The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1867-03-12


to housekeeping, month after, at : Rose
| Cottage"
For time everything went on swim
mingIy Dorcas was good cook, and
something more, fine manager; the most
f4stidiou> eye could have found nothing to
complain of in the neat arrangement of our
rooms; or the palate of an epicure found
anything aniss in the nicely favored, nicely
cooked food that daily appeared upon our
table. Owen was in raptures.
"Aha, aunt Debhie." he said, exultingly,
when she came down to tea, "what di |
tell you! Where will You find nicer bread
than thisF' breaking one of Dorcas' feath-
cry rolls. Il said Mag would learn She's
one of the best little housewives in town"
! Aunt Debbie made no reply, she did not
even glance towards my scarlet cheeks and
downcast eyes, but | knew we'll enough
that she suspected my secret l open ii
my lips to confess all, and give Dorcas the
credit that was her due; bat Owens happy
eyes silenced me. | was very vain, and
had always been fonI Of praise; but his
praise | coveted above all things else [
believe | would have been willing to have
sacrificed my very life to have la | his APP
! probation. Women are such silly block
heads; and as general thing, husbands are
Sc exceedingly sParing of approving words,
and SO very prOluSe in fauIt-finding, that it
Is marvel to me that there are half SO
many pleasant homes as there are. But
where the fire of true love burns upon the
household altar, its. ever en- Iurng heat
w5ils the ties that bind heart to heart, and
hand TO hand, 50 firmly together, that |
Of the lug and strain Of every day life can
net tear them apart
But do not mean to insinuate that nv
husband was prone TO fault finding; on the
contrary, he WIS very lavish in his praise
and that praise was SO sweet that kept
silent, con>oiing myself with the thought
that it would not be long before l would
really merit It.
A day or two after, he brougt home a
couple of friends to dinner. A soon as
-ould make my escape from the par!or, l
ran cut - porc:s, pale with con>ternalion
But Dorcas was IN nowise started. She.
went quietly 10 work, while | WIS running
10 and fro. gIvf;s vent 10 all manner of ex-
| travagan' exciam ,Iions; adding little here
ln,l little tIer", improvisng one thing,
ana tilyiug up another, HntiI she got 10
gtther as nice a dinner AS my fastidiou>
Young hnsbanl could have desired He
VAS pleased to tie heart, | knew it bv the
expression of bis eyes.
"Mag's the girl for you," l overheard
him saying as | left the psrlor to % thro'
the useless form o. ordering supper. "i'n
bet there's not another such a wife in town
She's always AS neat AS a ne@ pin, vet she
cocks like an old stager. / tell YOU boys
| did good DAYS work when | married her
never felt meaner in my life, but again
took re uoe in my old resolution to make
myself worth, of his praise anI in accord
ance Herewith, | trotte! after Dorcas for
two or three DAYS, taking note of every
thing she did, to the poor girls evident
detention and annoyance. But after awhiI,.
. Il habits got the better of me, and | f,.l
back into the beaten trark, lcumging away
he forenoon in ny chamber, AMI doug my
crochet and wor>ted work, and reading the
last new novel, infinitely more pleasing, to
ny taste, than the kitchen and The. cooking
It We And, after AL, what did it matter
Dorca> wonll never leave me- anI there
was no use worrying myse f.
But Dorcas did not think Just as I dill.
L. l.,
herself after awhile. looked upon it H.
an imposition then, and 90 now. If a wo
man has genius f'r cooking. anil has it IN
her power to make another woman's hnm-
pleasant and agreeable. what right has She
u transfer her good works into an estab
ti>hment of her own! 1t is not loving one
neighbor as ones self to say the least. And
Dor.as was sud len. too. It was:
"I'm going TO be married, Mr.. Wick
life, and must leave YOU this evening;
and the next morning she WAS gone.
Owen did not come home to dinner; ana
feeling very pptti>h at DorcaS | resolved
upon grand supper OF my own, thai
would throw all efforts of hers into th,-
shade. had the day before me ani began
early. Nv stove was in fall blast, AMI the
tea-kettle finely under way, when Iitt.-
e low made his appearance with siring
Of trout in one hani AMI note from Owen
in the Other. l rea it eagerly:
any old friend, Wat. Seymour is III
town, Mag, shall bring him roam To sup !
per, so d. vonr best. dear. n. B Fn |
the trout nicely"
| went to work zealnlisly. Not contenf
with hot rolls, | determined ON SpanIsl !
bunS-they were Owens particular fancy
Of cnurs- | Gull m Ike them; the dough |
had been rising al LAY, an must be light
Went into it up to my,,elhows. There wa>
a goo lily qu,ntity-experienced house
keepers are aIw ys lavish-bnt managed
get it into form; an | then got on the