Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-11-17
now A GRUMBLER WAS CURED.

over the f00d Whieh she has prepared,
often with direct reference to his express
predictions Oftentimes women have
been heard to declare that the first few
years of housekeeping were made wretch
cd by this.
have known man to leave Ultimate
boarding house, where soiled table cloths
were the rule, and sloppy tea, turbid coffee
and the inevitable hash" were not the ex-
eeption, and sitting opposite his young
wife at their own table, mercilessly stab
her with unjust remarks upon the we'll
cooked meal before him, just as II he were
not voracionsiy devoUring better food than
he had ever been accustomed to.
The following story contains its own
moral:
Mary. your corn bread is never done
I 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' 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 highest, sweetest bread, and the incest
you'd take pattern by her"
"Wcll, Tn sure, Joe, do my best. and
l think | succeed oftener than / fail.
wish could suit you always; but that, |
suppose, can hardly be expected" and
Mary gave weary sigh.
MARY Starr had been married about a
yoAr, 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 plcase-in fact, seemed deter
mined not to be pleased with anything she
did. Perhaps like the old soldier, in one
of Dickens stories, he had vital and con-
slant sense that discipline must be main
famed" At any rate, he never allowed
Mary TO be pleased with herself on any
occasion if he could helpit.
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
went To party, or even to church, he sell
dom allowed an opportunity to pass unem-
braced to Animadvert on some deficiency
in cookery, or manner, or dress, ON the
part of his wife; and that pro bono pudlsco.
For instance, it would be:
"Mrs. Jones, what beautiful sponge
cake you make! Mary, take notice how
light this cake is. I wonder why you can
never have it so puffy Or. Mrs.
Brown, you are certainly an adept at enter
tanning company. wish, Mary, that you
would try to steal Mrs. Browns art" Or,
Mrs. Green, your dress is always most
becoming. Your taste is exquisite. |
don't see why it is, Mary, that, with all the
money | spend Tor you, you never can
reach the piquant style of Mrs. Green"
On these occasions Mary would blush
and bite her lip, and be inwardly annoyed,
but she WAS woman of too much pride
and good sense to make a display of her
chagrn; and she was really too good ma
tured and Christian a person TO let 1t
change her feelings toward Joe, whom she
knew to be, after all, very fond OF her,
and very just man at heart. After
while, too, seeing that the fault was prob
ably curable, she bethought herself how
abe should proceed in order to break him
of his 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.
at will be a small affair" said she, but
very pleasant | think. You only arc
wanted to make the scale of harmony com
plete"
Well" said Mary, 81 will come, Mrs
Vane. on one condition"
CONDITION! Is it come to this, that you
must make conditions? Well, my dear
make your demand"
"Thc condition is" said Mary, that
you will allow me to furnish all the re-
freshments.'
swell, that is an odd idea. Mary, my
dear, hope you don't mean TO insinuatc
that am getting poor?'
mo, Hattie; thank fortune, she has
showered her favors upon you quite liber-
ally. But have notion for this which, if
YOU please, will not divulge; only let me
have my way this once, just for the oddity
Of the thing"
'If anybody but you, Mary, had made
such request Of nae, certainly should
have taken Offense. But | never could be
angry with YOU SO, If it will be any sat
isfaction to yol--though for the life of me
7 can't imagine what your drift isl will
comply with your conditions. When may
/ expect my supply
eIct me sec; tomorrow ia my baking
day, and your tea party is not to be before
THURSDAY. Well, on Wednesday after
noon you shall be supplied with bread, bis
cult. cake and all the other accessories;
and mind, the only thing.I allow you to
furnish is butter, which do not make"
Every well, it's all settled then, and |
will leave YOU. On the whole, this ar
agcment suits me; it relieves me Of a
great responsibility, for your cookery is
we'll known to be particularly nice. so,
goodbye till Thursday
"Mind you say nothing about this, Hat
lie. to any one it is secret Of mine"
very well. as you say; III keep mum.
Good bye again. for you will have your,
hands df,li. and must not interrupt you
So off Mn. Vane went, inwardly won
dering what CROCHET dcmurc little Mary
had got into her steady little head.
Everything came off on that baking day
precisely As Mary could have wished IT,
Her bread was light and sweet. and white
as snow fake. with just golden brown
line Of crust surrounding it her cakes
were perfection her crullers crisp and de.
licious. Then she knew that her preserved
fruits wero nice, and IL ever there was
sponee cake more like solicited froth she
would like to see 1t. Everything was sent