The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-04-02

ennhlrd % make an appearance Of luxury
and domestic refinement decidedly beyond
her allowance.
II hope you are not getting into debt, An
Bisr" Percy vagid sometimes say, " she had
provided q dinner more snowy Than ordlna-
~, though sha always eontiysd 20 have
one special delicHoy at the least on the "a.
bio,
NO. Percy you may see my books" An
olo would answer With little quiet triumph
II it were allowance day, perhaps adding. Il
have made Il do exactly this week, and have
just iourpeuce over"
'Nery we'll do not want details only
do not exceed, that IL ALL" And Annie did
not,
Old Mrs, Clarke, the mother, lived In a
small house at the upper end Of lslington,
She was an invalid, and not soflencd by her
iudmilies, She was ~ hard as her son, and
not so eycn-tempered good deal more eK,
acting AMI actively selfish for Perey's faults
we're bot negative nt the worst. Mira Clarke
WIS accustomed 20 say thar "she had never
taken 10 that Anne Fare" She thought
her too young, and did not believe in her
housekeeping Tor Mrs. Clarke was Of the
old school aud believed In nothing that did
not include constant supervision and active
doing among the servants by the mistress
She was one of those too, Who locked up
everything and would have thought Il inanit,
negligence II - mislrcs, gave her servant the
key Of the tea-caddy or suffered her in the
storc-cl0set UNIV atchsd. She il was Who con.
Iiuually impressed on Percy the conviction
of waste and unthnh In his house, pointing
to Annis's lAlle table clcganecs, which the
young wife had obtained by the most cum
ming devices of hidden savings, as eyidenc.
inR extravaganza and needless expenditure.
But, a. Percy knew that he allowed n very
moderate sum, ks>was not melted TO active
participation ia hiA mothers views. Never
thclc's, her perpetual reeurr ener to the sub.
jcel did not tend To make his money y-deal.
ings With his wife mbrc liberal.
Ooe day Percy came home half an hour
atcr than usual, he who vas 40 methodieal
and puncluaL lie was paler than Annie
had ever before seen him, as IL internally ng.
itatcd, dining ia more than his euHomar,
silence, replying only by monosyllablc, to all
that Annie said, or not replying at all il her
words were not put in the form of direct
question. In the evening while they sat to-
scIhcr in the dravins.room, suddenly he
looked up from his uamphlrt on the "or"
laws and said
"Annic, my mother has lost her fortune.
II is not necessary 10 enter into the business
details Of the matter besides you could not
them II ! did. II is enough TO
tell you that she comes tomorrow to live
with us Let The best bedroom be given up
TO her, and trust l need not impreS, on you
the necessity Of dulful and afTrctionats at.
lrntion."
Anucs heart sank. She felt that all her
quiet happiness in her home was at an end
But she had too high notions OF wifry duty
,if tittsf rsursi ut f1rutuEt;- shu HpFViy-
dropped her EYES over her work and said.
'Nery well, Percy" in her usual calm, unde-
manner. Nothing more was
soid, aud no one knew that, while she sat
silently falling within the shadow Of her
curls, sleeping the muslin held in her trem-
bling hand.
Mrs. Clarke was n difficult person to deal
with in a house. Her times and tempers
were contrary 10 those of most people, and
she had no idea Of yielding. Annie's quiet
pertnocty irritated her beyond measure.
God bless the girl she used to say, hlaH-
ing ua in her fierce, passionate way. "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 oontem-
ncr ns she was she did not intend to he cru
sL She was only mean and sour-tempcred.
The day after she came she spoke TO her son
,bo"t her house bills, asked-h how much he
allowed a week, what average he made for
zach, and what sum he appropriated for that
'uture day, which in some peoples imagina
IONS is always raining furiously. Percy,
over whom his mother exerted a great, but
acknowledged influence, detailed his ar
'ungcments and position without reserve,
iddinR up Tor her edhcatlon, how much each |
,erson in his household was supposed to
cost
$50 much as thatP Well, / must say you
ire generous husband, boy. am sure
'our wife has no right to complain. When
was with your dear father / had no; half |
hat sum-"
"ls it much, mothcrP thought it very
moderate. l do not think we could manage
IN less"
III not actually on less, then it ought TO
include me AS WE'LL" said the old lady, quite
artly.
Percy was silent giving only little inqui-
ing hem, as he sat puckcring his lips con-
emplatively.
81 hope you are not thinking of any addi-