Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-08-12
MATRIMONIAL INFELICITIEs.
BY AN IRRITABLE NAN.
DOMESTIC GOVERNMENT.

Unable noise while am in the house, can't
imagine. / sheuld think that you'd instruct
them TO be quiet and behave themselves when
j an at home. They have all the day, from
nine o'clock until Eve, In which to play and
make as much noise as they please, and why
you will allow them to keep it up until bed
time, really don't understand. After I've
been busily employed down town for six or
eight hours, toiling for you and the children,
INant, when / return homo to enjoy rest and
quiet, and not find myself, the moment enter
the house, in the midst Of bedlsm."
1.-The noise they make" said my wife, look
ing up from her work, ''csn be ns more annoy
ing TO you than IL is to me, who have to be
subjected to 1t all day. I'm sure my nerves
ought to be made of iron to enable me to en-
dure it. You, in reality, experience little of
its unplessantness; but here am I, shut up,
day after day, with these noisy beings, obliged
oftentimes, through lack of strength to cor
rect them, to submit 10 their caprices and
naughtiness, while you are abroad in the open
air, and free from the petty annoyances which
surround me. You nen, though, think a
wOmsn's life is perfect paradise. / wish
you had to live only ore such day as this has
been. ! have been Obliged to have the sole
care ct the children ever since morning, and,
between their crying and boisterOus behavior,
they have nearly worn me out. My head aches
violently, and il doesn't seem as if my fingers
could take another stitch"
But Why" 1 asked, "did you take so
much upon yourself? Why didn't you let
Katy have charge Of the children, as usual ?"
Because this is ironing day, and Katy al
ways has to assist the laundress"
But what is the use, ;" inquired, "of hav-
ing Katy to take care of the children, unless
she does tt? If the laundress cannot perform
her work herself, why you'd better get some
one who can, 30 that Katy can attend to her
own business. Now, if there be one thing
dislike more than another, it is your misman-
agement with the servants. Each one should
have her own duties to perform, and not in
terfere with, or assist in, those of another.
should just like 10 have the control Of this
household for week, when / think I could
effect revolution in it Of a most satisfactory
character"
81 am sure" said my wife, "I have no OBJ
lection to your taking the entire charge of the
house for year or longer. A pretty house.
keeper, though, you'd make. I think you
would find ii q more difficult task, however,
than you imagine +"
"AI that is necessary to insure a we'll reg
ulated household, my desr," / said. lis a
proper system. System is the basis of all
governments-domestic and national. With
out il, disorders are certain to prevail have
theory about government, which, If you will
listen TO me, I'll explain to you. In the first
place"
II don't think" said my wife, interrupt
ing me, "that have time at present to hear
your theory, even if the.little ones would re-
main quiet long enough to allow me to give
you the attention necessary"
Children, cease your noise!'' exclaimed
But they gave no heed to my command, and
raised such hubbub that 1t called forth from
me an expression which only the extreme cir
cumstances Of the case warranted.
Don't speak 50, said my wife, soothingly.
"I have been obliged to endure much more
than this all day, and have not once lost my
temper"
'tiood gracious =" exclaimed, "what con-
founded muss have sat down in Some sticky
stuff. / declare, it's molssses. Ii there be one
thing dislike to sit in more taan another, it
is mOlasses Why do you allow the children
to have it"
am sure, answered my wife, ''for was not
aware there was drep in the house. Know
ing how syerse you are 20 having the little
ones use it, since they stick themselves up
with it so, have denied it to them for months
past"
Well, it appears they have got some, at all
events, and Look at that child daubed
from head to foot"
Here the slim girl Of thirteen made her ap-
pesranee with plate containing sticks of mo-
1asses candy, which, she said, she had made
for papa. Now, If there be one thing dis
like more than another, it is molasses candy
made for papa; but, on the present occasion,
Il
terlnined that IL, at least, should no; be dis
tributed over the floor, chairs, and table.
Every piece of furniture in the room"
said, lis sticky with this confounded stuff.
Every door knob and window. pane is marked
with 1t, and every part Of the house, for e
week to come, will be redolent Of it, The fact
is nv dear, you allow the children to do lust
a. they please and when it isn't molssses they
get into, it is honey or sueetmeats. What is
the use Of being q mother, unless you can
manage your children, and keep them out of
the molasses jug"
Ny wife said she didn't see any use in it,
which seemed to me rather an equivocal an
my eyes fell upon the candy before me. 1t
seemed to be filed with rsisins. / examined
1t carefully, and the rsisins resolved them
selves into dies
GOOD gracious ~ exclaimed, "uhat could
have induced that child to put flies into the
candy2"
"FIiss, :" echoed my wife.
Yes" repeated, "fies,"
Ny wife looked at the candy with critical
eye. Then she rung the bell for Biddy, who
room made her appearance.
Where did the children get the molasses
for their candy ?" she inquired.
"0ut Of the jug. TO be sure" said Biddy;
where else should they? Didn't they find il
Ia the cellar, where it had been ever 90 long,
doing no good to any one, and 80 just said
they might have 1t for candy" \
" But the jug ought not to have been in the
cellar, Biddy; that is not its proper place" "
said my wife.
"0h! it's not the jug We use, ma'am," re.
spondsd Biddy5 and now I'll tell you all
about Il. When Nora, the cook We had las,
summer, you remember, was here, she jusi
accidentally, one day, broke the handle If
the Jug, and so that it wouldn't be in your
sight, ma am, she put ID on the upper shelf in
tie cellar, where We forgot all about II.
suppose, somehow, the cork got out and the
fiss got In, but II was very nice molasses, fol
all that, ma'sm. And told Miss Lily, when
she boiled the molssses, to be sure and skim
Of the top Of IL, for thought there might bs
aHy OF two In it, and knew fies liked mo-
h.se' and that: just the blessed truth in
When Biddy had left the room, I said to my
wife
This is another example, my dear. Of youl
housekeeping qualihe ations. You not only LEI
the children do as they plesse, but you allow
The servants the same liberty. If they break
jlg, why you know nothing about IL unit
months sfterwsrl, when the children poison