rhyme |
or soft sentiment.
The honeymoon had just expired, or
rather the months allotted to that interest
ing period; for it has been ascertained that
that season can be protraeted by proper
means, to an indefinite length Of time. The
twain were seated at the breakfast table,
Mr.. Thornton looked obviously at the
burned and dried steak on the platter before
him, and made a wry face at his cup of eof-