The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-10-12


full confession which was the best wa,
under the circumstances after the mis-
chief was done. 1t would have bee,
better still to have prevented it, ant
easier.
Il have raw cir! in the kitchen,
she said in her free, playful way. "Sh.
sometimes brings dishes to table ra4
that onght to have been cooked. To
night she has reversed the process an"
burnt one of the principal articles VT
had on our bill of fare for supper, and
you gentlemen will have to make tn.
best Of it. 1t is the biscuits that art
burned, and unfortunately, 1 have not a
mouthful Of bread in the house, and oul
village does not boast baker,"
The guest, very politely, expressed
himself sorry for her annoyance, bu,
said he did not doubt that they would
fare we'll enough and he followed hi.
host to the table.
| Prudence carried of this mishap SC
we'll that she almost made amends fol
it. OF course her guest SUPP osed it was
all accident of the day. but we-thp
| initiated-knew that mishaps were the
| normal state of things.
Now you gentlemen make your sup
per-" Prudence said; 1--WE are going t,
have something better. We viii sip our
tea and keep you company" ..-.
The tea was excellent that night. 1t
may have been due to its cxhilarating
power that all seemed in excellent spir
its that were spontaneous, aud the sup
per passed off we'll after all, in spite OF
the burnt ham and biscuits.
| spent one month with my friends at
this time, and such scenes as have de.
picted were not unfrequent. When
left went to a distant part Of the State,
and did not see them again for more
than three years. Then l received All
them.
went. A baby boy had come in the
time h"d been absent, He was beau
tiful child, and | could see that Pru.
dence felt the deepest tenderness and af
fection for him. She did not neglec,
her motherly duties; her wifely ones
were more neglected than ever--at leas,
her husbands comfort in the matter OF
his meals. III cooking was still the
rule, or if things were we'll cooked, no
pains were taken to suit his taste OF
crafty his preferences. 1t seemed a.
if every meal was sad disappoint
ment.
| noticed great change in STEPHENS
when first met him on the occasion of
this visit. He looked old and worn and
haggard. 1t seemed to me lie had aged
ten years in the last three. He had q
!istiess, disprited air, as if life had lost
. its zest for him. pit,ed him from my
soul. | wondered how she could look
, upon him and not be moved with some
feelings of compassion and tenderness
But sometimes such changes in our
! friends are so gradual that we do no,
notice them when they go on under our
eyes.
For me it was an abrupt transition
from the Stephen I had known-so ge
nial and CHEEKY his face trimming over
with enjoyment of lif.-to this one pre-
maturely old and shrunken, it seemed
to me, in frame and spirit. He did
not spend his evenings at home
with books and talk as had been his
wont during his mothers life, and for
while after his marriage
From this, and some other circum-
stances, feared his habits were becom-
ing incorporate. Remarks | heard in
the neighborhood confirmed my fears !;
but yet l spoke no warning word to him
or to her.
Prudence used to wonder where he
was in the evenings, and sometimes she
would ask him where he had been when
he came in late, and he would make an
evasive answer.
She complained to me one day about
this. Before you caine it was worse"
she said. He used to stay away so
much and leave me alone in the even
ing. It's unkind, / think. l used to
enjoy SO much hearing him read aloud,
and now l can't get so much time as
could before on account of baby .r-Lu
dies Repositnry.
Conclusion next week