The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-09-18

BY MRS. II. C. GARDNER.


review the early days Of my married
life, its perplrxlties and cares come mp
before me i'm far more vivid cOl"rs than
its joys: though the retrospect often
provokes laugh where the real expert.
ence caused bitter tears.
was just twenty years old when l
became the vile of clergyman, poor
country pastor. 1t was a love match,
and, with the usual thriftlessness of
lovers, / think it did not then occur to
us that we could not live upon love, or
that it would need such vulgar appli-
ances as roast beef and palatable pud
dings to preserve in its purity the di.
vine essence of the grand passion.
Everybody said that / was tutally
unfit for minister's wife. was natur
ally exceedingly j"yous and mirthiul.
and without particle of the staih dig.
nifty expected from persons il, my posi-
ti"n; while my husband was a grave,
thnnghttul man, endowed by nature
with a commanding personal appear
ance and prepossessing manners. ! do
not wonder now tEat people should not
rec the rr"prirfy of his choosing me
for wife, when SO many pattern
women stood ready to accept him. My
own family had but one objection la
the match; he was poor, and had no
idea of practical house keeping.
All, how well remember the first
washing day My husband after vain
ly trying to persuade me tn hire a wash
erwoman q knew that he c"uld not af:
fnid it,) came into the back kitchen to
help me himself We were very merry
at first, but after rubbing eff little
patches of skin from every knnckle,
aud burning our arms till they looked
like illustrated maps of some unknown
country. we began to find out there was
little poetry and no fun in the wash.tub.
But the ironing day was worse yet.
Nothing but pride, kept me- from rolling
those starcheI shirts into bundle ami
taking them across the field To my
mothers kitchen. / forgot to mention
that we ad taken up our abode in a
parish but "ne mile distant from my
fathers house.
had never ironed any starched
clothes of any description, but from my
brothers at home I had imbbed very
exalted ideas in regard to the impor-
tance of immaculate shirt bosoms. NV
husband told me all that be could re.
member of his mothers methn.l, and
then betook himself tn his study. Shall
| ever forget my feelings when the fiat
iron, heated seven times hotter than its
wont, and carefully applied To the glut-
inous surface, suddenly struck mp an at
;achmcnt for the same, and when fore.
IDLY separated left it's whole immage
and superscription behind, in black nnl
brown culors. have that shirt now.
: | keep ii To show To those wise mothers
who are training their daughters for
future recklessness.
But it was in cooking that l found
my chief trouble. All my attempts III
that line, at The time | commenced
housekeeping, had resulted in spoilinu
several kinds of rich cake, connected
ia accordance with those impossible re
eipes which fill our modern cOuker,
books. ! had never made a loaf q
. bread in my life. Bakers breat
served us Tor tIme-tor so long /:
time, indeed, that we found out all ii.
good qualities, and have not tested it,
excellence for many years.
We had been married and settled
nearly a fortnight, when, one morning
t my husband came in with letter il
his hand and very anxious expression
e on his face. sprang up from my seat
nearly upsettins the breakfast table
which Was waiting for him. f.
o" What is the matter, Frank /? i
anybody sick or dead? Have you go
bad news?" G<L f.4 ,tftt
""No. AT least it ought not to b,
d bad news" ~tl tH f,' fet'
Well, what is it? Something seri
n Gus, l know, from your louks." Hii
"" No, Hattie, nothing of the kind
! only | feared II might annoy you.
Is only note from my college chum
Fred Knowles, ajing that he is g..in.
Ia Boston, and will call oiI us, and
and get his dinner today" said IN,
$ husband, finishing the sentence reluc
lantIy. i'''.i>s' i ...# f'.i''
s twas my first call to entertain com
pany, and, knowing by this time m,
IGNORANCE, | shrank back affrightr,
e from the prospect. l confess, too,
5 feeling of deep modification that IN,
husband could not receive his most in
ilnaie friends without SO serious
; u:awback upon his pleasure. All m
natural energy and pride WAS aroused
, and sle,ernnne! to becunle a goo,
: honsekerpcr, at whatever cost of tim
e and labor. But the present emergenc
. was first TO be attended To. r
~" | suppose had better get som
fresh leaves from The bakery 2" Franl
IS lacked at the dry, light slices on lh
J, breakfast table as he spoke. .f..
!. e 7" Yes, l think So. Aud some meat
d Hattie. That t"rlorn old roast liza
lasted fortnight, am sure. j thin
n | should recognize its bones if | sa,
Of then, in Africa. DO you think yv
3 could Lroil steak, Hattie 2"
s. Yes. But, Frank, you Must com
!, ont uf the parlor and overlook me
n And it you will get me some peas arr
r, lettuce, and ether vegetables, ! sha
d yet MP a famous dinner" I'' ~
.r A half smile fitted over his fac,
k he had heard Of my famous dinner y,
h fore. - Ae''f st3 ~ Arf
III 4 4.