The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-01-07


tered the room.
90 Yes, " said Mrs. Mellen carelcssly,
"you are rather too late to-day, and as
mother had quite long walk, and felt
hungry. decided to have dinner i'm.
mediatciy.
"And suppose, said Mr.. Mcllen,
hastily,
IL am expected to cat a cold dinncr?"
Really. Mr.. Mellcn, " said bis wife.
lifting her eyebrows in some surprise,
lone would think you were angry ,"
$50 | am, madam. 1 am accustomed
to have dinner wait for me. "
"IIowever late you return ?"
Yes, however late | return. "
There is no objection to that, | am
sure. You will have your dinner when.
ever you choose, of course, and l sup.
pose | may exercise the same,privilege."
We shall see, madam.
Certainly, we shall Sec"
Really, Maria. and Mellon, you
should not differ" expostulatGd the moth
er-in-law,
"Oh, don't be troubled mother" said
her daughter, cody, it is only little
difference which will be speedily arrang-
ed. We shall understand each other
better by-and.by."
" Yes, madam" said Mr.. Mollcu, sig.
niiicantly your daughter is quite right.
We shall understand each other better
by.and.by."
" You sec, mother, tLcro is 10 cause for
apprehension
But am afraid"
Will you have another potato
Yours must be quite cold, interrupted
Mrs. Mellen.
Finding further remonstranca useless,
the mother in'law was silent.
Mr.. Mcllen was somewhat disturbed
by this accurance lie could not conceal
from himself that his wife, as yet, was
far from being in that state of subordi-
nation which he considered proper and
becoming. However, time wll remedy
that, " thought be 10 himself
The next day, although his business
arrangements were by no means urgent
ho rurpo-oly delayed hafau hour hey oud
the regular dinner hour. When ho re.
turned, he found his wife aud mother.in-
law just rising from the dinner.table
"What does this nean ?" hs exclaim.
ed, angrily,
" "Only that two is our regular din.
nor hour answered the wife, composed
ly, and that dinner is always served
punctually at that hour. "
" Aud you expect me to eat n cold
dinner whenever my engagements detain
me !ater2"
" Not at all. I directed Bridget to
keep portion Of the dinner hot for you.
She shall bring it up directly" SO say
ing she moved towards the bell and rang
it.
Mr.. Mellen was nonplussed. Tic
hardly knew what to say. He finally
determined to wait until some plau
Should strike him calculated to humble
his wifcs pride, At present. therefore,
he said nothing, but ate his dinner in
gloomy silence.
M9anwbile, bis wife continued to chat
in a lively strain with her mother, and
their frequent laughter Jared very dis
cordantly on Mr.. Mellen's nerves
Shortly after dinner Mr. Mcllen con.
trived to see Bridget without his wife's
knowledge.
" Bridget" said he, l find that for
two days past, dinner has been served
up before I come home. Hereafter, you
must wait until return before doing So"
"But the misthress told me, said
Bridget.
81 know that, >" said Mr.. Mclen
"but you are bound to obey me rather
than her"
"Sir said ths bewldered Bridget
who did not comprehend at all
Il will tell you what | expect you to
do" said her master. Tomorrow, for
example, shall not be at home till four
o'clock. Four, remember. On no ac-
count must you serve up dinner before
that time"
But what shall | say to misthress,
when she tells me 2" asked Bridget with
her eyes wide open in astonishment.
"Say2 You must tell her that l for
bade your doing it. And you may tell
her also, that threatened to dismiss you
Immediately, if you failed to comply
with my directions. Will you remem'
Der that2"
"Ill try" answered Bridget, whose
faculties, never very bright, we're cons
pletely thrown into confusion by her an.
tagonistic duties, and the idea that she
had got to diso6ey her mistress by her
masters positive command.
"Ocb, what will dc? ?" she said to
herself However she wisely determined
not to think of it at all till the time
came.
There thought Mr., Mellen, with a
grim smile of fsatisfaction, " | think that
will set matters right. Madam will dud
that am not so EARLY thwarted. Noi
Marmaduke Meilen ia not one 10 be
frightened by woman's vaporiDg, or in-
clined 10 submit tamely to petticoat gov
ernment. would give something" he
thought, chuckling inwardly ito see
how sho will take it when Bridget re.
fuses to obey her, by my direction. She
will begin TO iind out who she has to deal
with then She doesn't know Marina
duke Mellen yet !"