The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-08-24
Two Homes.

New York cheerful with the merry glesm
of freight, and the Ginning tick of o mu-
sical clock, and the half-uttered twitter of
The gold.pIumage canary, who was just com.
posing himself to sleep in his cage among
the geraniums-the very sort of room to
which the weuried business man would long
to call home-always provided there was a
sunshney little heart somewhere about, to
set all the household machinery going har.
moniously.
Yet, there was not on expensive article
there-no rosewood chairs, cushioned in
satin-no malachite stands, or mosaic rugs,
or costly agate vases-only neat little ma.
hogany tea table, oil set with pluin blue
ware, as shining as the most transparent of
gold-veined china could be, and sober.2at.
termed carpet which seemed to say, Il know
I'm not velvet-I make no pretence-but
here am, and / mean to be as seryiceuble
as possible Every thing else was just as
neat and as plain; and if there had been one
solitary grain OF dust any where within the
four walls, it must have pined away and
evaporated, out of sheer loneliness.
Little Mrs. Wilford fitting around in her
snug domains. now placing her husbands
slippers where they can warm nicely, won
dering parenthetcolly, ,'why be didn't Gomez
now sitting tiny boquet Of roses and gera-
mum buds in small vase in the centre of
the tea table-now pulling an oblique cor.
ner Of the snowy cloth into line of pummet
exactitude, and now listening, with her little
head against the mantle. shelf, to the merry
song of the tea kettle as it bubbled joyously ly
on the fire, breathing out dense white va.
por cloud from its liquid lungs-until at
length the footsteps sounded below, the key
turned and clicked in the Goo.-and he
came.
But not alone. There was good deal Of
very excusable pride in his manner, as he
presented his fair Young wife 10 an old school
friend, whom he had not met for several
years before, and wbe was doing prosper.
GUS down town business.
1t had been a casual encounter on Broad
way, such os oftentimcs happens. They
had walked along together, conversing cor.
daily, until at length the corner was reach.
ed,where their paths diverged. But their sny
was not more than half said, and in the
warmth Of his heart. Wilford invited his
friend home 10 tea with him. Mr. Maynard
accepted the offer. Six O'Clock was his own
fashionable dinner hour, but he did not say
so; neither did he mention that his wife was
at matinee, and probably wouldn't be at
home t present. The cordial manner of his
friend made him sigh and think OF the old
times, when he had been wont to sit down
to dinner just Gs the creeping sunshi ne
reached the moon mark on the old kitchen
floor, and when supper wasn't an asso ca-
tionof gas lights, champagne, sugar temples,
and spicy game, but quiet meal, taken just
when sunset redeemed The crest Of the tall
poplar trees on the hill. All, the good old
times /!
1t was long since he had been in such q
tiny, unprctending room as that where he
now sat, accepting the cup OF fragrant tea
from Amy Wiliord's dextrous little hond.-
Yet every thing was so bright, so neat, so
exquisltely tusteful-,he fire elowed SO redly
and the rosebuds in the vases gave such a
refined grace to the little blue tea-service
and the common painted waiter, that hi
felt ut once that he was in the atmosphere
of home.
He never missed the silver urn, or the golt
banded china of his own stately table; nevel
noticed that his feet did not rest among the
vevety crimson shades of his own Witol
carpet; nor perceived the wide difference
between Amy's linen collar and shilling de
aine, and the Honitons and brocade that hi
fashionable helpmate wore; but he knew
there was some charm here which was lack
ing ot his own hearth.stone.
1t was genuine old-fOshioned 'tea'-ho
biscuits, amber preserves, delicate pink sha
wings of dried beef, and cake that woul'
make even dyspeptic smack his lips
Maynard could not help complmenting tn
eatables. He didn't get any such at tn
restaurant where he lunched, and his wife
Irish kitchen corps had an altogether differ
ent idea Of things.
"Oh," said Amy laughing. III made ther
myself"
"Did ycu !' He looked at her half anus
ed. II did not know ladies ever employed
themselves nowadays"
II am a capital cook" said Amy. "W
are obliged to study economy somewhat, an
so am my own housemuid."
"Then you don't belong to the rose.le,
sort of ladies', who think it horrible to touc
their white fingers to cooking utensil 7"
"No, indeed !" she said. opening her blu