Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-17
THE FIRST YEAR OF HOUSE
rl- KEEPING. s-trs .r-. s-.s q
BY MRS. n. G. eAKD1sER.

BY MRS. II. G. GARDINER.
1t is no fiction that sit down to my
desk to chronicle this evening. As /
look back through the long vista of years
and review. the early days of my mar
ried life, its 'perpIexiries and cares come
up before me in far more vivid colors
than its joys; though the retrospect of
ten provokes laugh where the real ex-
perience caused bitter tears.
vss justtwenty years old when be-
came the wife of clergyman, poor
country pastor. 1t was love match,
and, with the usual ihniftIessbess Of low
ers, / think it did not then occur to US
that we could not live upon love, or that
il would need such vulgar appliances as
roast beef and palatable buildings to
preserve, in IFS purity. the divine essence
of the grand passion II5 - o-L
Everybody said that I was. natural
". exceedingly joyous and mirthful and
without . particle. Of the staid dignity
expected from persons in my position;
while my husband was grave, thought
full man, endowed by nature with COM
mandiDg personal appearance and pre-
possessing manners. do not wonder now
that people could not see the propriety Of
his choosing me for his wife. when so
many pattern women stood ready to &C.
cept him. My own family had but one
objection 10 the match; he was poor and
1 had no idea of practical housekeeping.
ALL how well l remember the first
washing day! My husband, after vainly
trying to persuade me to employ wash
erwoman-I knew he could not afford
it-came into the back kitchen to help
me himself. We were very merry at
first, but after rubbing off little patches
Of skin from every knuckle, and burning
our arms till they looked like illustrated
maps of some unknown country, we be-
gan to find out that there was little poe
try, and no fun, in the washtub.
But the ironing day was worse yet
Nothing but pride kept me from rolling
those starched shirts into a bundle and
taking them across the fields to my moth
er's kitchen. j forgot to mention that
we had taken up our abode in a parish
but one mile distant from my fathers
house.
l had never ironed any starche2 clothes
Of any description; but from NY broth
ers at home had imbibed very exalted
ideas in regard to the importance Of i'm
maculate shirt bosoms. My husband
told me all be could remember of his
mothers method, and betook himself to
his study. Shall 1 ever forget my feel
ings when the fat-iron, heated seven
times hotter than its wont, and carefully
applied to the glutinous surface suddenly
struck up az attachment for the same,
and, when forcibly separated left. its
whole image and superscription behiad
in black and brown colorsi I have that
shirt now. keepit to show to those
wise mothers who are training their
daughters for future usefulness. =
Bat Il was in cooking that found my
chieftrouble. All my attempts in that
line, at the time commenced housskeep-
ing, had resulted in spelling several kinds
Of rich cake concocted in accordance
with those impossible receipts which fill
our modern cookery books. / had new.
er made a loaf OF bread in my life. Ba.
kers' bread served US for time-for SO
long a time, indeed, that we found out
all its good qualities, and have not tes-
ted its excellencies for many years.
We had been married and settled aear-
" fortnight, when, one morning, my
husband came in with letter ia bis
hand and very anxious expression on
his face. | sprang up from my seat,
nearly upsetting the breakfast table,
which was waiting for him.
What is the matter, Frank, Is any
body sick-Or deadi Have you got bad
news = o19 .tse1s- ece-a e- ssls7 fs7.r -,..f a
No. At least ii ought not to be bad
ueWs.'
well. what & ats Something ssriou.
Il know from your looks
No, Hattie; nothing of the kind
Only l feared it might annoy you. II
is only note from my college chum
Fred Knowles, saying that, he 0is~goinp
to Boston, and will cab on us, and1and
get his dinner to-day said my hus
band reluctantly. sea
1t was my first call to entertain com
pany. and knowing, by this time, my ig.
nOrancs, Il shrahk back affnghted from
the prospect. l confess, too, feeling
Of dsep modification that my husband
could not receivs bis most intimate friends
without 90 serious drawback upon his
pleasure. All my natural energy and
pride was aroused, aud I determined 10
become a good practical housekeeper al
whatever cost of time and labor. But
the present emergency WAS first to be at
tended to. ,ssssz.5 81 2.es
i suppose l had better get SONS
fresh loav es from the bskeryr Frank