Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-05-21
THE WIFE'S EXPERIMENT.
BY KATE CAMERON.

"Ma, why don't you ever dress up Z" asked little
Nellie Thornton, as her mother finished brushing
the child's hair, and tying her clean apron. There
was a momentary surprise on Mrs. Thornson's
face; but she answered, carelessly, "Oh, no one
cares how l look"
Don't Pa love TO SEQ you look pretty ?' per-
sisted the child. The mother did not reply, but
involuntarily she glanced at her slovenly attire,
the faded and worn calico dress aud dingy apron,
both bearing witness to an intimate acquaintance
with the ~dish,pan and stove-the slip shod shoes
and soiled stockings-and she could not help re.
Numbering how she had that morning appeared
with ncombed hair, and prepared her husbands
breakfast before he left home for the neigLboring
market town. Sure enough /" unused she, show
l Look !" end then Memory pointed back a few
years to q neatly and tastefully dressed maiden,
sometimes busy in her fathers house, again
~mingiing with her young companions, but never
untidy III her appearance. always fresh and
blooming and this she knew, full well, was a
picture of herself, when Charles Thornton fist
won Ler young heart. Such was the bride he had
taken to his pleasant home,-how had mature life
fulfilled the prophecy of youth
She was still comely in features. graceful in
form, but few would call her a handsome or an
accomplished woman for, alas all other char.
acteristics were 0yershadowed by this repulsive
trait. Yet she loved to see Others neat, and her
house and children did not seem to belong to her,
so we'll kept and tidy did they always look, As a
housekeeper she excelled, and her husband was
long in acknowledging to himself the unwelcome
fact that he had married an incorrigible slovcn.
When, like too many other young wives, she
began to grow n~egligen. in regard to her dress
he readily excused her in his own mind, and
thought "she is not well" or, "She has SO much
to do - and perce'ving no abatement in his kind
attentions, she naturally concluded be was per
fectly satisfied. AS her family cares increased
shd she went less into company, she became still
more careless of her personal appearance, and
contcnted herself with seeing that nothing was
lacking which could contribute to the comfort of
her husband and children, never supposing that
so trivial a matter as her own apparel could pos.
sibiy affect their happiness. All this chain of
circumstances hitherto unthought of passed before
her, as the little prattler at her side repeated the
query,-"DOn't Pa love to see you look p~retty2"
"Yes, my child" she answered, and her resolve
was taken ,-she would try an experiment, and
prove whether Mr.. Thornton was really Indifferent
on the subject, or not. Giving Nellie a picture
book with which to amuse herself, she went t
her own room, mentally exclaiming. "at any rate
III never put on this rig again-not even wash
ing daysp She proceeded to her clothes press anc
removed one dress after another.-some were rag
ged, others faded, all out Of style, and some unf
to wear,-at length she found one which had lOnl
age. been laid aside, as too light to wear sbou
the house" It was a nice French print. ros'
colored and white, and she remembered had ono,
been a favorite with her husband. The old adage
fashions come round in seven years. seemed tru,
in this case for the dress was made in the ther
prevailing style. lfE
This is just the thing" she thought, and SHE
FASTENED to perform her toilette, saying to herself
81 must alter my dark ~gingham to wear mornings
aud get it all ready before Charles comes home