Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-22
like to get decent cup Of tea once in my

"Its nothing but dishwater." | a7-
81" I'm sorry it don't suit you." 10 g
"It never suits me-" he added, as he broke
open hot biscuit"
Never suits you ?" ."
No :" and at the same momont he threw
the broken biscuit back upon the plate. "Sal
eratus again." ..-- r.r.-t ........
" What is the matter with the buiscuits,
John ?" asked Mrs. Paley, amazed at the sin
gular conduct of her husband. "
There are great chunks of saleratus in it.
If there is anything detest, it is the taste Of
saleratus. .... .a
| Mary took the broken biscuit and examin-
| ed it. "There is only single speck to be
seen in it. Il will cut it out. Pray take an
other, john"
John did take another and broke it open,
but perceived another speck of the offensive
substance, scarcely bigger than the head of a
pin. .sI ~l...lE .a.- 'sn
Haven't you any cold bread ?'' he asked
as he threw it back upon the plate. ...
There is none in the house." replied
poor Mary ready to burst into tears with vex-
alton.
Give me piece of pie then"
Mary brought mince pie.
Strong enough of cloves to strangle a fel-
low," saidhe. "Strange that can't get any
thing that's fit to eat"
The poor wife could bear it no more Her
eyes filled with tears, and she sobbed aloud.
John was not disposed to carry the lesson
any farther. Mary, as much as she found
fault herself, was extremely sensitive, and
she could not endure the slightest censure.
4" Mary, my dear. do not weep" said he,
going to her and impressing kiss upon her
cheek.
I. "What is the matter with you, John? You
never behaved SO before"
{" was only holding up mirror to you.
You can now tell how l feel when you find
fault with every thing do"
never will again."
My own Mary Forgive me if caused
you pain"
" You are too bad, john"
But no worse than you are almost every
day. Mary thought great deal that night
CHAPTER Hn.--THIRD DAY.
The battle had been fought and the victory
won. Mrs. Paley's heart was full of tender
ness and sympathy. She could not have re-
allied the pain that her useless grumbling had
caused her husband, or she never would have
INDUCED in the habit. She would not make
him unhappy for the world and now, when
the lesson had opened her eyes, she set a
guard upon her tongue.
Almost always an ha5itualgrumbler is an
indolent person. A man or woman whose
mind is occupied, has no time to be disconten-
ted. But Mrs. Paley's was kind of moral
Incidence. She permitted her noble faculties
to sleep for the time, and discomfort stole in
while the sentinel was off guard She had
chosen a new course Of action, but she had to
watch with ceaseless vigilance, just to curb the
disposition to complain. To be indolent was
to lose the battle and fail.
"For give me john"
won't say another word, my DEAR" he
added, with smile that turned it all into
sunshine. g. ras 20. g..
"Shal I put some more tea in the tea
pot ?'' ....... .... .-.-.
No, only said that; the tea is very
good" ..s a-.I .. sa /.
Ahl see what you mean."
1t is all right; you have done nobly, my
dear /; by and by you will forget how to com
PLAIN"
81 hope so John, for your sake"
~ And eventually, Mary did overcome the
habit. She had all tho heart of woman to
make her happy-a good home and kind
that her life might have been
a perpetual sunshine, if she chose to have it
so.
Patience and perseverance will overcome all
things, land they will overcome the vilest habit
that ever clung to a shining mortal. With
her, the palm of victory was disputed inch
by inch /; and occasionally her husband had
to tell her the tea was dishwater, that the
cakes tasted of saleratus, or something of the
kind, bnt the cure was at last complete. She
learned to look at the bright side, and ignore
the dark side.
To John Paley belong the credit of the
cure. Another might have been disguised
with matrimony, pronounced the whole thing
a humbug, and gone from home to seek So
lace in the company of the abandoned and dis
solute. To him the remembrance ofhis wifes
devotion in sickness, was like an oasis in the
desert. 1t is true, it was her duty to take
care of him in sickness, but her devotion was
not bounded by the mandate of duty it was
the offspring of love. 1t was the hearts tri-
butte; and her husband saw that her grum-
blingwas only dark shadow obscuring the
brightness of her character, and he chased
the cloud away. f.