South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-10-06

box, but give out enough coffee to ensure
him something to drink for his breakfast
Now, l had no wish that my husband
should drink bad coffee just because Provi-
cence had seen fit to remove his mother
from this sublunary sphere: / merely
Hante1 to cure him of telling me how
mother did it; so as soon as he thus tacitly
acknowledged that his suggestion hal not
been a success, l took matters into my own
hands, and p ,oved to him that coffee could
be made as well by young wives as by old
mothers.
In the due revolution of the seasons
King Cotton donned his royal robes of
cotton once more, and sacks again became
the one thing needful. 1t was the very
rainiest, wettest, muddiest picking season
that had ev,r been seen. In pursuance of
my plan, l had seven or eight women
down from the quarters, and q spinning
wheel also, which was set to hummlng
right under our bedroom window.
The rainy weather had kept Charlie
in the house, and he was lounging on
couch in my room, enjoying a pleas
ant semi-dose, when the monotonous
whirr-r-r of the spinning-wheel first at
tracted his attention. "Lulie," he asked,
rising into sitting posture, "what is that
internal noise in the back gallery?"
"The spinning-wheel, Charley. They
are spinning thread to make the sacks
with" l answered, without looking up
from my work.
"Ohp and Charlie subsided for while
"Aheml Lulie, my dear, how long is that
deviish spinning to be kept up?"
"Devilishl Why, Charlie, that's the
way mother did it."
@Well," said Charlie, scratching his
head and looking foolish, al know she did,
Lulie. but I'll be confounded if can
stand it much longer"
"Why, Charlie, you used to stand it
when mother did it." 1 answered mali
ciously.
at was hardly ever about the house in
those days, Lulie; suppose that vas why
l didn't mind it."
"Why weren't you about the house
much in those days, Charlies"
because you weren't in it, you witch,
1 suppose"
This was such a decided triumph over
the old lady of the portrait that could af-
ford to be amiable; so, giving him spas
motto little hug and an energetic little
kiss, went out and stopped the spinning
nuisance immediately.
After that the hobby went slower and
slower, and feebler and feebler. One more
energetic display of my bogus spirit and
"the enemy was mine"
Winter came on in its duly-appointed
time, bringing with it the usual quantity
of wild ducks and more than the usual de-
gree of severe cold. Charlie was an in
veterate duck-shooter, and with the return
of the season came the return of mud and
dirt in my bowls. -
determined to do as mother did. A tin
basin made its appearance on the back
gallery, four yards of crash sewed together
at the end were to resolve over the roller,
and by way of forcing the experiment to
successful issue, orders were given that my
own pitchers should be filled only after
nightfall.
l was sitting in my bedroom sewing
away, in placid unconsciousness of outside
cold and discomfort, when Charlie got
home from his first hunt of the season.
"No water, Lulie?" and the monster
took hold of my nice pitcher with a pair
of muddy halffrozen hands.
"On the egaIlery, dear, just where mother |
used to keep it" and smiled up at him
With a muttered something or other, !
poor Charlie bounded out to the back gal |
lery. He came back in minute, his |
hands as muddy aud cold as ever.
Look here, Lulie; the waters all |
frozen in that confounded tin basin out |
there"
"rn have it thawed out for you," said |
5weetly, rising as spoke.
" say, wifey"-and the great handsome |
fellow came close up to me with his mud |
md his burs-"do you think lis exactly |
fair, when a fellows been out all the |
morning shooting ducks for your dinner,
10 make him stand out on the gallery such |
4 day as this and scrub the mud off his
frozen hends?"
81" That's the wsy mother did," was all |
my answer.
Look here, Lulie, cry quits. If you'll |
only let a body off this once, you may |
( ep house on your own plan, little lady, |
and Ill never tell you how mother did il
50 long as live"
"Well, then, don't, that's DEAR" 1 re-
Piled, for you'll only make me dislike
her memory, without doing any good.
Just be patient with me, Charlie, and |
maybe alter awhile I'll be as good house
keeper as your mother was before me.
The mistake you and all other men make
s, in comparing your wives at the end of
heir first year of housekeeping with your
whose housekeeping you knew
nothing about until it was of ever so many
vears' duration. Pm young yet, but Pm
in that matter every day,
Charlie"
With which little moral lecture 1 gave
charlie kiss, and some water to wash
ne mud from his poor red hands.
AordL-My dear girls, don't you ever
nsrry a man that cannot take his affidavit
lie never had a mother, unless it is ex-
,ressly stipulated in the marriage contract
hat he is never TO tell you how his mother
lid -LiDpiacOtps MdQdzine.