Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-02-05

oTA, sATUREAT 81 ndo4sflI ysTHIsTsTExRY s. 1859

ever before seen him, as ifintsrnally agitated
dining IN more than his customary silence;
replying only by monosylables at all that
Annie said, Or not replying at all If her words
7 were,,put in the form of. direct question. In
the evening, while they sat together, in the
:. drawing room, suddenly be looked up from
his little pamphlet on the Corn Laws
said: '.o'l- '7' '1'- > i'tD '.4'-4 1Ii' 1''''-
! s Annie; my mother has lost her fortune.
4 It Is not necessary to enter into the business
details Of the matter besides you, could not
understand them, If did,, =
i 1t is enough to tell you she comes to-mor.
row to live with u.s. Let the best bedroom be
Egiven to her !; and TRUST need not impress
on you the necessity Of dutiful and affection at
ate attention" ., r.-.. ,.,...z ...'c.,.-,,,
1 "a Annie's heart sank. She felt that all her
quiet happiness in her home was at en- end
But she had too high notions Of wifely duty
to utter a word of protest. She merely droop.
ed her eyes over her work, and said ..-
Very well, Percy" her usual calm, un-
demonstrative manner. Nothing more was
said and no one knew that, while. she sat
I hemming that precious little robe, tears were
! silently falling within the shadow of her curls,
sleeping the muslin held in her trembling
hand. n ;.,g ,i"'..2L o -. .. >. go
Mrs Clarke was a difficult person to deal
We're contrary to those of most people !; and
she had no idea of yielding. 'Annie's quiet
pertinacity irritated her beyond measure. ii
"God bless the girl p she used to, say,
blazing up in her fierce, passionate way, s'has
she no blood in her veins at all, that she can
never be angry, or speak above her breath ?'
, But, harsh critic and undisguised contain
iner as she was, she did not intendto be cruel
She was only mean and sour. tempered. r-
The day after she came, she spoke to her
son about the house-biHs: asked how much
| he allowed week, what average he made for
each, and what sum he appropriated for that
| future day which, in some peoples imagina-
tons, is always raining furiously. Percy,
| over whom his mother exerted great, but
unacknowledged influence, detailed his ar
rangements and position without reserve -
adding up for her edifcation, how much each
person in his household was thus supposed to
cost. -''.' "-'-' ''Aa'.A<- ..a'"'
$50 much as that Well ! must say
you are generous husband, boy am sure
your wife has no right to complain When
was with you dear father, had not half
that sum- ~ '.' -'.-'
els it much, mother? I thought it very
moderate. do not think we could manage
on less" ,r r. -..s.. ,.re..,>. s....f;.. cr -.
s If not actually no less, than it ought to
include me as WELL" said the old lady brief
ly: - 3D.. ...,- .....- o.oE 81
Percy was silent; giving only little in
quiring hem, as he satpuckering his lips con-
templatvely. 6 hope you were not think
of any addition on my account. 1t is bad
enough to be ruined, and forced to you for
home at all; old people are best by ythemselves;
but it would be intolerable if were any bur-
den to you" s. ...-r..r ....,.
Z: 81 was thinking of allowing six or seven
shillings a-week extra" said Percy, hesitat-
lirgly f..a...a - n'zlSf .aa 1aTaa' u = 49,. q
Nonsense, child your wife must learn
economy she knows little enough Of il now.
tell you-and surely ought to know :: |,
who have kept house these forty years and
more-you allow quite enough for us all and
it will be useful to her to make the best of ev-
erythings - s.,s5 ,.y5. ....,.s. .i,es ,.a.
But she is not very extravagant now,
mother. Is she ~ 2a ~ & :. z-.s-: .sa.s- l,fa
"Quite extravagant-Quite At all events,
take my advice, and make the trial, If she
cannot make it do, she win tell you, and then
you can alter your arrangement Take my ad-
vice, Percy you are soon to be father, and
all that, and you ought to be doublv careful,
considering what expenses are before you
now" r' rs.r' g .'r ILL., j.
"Very well, mother, l will. can but
make this trial. as you say; and, if Annie is
hard pressed and tells me, I will enlarge the
allowance"
{" Yes, yes, that's all very well, as between
you and me but don't tell Ann"
I" l am lawyer, mother" said Percy, with
No,
So the law was passed in this domestic
Star-chamber, that Annie was to learn ex-
perimental improvement in the art and sci
ence of housekeeping law which never
nie's private and peculiar economies, and her
careful concealment of painful details. Percy
was inclined to be mean and stingy, certain
ly, but he was not revoltingIy so; and to do
him justice, he would not have imposed task,
he knew was too hard to be accomplished
He was not sorry to lay even heavy strain |
upon her, just for experiments sake but he
would not have done more, willingly. So |
that poor Annie's very care it was which now
caused her discontinue her very economy
had created distrust of her management. IT,
At the END OF the first week the young wife |
was behind in her accounts. There was bran.
dy for the old lady, and not little of it ; and
there were her early dinners and her hot sup
pers; eggs and tea-cakes for her breakfast |
special tea-making; bedroom, fire and extra |
candles. But Annie was not disturbed; but |
reserved the revelation of those multitudinous
figures as simple fact with which her hus-
band had to be made acquainted |
When payday came she told Percy quietly, |
that she was so much short that week. | |
"cannot help it; but, in such small family
as ours, one person addition makes a great |
difference Our own expenses have been Just
the same as usual ; so that find your moth
ers exactly equals my deficiency. h -.
=" You must provide for that out of the al
lowance," said Percy, with hardness.
tell you could not understand them, if I did,
6 Out of the allowance, Percy o.
$ Yes. am not able to afford you more;
and by some means or other, you must make
it do.
Very we'll, Percy I will try" said An
ME, meekly r.4 faI1r7|' ag..- ~.
Trying will be of no good if it is not done,
Annie" Percy spoke positively, as if on the
brink of displeasure. -.
" | will do my very best" she repeated
" But for thispast week, Percy, when did
not know your arrangement, and so made no
provision" She turned such pretty plead
ing face that he said
81 will pay, your for this once-for only
once, mind not again under any ordinary
circumstances -ernphasising the ordinary
Remember Annie [ never speak without
mean what Isay. What was it you men
toned you wanted in addition '-' ~ "-
S So much,'' said Annie, meaning a large
sum very large comparatively with the |
whole. I" ! have bad q great many things to
lay in .--. ~, O., ,-,,, .,..'..r -"
=" Here, then, is the money" said Percy,
slowly counting it out, coin by coin. "Now
do not let me hear the subject repeated. You
know what you have to do, and you must do