Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-05-17
Mr.. Peppers Wife.

Mrs. Pepper, labor under the impress
sion that it is high time you were getting
breakfast As my former housekeepcr under
stood all my wishes with regard TO these
things, found it unnecessary TO give any or
ders respecting them; but with you tits differ
ent AS you have never got meal in this
house, Of course you know nothing of the
regulations of the household.
" In the first place, you will make fire in
the kitchen, put on the tea kettle, &c, then
you will make a fire in here. That done, you
will cook the breakfast and bring it in here,
as have always been accustomed to taking
mine in bed, aud do not consider it necessary
to depart from the custom on your account;
but would you prefer it, you can eat yours in
the kitchen, as it is perfectly immatcrial to
me-
This occurred the morning after Mrs. Pep
per went to housekeeping. Mrs. Pepper was
a sensible woman-she made no reply to Mr..
Peppers commands; but as soon as her toilet
was finished she left the room and sitting
down in the kitchken, she thus ruminated up
on what she had heard:
Make the kitchen fire! Yes, III do that
Then make fire in the bedroom! I'll see
to that, too. Then take the breakfast to
his bedside! just see if 1 do!'
Mrs. Pepper sat and thought deeply for a
few minutes, when, apparently having arrived
at satisfactory conclusion, she proceeded to
business.
Having got nice fire kindled in the kitch-
en-, she carried some coal into Nj. Peppers
apartment and filed up the stove, having
first ascertained that there was not a spark
of fire in it, That duty performed she next
prepared the breakfast, of which she par
took with great relish; and after matters
and things were all set to rights in the kitch-
en-, she proceeded down town on a shopping
excursion.
Meanwhile Mr.. Pepper began to grow i'm
patient. He labored under the impression
that the atmosphere of his room did not
grow warm very fast, and he began to feel
unpleasantly hungry. Peeping out from be
hind the bed curtains, he saw how affairs
were with regard 10 the stove Something
like a suspicion of the real state of affairs be
gan to dawn upon his mind. He listened fol
few minutes, but everything was still about
the house.
Hastily dressing himself, he proceeded to
investigate the affair. He soon comprehend
ed the whole of it, and was very wrathful at
first; but he comforted himself with the re-
Election that he had the power to punish Mrs
p, and he felt bound to do it, too After
some search, he found the remains of the
breakfast, of which he partook with gusto,
and then sat down to wait for Mrs. p. She
was long time in coming, and he had ample
time to nurse his wrath While sitting there
he thus solloquized.
That ever | Philander Pepper, should be
so treated, and by woman too, is not to be
believed. | can't believe it, no, nor | won't
either. But she shan't escape, that's certain
if she should, my reputation for dignity
would he forever gone? for havn't | told Sol
omon Simpleton all along how was going
to make my wife stand round and how | wa:
going to make her get up and make the fire
every morning, and let me lie abed, and how
| was going to shut her up and feed her OIL
bread and water, if she dared to say she
would't do it,
A cosy little arrangement, Mr.. Pepper,
said soft voice behind him.
Mr.. p started up, and there stood Mrs. Z
right behind his chair, laughing just as hare
as she could Mr.. Pepper put on severe
look.
Sit down in that chair, madam he sac
pointing to the one he had just vacated, i
have a little conversation for YOU
Now, i should be pleased to know why
you did not obey my orders this morning, and
where you have been all the forenoonp
Where I have been this forenoon, Mr.