Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-10-02
The Best Wife in the World.

Mr. Portcross "But what's your exact
idea of the best wife in the world
Jones says he's got the best wife in the
world, because she keeps his stockings
darned, takes him to church three times
of Sunday, and never let's him have an
idea of his own. jenkins says he's got
the same identical article, but jenkins
wife keeps ali the money, draws his
salary for him, and makes him live in
the back kitchen, because the parlor is
too good for family use"
"Oh! but Daisy isn't bit ogreish-a
little submissive, soft-veiccd thing, that
hasn't an idea except what is reflected
from me. l tell you what, old fellow,
Pm the master of my own house; /
come when l please, ard 90 when !
please. Daisy never ventures on a word
of rcproach."
"Then you ought to be ashamed of
yourself, larking around at the clubs as
you do, dissipated bachelor fashion,"
"Ashamed! What ofY'
"Why, / suppose you owe some duties
to your wife ?"
dWhere's the harm? Ny wife doesn't
care"
"Probably you think so because she is
quiet and submissive; but if she were TO
object"
"Obiect? I'd like to hear her try it,"
"Now, look here, Ainscourt, your wife
may be a model wife, but you certainly
are not model husband. People are
beginning to talk about the way YOU
neglect that pretty little blue-eyed girl.
"Ill thank people to mind their own
business. Neglect her, indeed! Why,
man, love her as love my own soul"
"Then why don't you treat her as if
you did p
"Oh, come Portcross, that question
just shows what regular old bachelor
you are. 1t won't do to make too much
of your wife, unless you want to spoil
her."
Mr.. Portcross shook his head
"That sounds selfish. / don't like the
ring of that metal"
And he went away, leaving Ainscourt
to finish his game of billiards at leisure.
"What n regular old fussbudget Port
cross is," laughed the latter "Always
poking his nose into somebody's else
business. There's one colnfort-I never
pay any attention to what he says"
Meanwhile Mrs. Ainscourt was sitting
alone in her drawing-room, her two little
white hands tightly locked in one an
other, and her fair head slightly droop-
ing-a delicate little apple-blossom OF a
woman, with blue, wisttul eyes and curly
flaXen hair, looking more like a grown
up child than wife of twenty-one
summers.
ooh ]" sighed Daisy. 'It's so dull
here. | wish Herbert would come home
He never spends any time with me now
a-days, and practice his favorite songs,
and read the newspaper, so l can talk
about things he's interested in, and try
so hard to be entertaining It's very
strange"
And then her oval face frightened into
sudden brilliance, and the sparkles stole
into her eyes; for the quick ear had de-
tected her husbands footsteps on the
stairs. The next moment he came in.
"Well, pet, how are you?" with n
playful pinch on her cheek. "There are
some 6on6ons for you. Where are my
light gloves ?"
ooh, Herbert, you are not going away
again ?''
81 must Daisy. There are some fel-
lows going to dive to High Bridge, and
Pm one of the party. You can go over
to my mothers for dinner, or send for
one of your friends, or something.
There, good-by, puss, Pm in a deuce Of
hurry"
And with one careless kiss pressed on
the quivering damask rose OF mouth
that was lifted up to him, he was gone.
Daisy Ainscourt neither went to her
mother-in-law, nor sent for one of her
girl-friends.
She spent the evening alone, ponder
ing on the shadow which was fast over
growing her life.
"What shall l do?" thought the little
timid, shrinking wife. Oh, what shall l
do?"
But, child as she was, Daisy had a
strong, resoluto woman's heart within
her, nor was she long in coming to a
decision.
"Daisy," said her husband to her the
next day, "you haven't any objections
to my attending the Orion Bal Masque?"
"Are masked balls nice places, Her
bert ?"
"Oh, yes, everybody goes! Only l
thought I'd pay you the compliment
OF asking whether you disappr0ved or
not"
"Can I go with you?"
"Well-ahem-not very well, this
time, Daisy. You see, Mrs. Frenchurch
really limited so strongly for me to take
her, that couldn't help it."
every WE'LL" assented Daisy, meekly,
and Herbert repeated within himself the
pecan of praises he had chanted in Mr..
Portcross' ears: "The best little wife in
the world !"
But, Notwithstanding all this, Mr..
Ainscourt was not exactly pleased, when,
at the selfsame Bal Masque, during the
gay period of unmasking he saw his
wife's innocent face crowning the pic
turesque costume of Bavarian peasant
girl.
"Hallo" he CALCULATED, rather ungra-
ciously, "you here ?"
EYES," lisped Daisy, with a girlish
smile. "You said everybody went And