Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-25
A WOman'S Stratagem.
HOW TO CURE A GRUMBLISG HUsBAN

Mary, your corn-bread is never done
| wonder what is the reason everybody else
has things right and we always have things
wrongr
Why, Joe, [ am sure the corn-bread
has never been in this state before You
see the fire had fit,' this morning, and
couldn't be made to burn
'Oh, yes you are always ready with
an excuse. Now, there is Mrs. Smith !;
her stove never has fits. And she always
has the lightest, sweetest bread, and the
incest cakes and preserves [ ever ate L
wish you'd take pattern by her.
We'll, am sure. Joe. do my best,
and | think / succeed oftener than | fail.
L wish l could suit you always; but that
l suppose can scarcely be expected and
Mary gave a weary sigh.
Mary Starr had been married about
year, during which time she had found
housekeeping rather uphill work. She
was neat little body. and conscientiously
did her very best to please her husband !;
but he, whatever might be the reason, was
very hard to please-in fact, seemed de-
termined not to be pleased with anything
she did. Perhaps, like the old soldier in
one of Dickens stories, he had vital and
constant sense that discipline must be
maintained At any rate, he never al
lowed Mary to be pleased with herself on
any occasion if he could help it.
Mary was an amiable wife, fortunately,
and not easily irritated, though, to tell the
truth, there were times when her forbear-
ance was severely tried. For instance,
whenever she and Joe took tea out, or,
fa :. - marty or even to eharah.-h<
sE1som allowed the Opportunity to pa9S
.unimproved to animadvert on some defia
cheney in cookery. or manners, or dress, on
the part Of his wife and that pro bono.
plt6zico. For instance, it would be:
Mrs. Jones, what beautiful sponge-cake
you make Mary -takeRotice how light it
Is. Iwonder why you can never have it
so puffy Or, Mrs Brown, you GER
tainly are an adept at entertaining compa-
ny. | wish, Mary, that you would try to
Fsteal..Mrs. Browns art Or, Mrs. Green
your dress is always most becoming. Your
taste is exquisite. L don't see why it is,
Mary, that with all spend for you, you
never can reach the jesEe sais q1eoi of Mrs.
Green
On these occasions Mary would blush
and bite her lip. and be inwardly annoyed.
but she was a woman of too much pride to
make display of her chagrin and she
was really too good -natured and Christian
person to let it change her feelings to-
ward Joe, whom she knew to be, after all,
very fond of her, and a very just man at
heart After a while, too, seeing that the
fault was probably durable, she bethought
herself how she should proceed to break
him of this disagreeable habit.
Fortune favored her. One day, lady
one of her most valued friends and best
neighbors called to invite Joe and Mary to
tea party at her house.
1t will be small affair said she, but
very pleasant, l think. You only are
wanted to make the circle of harmony com
plete.'
WELL said Mary, l will come, Mrs
Vane, on one condition.
Condition Is it come to this, that you
must make conditions? Well, my dear
make your demand
The condition is that you will allow me
to furnish all the refreshments
Well that is an odd idea Mary, ny
dear, L hope you don't mean to insinuat'
that am growing poor p
No, dear Hattie, thank fortune she ha
showered her favors on you quite literally
But have notion for this which, if yol
please, would prefer not to divulge
only let me have my way this time, jus
for the oddity of the thing
IF anybody but you had made such {
request of me, | certainly should hav,
taken offense. But never could be angr,
with you. So if it will be any satisfaction
to you-though for the life of me L can
see what your drift isl will comply wit
your conditions. When may expect you
; supplies? :?
, Let me see; tomorrow is my bakin
: day, and your tea-party is not to be befor
Thursday. Well, on Wednesday afternoo
you shall be supplied with bread. biscuit
cake and all the other accessories; an
:, mind the only thing L allow you to furnis
| is butter, which 1 do no make
Very well, it is all settled, then, and
+ will leave you. On the whole this a.
: rangement suits me it relieves me Of a
the responsibility, for your cookery is we
n known to be particularly nice. So goo'
| by till Thursday
q Mind you say nothing about this, Ha
tie, to any one it is secret of mine
Very well. as you say, Ill keep mum
Good-by again, for you will have yo'
i hands full, and must not interrupt yot
i So off went Mrs. Vane, inwardly wo
If dering what crotchet demure little Ma
y had got into her steady little head.
r. Everything came off on that baking d;
n PRECISELY as Mary could have wished
# Her bread was light and sweet, and whi
ir as snowflake, with just golden-broV
= Eline. of crust surrounding it; her cak
I. were ,psrfection her crullers crisp Al