The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1868-12-18
Husbands in Little Things
"Ah, Brown, how are you?"


Such were the ordinations with
which two neighbors greeted each
other, as they met, ono evening
about sundown, on their way home
from business. After few inqni-
ries about each others family, for
both were married men, and the
stereotyped complaints respecting
the hard times, of which merchants
complain as proverbially as farmers
do Of bad crops, Brown said to his
friend:
"Suppose we have some oysters,
Jones; I've found a place where
they keep capital ones. You dom t
have supper quite yet?'
"No, there's plenty oftimc. I'll
go with pleasure.
So the two husbands turned aside
into a saloon, where, in the course
Of an hours chat, they managed to
spend half dollar each, partly in
oysters and partly in brandy and
water, "to make the oysters, as
they said, "digest.'
Meantime, Mrs. Jones, the young
est of the two wives, sat wondering
Why her husband did not come home.
She had been into the kitchen two
or three times to see that supper
was ready and being kept hot, for
Mr.. Jones was one Of those men who
neither like to wait for meal, no1
eat cold one. At last, fully an
hour after his usual time, the hus-
band made his appearance.
"Take up supper, said Mrs.
Jones, running to the kitchen door.
Its Mr.. Jones, I'll let him in
mysclf,'' and as she spoke she
breathlessly hurried to admit her
husband.
| "Suppcr's on the table, Jones, .
she said as she clung to him; ''Pye
made your favoritc cake, and hope
it will turn out we'll, Only I'm
afraid it's half spoiled by the delay.
But [ suppose business kept you, SC
it can't be hclped.'
The husband did not contradict
his wife. But when he came to try
the cake he pushed it away.
Isn't it right?' said the wife,
the tears coming into her eyes.
"Ycs, it will do" answered Mr..
Jones, ''only it is not quite up to
hungry"
Poor lady! She fanvied that these
last words were said in order tc
spare her feelings. and that the rea.
son her husband did not eat was be.
cause the cake was bad. Her af-
ternoon's happiness had consisted
in thinking how agrecably her hus-
band would be surprised at this lit
tie delicacy. But this was all de-
strcyed now. She had no appetite
herself to eat, and really fancied the
cake tasted fat. In short, it was
as much as she could do to command
her feelings.
Her husband ssw and partly un-
derstood her emotion. A single
word from him would have explained
all, and he knew it; but he was
ashamed, at first, to say that he
had been lettering OH his way home;
and afterwards it was too late. At
last he became angry with his wife
for being hurt, as men strangely will
when themselves are in the fault.
It was a miserable evening for poor
Mrs. Jones.
In the meantime Mr.. Brown had
also reached his home. His wife
was also waiting for him.
"Where have you been, my dear, -
she said, chow late you are! But
come, don't lose minute, supper
is waiting, and I want you to take
me to the concert Tonight And
as she spoke she led the way briskly
to the supper room.
"a concert!'
Eyes, my dear,'' answered his
wife, turning cheerfully around,
"and have promised sister Jane
to meet her there. IT we don't hurry
ali the best seats will be filled be-
fore we arrive.o
REALLY, my love-" stammered
Mr.. Brown. as he took his seat, and
he began to curiously examine his
fork, not caring 10 meet his wife s
eyes. "I'm afraid ="
He stopped. Mrs. Browns face
fell. She knew from his manner
what was coming. But she ventured,
for once, on remonstrance.
cts only twenty-five cents
apiece she said, "and surely we
can afford that. l don't 90 any
J where. as you know. | feel as if |
could enjoy this concert
Thus urged, Mr.. Brown would, pre-
haps have gone. if he had not already
spent half dollar himself. But
that settled the affair. One ex-
travagance, as he reasoned, was
sufficient. He did not, however,
tell his wife why he persisted in his
refusal.
"Pd 90 in minute if | could
afford it, my love-" he stammered,
"but fifty cents here, and fifty cents
there, soon runs up-we may live
yet to see the day when we'll want
even that sum"
Mr.. Brown, like many others,
was always ready T. preach, but
slow to practice. Scarcely day
passed that he did uot spend some