The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-10-31
Curing a Grumbling Husband.
ssMARY, your cOrn-bread is never

reaSOn every DOuy clSe mas JnlupS TlSutj
and we always have things wrong"
Why, Joe, Tm sure the corn-bread
has never been in this state before. You
see the fire had fit and couldn't be made
to burn this morning"
"Oh, yes you always have an excuse.
Now there is Mrs. Smith-her stove new
er has fits and she always has the light
est, sweetest bread, and the incest cakes
and preserves ever ate | wish you'd
take pattern by her" .eiUa
"Well, Tn sure, Joe, | do my BEST
and l succeed oftener than | fail. wish
l could suit you always: but that, sup
pose can scarcely be expected" and Mary
gave weary sigh.
Mary Starr had been married about a
year, during which time she had found
house. keeping rather up hill work. She
was neat little body, and conscientious
ly did her best to please her husband !;
but he, whatever might be the reason,
was very hard to please in fact seemed
determined not to be pleased with any
thing she did Perhaps, like the old SOL
dier in one of Dickens stories, he had a
vital and constant sense that discipline
mus. be maintained. At any rate he
never allowed Mary to be pleased with
herself on any occasion, if he could help
it. Mary was an amiable wife, fortunate
ly, and not easily irritated ; though, to
tell the truth, there were times when her
forbearance was severely tried. For in
stance, when she and Joe took tea out,
or went to party, or even to church, he
seldom allowed the opportunity to pass
unembraced to animadvert on some de-
fciency in cookery, or manners or dress,
on the part of his wife. For instance, it
would be.
"Mrs. Jones, what beautiful sponge
cake you make. Mary, take notice how
light this cake is. L wonder why you
can never have it so puffy" Or, Mrs.
Brown, you certainly are an adept at en-
tertaining company. I wish, Mary, that
you would try to steal 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
elegance Of Mrs. Green" f''
On these occasions Mary would blush
and bite her lip and be inwardly annoyed,
but she was a woman Of too much pride
and good sense to make display Of her
chagrin, and really she was too good ma
tured and Christian person to let it
change her feeling toward Joe, whom she
knew to be, after all, very fond of her,
and very kind man at heart. After a
while, too, seeing that the fault was prob
ably durable, she bethought herself how
she should proceed in order to break him
of his disagreeable habit. Fortune favor.
ed her, One day d lady, one of her most
valued friends aud best neighbors, called
to invite Joe and Mary to a tea party at
her house, ifs5' 155 5 !, jN
"It will be small affair" said she
but very pleasant | think, You are want
ed to make the circle complete" Well,
said Mary, !" 1 will come, Mrs. Vane, on
one condition"
" Has it come to this, that you must
make conditions? Well, my dear, make
your demand" "l5af .WiHaa li
:" The, condition is,"' said Mary, that
youwill allow ME to furnish all the re-
| freshments." ."1gN ng1 .71t7" it
swell, that is an odd idea, Mary. Ny
dear, you don't mean to insinuate that
am getting poor" = W0HG n6m9W
4" No, Hattie. Thank fortune, she hal
showered her favors on you quite liberal
ly; but I have motive for this which, i
you please, | will not divulge. Only le
me have my way this once, just for th,
oddity of the thingHtiJa aUra
g If any body but you, Mary, had mad,
such a request of me, should have takel
offence; but never could be angry will
you. So,i il be any satisfaction to you
though for the life of me | cannot imag
inc what your drift is l will comply will
your conditions, When may expect m.
supplies ?" nA
'Let me see. Tomorrow is my bakinl
day, and your tea party is not befor
Thursday. Well, on Wednesday after
noon you shall be supplied with bread
biscuit, cake and all the other accessories
and, mind, the only thing | allow you 7
furnish is butter, which / DO not make.
t'Very well, it's all settled, then;
will leave you On the whole this al
rangement suits me, for your cookery
we'll known to be particularly nice. s
good-by, till Thursday ads
"Mind you say nothing about thil
Hattie, to any. one, II is a secret {
mine" -e-3A~V FN1iNl
"Yely well, as you say-l'll kee
,,,,n Hood hx, os,ai, 10, ,to,, Mill H. =,