The weekly standard., 1869-10-20
The Best Wife i'm the World,
By AMY RANDOLPH.

kinsS wife keeps all the money, draws his
salary for him, and makes him live In the
back kitchen because the parlor is too good
for the family to USE"
ooh! but Daisy isn't bit ogreish- lit
tie submissive, soft-yoiced thing, that hasn't
an idea except what is reflected from me l
tell YOU what, old fellow, I'm the master of
nv own house; come when | please and
90 when please Daisy never ventures on
a word of reproach."
seTben YOU ought to be ashamed of your
self larking around at the clubs as you do,
dissipated bachelor fashion" -.-,-
ASHAMED what off,"
''Why, suppose you owe some duties to
your wife 2"
'sWhere's the harm2 My wife doesn't
care" ..rs E tf-a -..
'Probably you think SO, as she is quiet
and submissive; but what if she were to OBJ
ject-"
object I'd like to hear her try it,"
'sNow, look here Ainscourt, your wife may
be 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"
'rll thank people to mind their own bus
iness. Neglect her indeedl Why, man, 1
love her as / love my own soul"
"Then why don't you treat her as if you
did?"
s'Oh, come, Portcross, that question just
shows what a 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.
sThat sounds selfish. Idon't like the ring
of that metal"
And he went away, leaving Mr.. Ainscourt
| to finish his game of billiards.
"What regular fuss-budget Portcross
| is" laughed the latter. always poking his
nose into somebody else's business. There's
one comfort 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 another,
and her fair head slightly dropping deli
cate little apple blossom of woman, with
blue, wistful eyes and curly tiaxen hair, look
ing more like grown up child than wife
| of twenty-one summers. -...
"Oh, DEAR" sighed Daisy. at so dull
| here. 1 wish Herbert would come home.
He never spends any time with me now-a-
days, and l practice all his favorite songs,
and read the newspapers, so / can talk abou.
the things he's interested in, and try so hard
to be entertaining. 1t is very strange"
| And then her oval face frightened into
sudden brilliance, and the sparkles stole into
her eyes, for her quick ear detected her hus-
bands footsteps on the stairs. The next
moment he came in.
| ,1af hnu Srx-ifh T,lav yftrl
pinch on her cheek There are some bon
bons for you. Where are my light gloves ~
"Oh, Her6et, you are not going away
again 2"
II must Daisy There are lot of fellows
going to drive to High Bridge, and Pm one
of the party. You can go over to mothers
for dinner, or send for one of your friends
or something. There, good bye, puss, Pm in
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
Daisey Ainscourt neither went to her moth.
er-in-law's, nor sent for one of her friends
She spent the evening all alone, pondering
on the shadow which was fast overgrowine
her life
what shall 1 dos" thought the little
timid, shrinking wife. "oh, what shall
do2n
But, child as she was, Daisy had strong
resolute woman's heart within her, nor was
she long in coming to decision.
"Daisy,n said her husband to her the
next day, 'you haven't any objections to my
attending the Orion Bal Masque9n
"Are masked balls nice places, Herbert p
80 yes, everybody goes; only thought
I'd pay you the compliment, of asking
whether you disproVed or notn
Scan 60 with your.
"Well-ahem-not very well, this time
Daisy. You see, Mrs, Fenchurch really hin
ted SO strongly for me to take her, that
couldn't help it."
"Very WELL" assented Daisy, meekly, and
Herbert repeated within himself the paar
of praises he had chanted in Mr. Portcross
ears ''The best little wife in the world"
But, notwithstanding all this, Mr. Aims
court was not exactly pleased. when, at the
selfsame bal masque, during the gay period
of unmasking, he saw his wife's innocent
face Growing the picturesque costume of a
Bsvarian peasant girl.
"Hallo !" he calculated, rather ungracious
ly, ''you here!'
"Yes," isped Daisy, with girlish smile
"You said everybody.went! And oh, Her
bert, its nice2"
Mr.. Ainscourt said nothing more, but Mrs
Eenchurch found him very stupid com
panion for the remainder of the evening.
He was late at dinner the next day; but
late as he was, he found himself more pune
tual than his wife, and the solitary meal was
half over before Mrs. Daisy tripped in, hel
cashmere shawl trailing over her shoulders
and her dimpled cheeks all pink with the
fresh wind
Gam behind time2 Really, am SC
sorry! But we have been driving in the
park, and"
We! Who are we9" growled her hus.
band.
"Why, Colonel Adair and 1.-The Colone
Adair that you 60 out with so mnch."
snow, look here, Daisy !" calculated Mr.
Ainscourt, rising from the table and push
ing back his chair, "Adair isn't exactly the
man l want you to drive with p
"But you go everywhere with him |"
~ dare say-but you and are two diff
ferent persons"
"Now, dear Herbert" interposed Daisy
willfully misunderstanding him, you know
never was bit proud, and the associate:
that are good enough for my husband, art
good enough for me. Let me give you a
few more oysters"
Ainscourt looked sharply at his wife
Was she really in earnest, or was there 8
mocking undercurrent of satire in her tone
But he could not decide, so artless was her
countenance.
Pll talk to her about it sometime, was hi:
internal decision.
"Daisy," he said, carelessly, when dinner
was over, "I've asked old Mrs. Barberry tC
come and spend the day with you to-mor
row."
"Oh, have you9 I'm sorry, for I am en-
gagged out tomorrow"
| "Youl Where?"
"Oh, at Delmonico's I've Joined Wo
mans Rights Club, and we meet there to or.
ganize"
"The duce take woman's rights |" eiacula.
ted the irate husband
| "Of course don't believe in them, but il
is the fashion to belong to club, and such
a nice place to go to evenings 1 am dull
\ here evenings, Herbert"
! Herbert's heart smote him, but he answer
ed resolutely: .--'-",--s -.,,s7-1
I beg you will give up this ridiculous
idea. What do women want of clubs ~
"What men do, suppose
But don't approve of it at all"
| You belong 10 three clubs, Hzrl..rt.p
| "That's altogether different matter.n
"But why is it different 3''
Hem-why2 because-of course any
/ body can see why--it's self-eyident.n
I must be very blind,' said Mrs. Aims
court, demurely,. but I confess can't dis
criminate the essential difference"
Herbert Ainscourt said no more, but h