Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-12-25


were married, but | know YOU now. know what
killed your first wife. You want to make a slave
Of me. I'll attend to my duties but if you don't
do your chores the cattle may starve, aud you'll
never get a bite in this house unless you take it
uncooked, if you don't cut wood yourself, or get
somebody to do it for YOU
Raymond started bolt upright and IL was not
many mnutes before he was at the wood pile.
Diligently did he work until he had cut an armful,
which. like a dutiu husband, for the first time in
his life, he carried into the kitchen.
His wife made no alluson to what had passed
between them, and Raymond, although bnrning
with curiosity TO know where she had learned what
she had revealed to him. dared not commence
conversation in relation TO il. The train of Ills
II might revive was fearful to the easy mans mind
His breakfast was over. Forgcuul Of is lesson.
careless Raymond wandered away from home, lis
necessary morning labors in his farm yard unat-
tended TO, aad his wood pile unvisited He re-
turned home az noon, strong in the faith thal he
should st down to a good dinner, because h. was
one OF those men who think that a wife should al
ways give her husband good dinner, whether she
have anything TO cook or not Mrs Warren had
enough TO cook, but nothing to cook with how
ever. much to Raymond's satisfaction, when he
entered his house he found the table spread, and
he knew he should soon be invited totahoa seat
near 10.
When the invitation came, he hasicped to his
n
posed contained meat and truly, there was meat
but just as it came from the butchers RAYMOND
not cannibal he looked ut hi wife inquir-
mglyi she appeared to be waiting patiently to be
served. lie hhed the cover of another dish there
were potatoes just as they had been dug from the
earth, All the dishes that usually contained vic
tuals were covered. Raymond grew suspicious
and he lifted the cover hastily. There was bread
as it had come from the tray; here were turnips
that had never been under the influence Of fire ;
there were apples Handsomely sliced Tor sauce, and
there were numerous other rdibles but none of
them could Raymond eat. lie turned for consola-
ton to cup OF tea his wife had deposited near
his plate. There were g. a leaves floating ia the
cup, but the tea looked remarkably pale; never
theless, Raymond, by ircc of habit, blow it vg-
orously, to prepare it Tor his palate. But when he
put it to bis lips he found that he had wasted his
breath; for the wat, as cold as when it came
from the spring.
Raymond was not hasty man. lie pushed back
his chair deliberately, and thought aloud:
" In the naue Of Heaven, what does this
mean ~
Mrs Warren, whose countenance during this
scene had sober aspect, now smiled pleas
anty and answered:
." The v,etuals were all on the stove the usua
time
It's strange they were not cooked" said Ray
mond
Nct at ALL" said Mrs. Warren; " there was
no d to cook them with
Inca moment Easy Warren then saw what
morfl there was in his novel dinner. and with
keen appetite. he went to work on the wood pile.
He ok his dinner and supper together that day
and he remembered that Mrs. Warren said:
Now, Raymond, Whenever you leave me with
on wood you must eat yietuals that have been
'ked on a cole stove
Many women would have stormed and scolded,
b Il Mrs. Wurreu knew thpra hptfar t,
c erect her easy husbands carelessness, or shift
] ssness, as the reader pleases
One day there was no flour in the house, and
liaynond was about to go with some neighbors TO
q town meeting, when his wife hid his best coat,
and reminded him OF the empty flour barrel. An
1ther day, bis corn was to be gathered, when a
ueighbor came and desired him TO assist him wit h
his horse and wagon. 1t was neighbor who oit-
On received fayors, but seldom rendered them I;
vet Easy Warren could not refuse him. But when
he went to hitch his horses before the wagon, he
jund that one of the wheels was missing. OF
course. the neighbor was disappointed. In the
afternoon, when Raymond expressed wish to
draw his corn, his wife told him where he culd
fl ID the lost wagon wheel.
Thus was Easy Warren's household managed,
until he began to realize practically what the er-
70 Of his life had been. People said: " Wanen's
ia m looks much better than it did some years
ag5.N Mrs. Warren never interiered with Ra
moud's business except when he neglected it, AMI
then she never found fault or scolled but took
occasion to show his neglect to him in a manner
which impressed him with his injustice to his own
inte ests.
R4ymond's cattle were well cared for, and were
in gotd order. When his fences were down, if
he dill not replace them, his wife employed
neighbor to make the necessary repairs. His wife
took tie papers, and read she knew the state of
the marSet, and, to oblige her, Raymond has his
grain in market when the price was highest. Some
people said:
g Easy Warren is hen picked husband
But he knew better; and he often boasted
that his vie was more of " business man than
he vas
They had lived together peacefully some years.
when, one day, Raymond was in good humor
thinking over his prosperous condition, and he
told her; "lm woman's sights man of the true
grit They may say you wear the breeches, if
they please; pn satisfied to have you do the think
ing for our firm And, now | see what a fool
have been, | must make up for my early shiftess
ness
He did make up for his early shItlessness, and
under his wiies ju licious training he became la
dustrious instead OF Easy, Warren.
Mrs Warren had the correct idea of woman's
rights and woman's wrongs. We commend her
management to those who have easy husbands.
Especially do we commend it to those unfor,unates
who have earned for themselves the opprobrious
title of ''scoLDs"