Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-17
Just as Well as Not
BY MRS. =. D. GAGE.

the breakfast will all be as cold as stone, for
he'll STIR
Doesn't make any odds, mother, whethe
its the Governors Message or the trial of oil,
John Brown, or Senator Trum5ulrs speech,
haven't known him to come to breakfast till i
was cold, since can remember" said Joe.
That's so, replied Giles, "and its my opin
ion that its not worth while for dozen of Vi
to eat cold Victusls becaus one is not on han,
to begin the ceremonies So Giles drew hil
chair up to the table and male close acquain
tHnce with the buekWheat cakes; on the in
stant ..-'--.. -
"oh wait for your father, Giles" said Mrs
Clarkson, in dsprecating tone. ''It don't lOol
respectful, for you TO SIT down So"
Mother, the team is all ready, and my LOAD
Is in for the city, and you know ought tC
have been of half an hour ago, to meet the best
OF the market; 1 can't wait"
Ding, ding, ding, went the bell again; and
Emma, took of hsI Iather's plate from the tablc
and set it on the stove to keep it warm.
Giles ate his breakfast hastily and departed.
joe looked at the hired men as they sat waiting
silently in the warm breakfast room. The grid.
die on the roaring stove in the kitchen, waiting
to supply the DEFICIENCIES which would soon
occur IN the buckwheat plate, began to smoke
and burn, while Lissie, who was waiting also
for the griddle to do lis work, 50 that it might
be removed and give place to the wash kettle
Itor 1t was Monday mOrniag,) was in furious
rage.
'sure now, and twill be twelve o'clock this
blessed day, before Pl be getting at my work
och but its botheration to be waiting for the
gintlemen so, and faith its not can be seeing
what's in that bit Of paper that he needs be
IruTvT = Al. I
breakfast. For by it be not the diyil himsel.
that's there just to be keeping US all from the
business"
So matters Stood and SO stood household
Of twelve, all waiting for the head of the house
to finish the paragraph.
Twelve men and women, fifteen minutes lost.
Three precious hours of a short winter dav
wasted, an excellent breakfast half spoiled
half the family at least-yut into an impatient
humor. Lissie made cross all day, for by time
breakfast was over she was nearly an hour
behind hand, and the fretting of mind made her
work 60 crooked and slow, her clothes were
not out IN good season-snd had to all be
brOugh ht in wet at eve, lest prowlers should for
get 10 the night to whom they belonged. Ella
declared she should be tardy, so left with onlv
piece of bread and butter in her hand, 10 sus-
tain her through the long and arduoas duties
Of the day, as the teacher of diatrict school
She felt the want of her breakfast as she burri.
ed on over the rough road, meeting the uierc.
ing winter air, and of course was not 40 well
prepared to deal patiently and Justly with the
nifty restless little spirits under her charge.
Ding, ding, ding, went the bell third time.
and MIs. ClaTkson, urged by the waiting ones
all around, put her head inside the sitting room
door, and suiting the word 10 the spirit said
tartly-
"Mr. Clarkson, do you know we have all
been waiting this half hour for you! what is
the reason you can't read the rest of that after
breakfast, we're every one of US being put out
oftime just by your sticking to that old paper.
wish there wern't no such thing as papers
they provoke me to death"
Mr.. ClarksOn always jumped when his wife
began to seold; mud remOnstrance had long
since lost all effect on him, and so he tried her
patience more and more, till she, poor woman,
having to be the receptacle of all the troubles
of the numerous hOuse,-the go between father
and sons-and father and daughters; had grown
into what the world hates-a fretting woman
or in other words, woman that was com
PEELED to keep all the time talking, asking, re-
miDding, and ever teasing, and when these
would not do, as 10 this instance, scoldiDg.
"JuSt as lOeH as not' might all this have
been avoided, if the one wFo made all the
trouble, only for little self qualification, had
remembered the rights of Others But why
did they not all sit down and eatl you will ask.
Because Mr.. Clarkson was a man of fixed
habits. It would have seemed to him as impos-
sible for his household to have eaten breakfast
till he appeared in his place, as for him to have
laid down his newspaper at the first bell. Then
1t was his practice to ask Gods blessing over
the comforts and luIuries provided, and it would
have set aside this duty, for part to have been
engaged in the business Of eating, and to have
been checked In such an operation for such a
purpose. aa
Mr.. ClarksOn dashed down bis newspaper,
rushed to the dining room, eXclsiming as he
went, " 'Tis astonishing how much disturbance
is made every morning, because want to read
a moment after the bell rings" Seats himself
hastily in his place. "Come, come, bows, your
mother is very impatient this morning"
''I'm sure somebody ought to be- is mothers
rejoinder, as with flushed brow and grieved
heart, she prepares to turn the coffee.
The family seated, the hands are lifted, and
the blessing hurried over-a more mockery of
words, fornot one is in happy or cheerful frame
Of mind. The absence of Giles and Ella is no.
ticed, and explanations asked and reasons Civ
en-. Giles has gone off without an important
errand, and Ellais very severely eensured for
her PrOmptness; and then the meal is eaten in
entire silence, except here and there complaint,
"Ihe cakes are burnt to COAL"
"Well, it's Just yes own fault" !" answers Lis
sic tartly; "the griddle's been burning up this
half hour with the waiting, and sure, they stick
so, I can do nothing wild 'em. The first lot
brought yes was beautiful"
And so they were, but now cold-had to be
thrown away.
"HoW cold the coffee is, mutters Joe.
II knOw-it wss brought up so long ago"
answers Maria, " it's no wonder"
And thus is the breakfast eaten, without any
social pleasure, no merry joke, no cheerfulnes 5,
no real enjoyment and it settles like half poison
into the stomachs Of those who have been made
unhappy, by what might have been avoided,
''just as we'll as not"
Did Mr. Clarkson know how much disgust he
had made to those around him! Not at all. He
had bene doing Just so for twenty years, and
had come decidedly TO the conclusion that he
had very exscting wife and family, and that
he was rea!lya very much abused individual,
and often said, as a kind of excuse for himself
women must have something 10 fret about,
for fret they will and fret they do, let us poor
fellows do the hest we can" And SO he went
on, pouring out daily this little turbid stream
that riled all the waters Of his household river,
making them bitter, not only TO his own taste,
but to that Of every one who vas compelled to
drink thereof it's little acts of selfshness,
too often, that mar the harmony Of life-so little
that those who commit them win not take pains
to reform. "They are 80 sm I'll, they can't be Of
anV GREAT Importance" and So like Mr. Clark