Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1865-07-01
Always Behind Time.
ny MARY II. SEYMOUR

Ny child. you are late again this morn
ue, said Mr. Forster, mildly, to bis only
daughter, yonng girl of fourteen. who
had just made her appearance at the break
fast-table. I'm afraid you'll get into. o
habit of always being behind time ,.oefiS
The young LADY made no repIyn but fqos
ber. seat, with something Of polt 90 her
pretty lips. r '...-..i. .i....-....,.,. 80
her mo- her. about a year after. as she
stood at the foot Of the stairs, waiting TO
40 out with her daughter. l declare my
dear, she added, as L,ura at last appeared
you are getting worse and worse, l ealls
am afraid that your father is rig gh' and that
you viii always be behind time.
The usually handsome features OF L1ura
had just the least bit Of sulky look on
them as she answered her mother.
Goodness, mamma, what q fuss you
make I'm only Eve or ten minutes late. -
Pa aud you always worry me so, with your
nervousness about being behind time.
We do it for your good, 1ny love, said
however, personally. care so much about
waiting; though child ought hardly, /
should think, 10 detsn parent under any
circumstances. If there is one bad habit
in womln worse than another, it is the
hab procras tination You are always
put fl. ill the last minute, doing what
you have to do. When the morning bell
rings, you think Il will lie little while
longer,' aud SO are never down TO breakfast.
When you are gong ou. with NE, as today
you keep reading your novel till almost the
moment you ought TO start, and then have
| to dress in hurry, and be behind time
after ALL" 20 81.
"Wrll, haven't heard that again and
again." uudutifnlIy retorted Lsura I'm
tired Of this serhonzng" and she trowned
as she spoke, looking positively ugly. -.-
When Laura was eighteen she fell 10 love
and, with the consent of her parents, was
engaged Aradtco change seemed now to
take place in her character She was never
late f5r Harry II he had asked her to ride;
if they we're going to a concert; fit was
an evening party they had promised 10 at.
tend Laura was regdy to the moment,
locking as blooming and happy as it was
possible More than this, she was always
! the old times, she had often been dressed
care eessly. in consequence Of her haste. ? =
II am glad to see saeh a reformation ID
! Laura !" said Mrs Forester'to her husband
g used sometimes to tfemble for her fu-
ture." |H 5J@47i
"Let us hope for the best,' replied Mr..
| Forester, bat douot let US be too confident.
Laura is naturally iudolent, and, L fear
after she is married, the old habits will
come back. And he sighed.
| Alasl 1is prediction was correct. laura
had not been married loug, before she be-
gan TO be as late at her husbands break;
| fasllable as she had been at her ia hers
If she had been poorer, she would have
been compelled TO get op, in order TO pre-
pare the meal herself; but her means now
were larger than they had ever been, she
had few household cares At first, when
she came down late, and found she had
kept her husband waiting, she b!usbed
With shame, and resolved never to be guilty
! in this way again. Bat this soon wore off,
and, before year, it wAs the exception,
not the rule, for the yoang wife to be
puuctual. rs f-i@' =
Nor did il stop here. In everything
she was late She was rarely ready 10
time for church, for -an evening visit, for
/ the opera, for anything. She would
lounge on sofa, reading the latest novel,
or sleeping till the very last inmate, ADD
then dress in such hurry that she was
hardly even neat. Her haste often 10.
| fuenced her temper. making her Irritable,
OF peevsh. Her idle habits finally af'
fec ed her health, aud, through her health,
! her beauty She became sa!low4 in com
plexion Her movements languid. She
| lost the brightness that had once been lheI
principal charm. Her face " ore, not IN
| frequently, discontentca3 even sullen look.
I For, iu proportion as she disregarded
her husbands comfort, and nsglected hel
personal appearances, ,ahis affection for heI
began to decline He had slowed her fol
certain fancied exceilencies, iSud when b,
J found that he had been deceived, The CHECK
was great one to him Harry swould
have made q very domestic maa il his Gre
side had been as pleasant as IL should have
beenj but when he found his dinner late,
bis wife never ready, and bis house foil ol
discomforls, he began to be less at home.
Things went frcm bad to worse. Laura
resented bis ABSENCE as al insult, and there
we're often angry disputes. In her fathers
house., she had. as. we have. seep., beer
sometimes pettish aud disrespeclfal; aut
she was no better nown 10 her hnsband's
Laura has been married five years. A
more unIidy house you would not Wish u
see. As the mistress is, so the servant
says an old proverb. Everybody. fromth'
cook 10 the coachmau, is behind time :.
Her husband spends most Of biz evening"
| ct bis clob, does not always dine a. home