Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-07-12
AN OCCASIONAL FRIEND.

Mr.. and Mrs. Oliver G. Burton, as
their wedding cards had announced the
young couple year before, were seated
at the breakfast table, with an undeni-
able expression of discomfort upon both
faces. Oliver himself, a fine looking
man of about twenty-four, looked out of
temper. Amy, his pretty blonde wife,
looked harassed and unhappy, but not
cross. .e... ...
"I wish could please you, Oily" "
she said, with a piteous droop in the
corners of her mouth. 81 do try, and
if you would only give me an hour of
warning, perhaps g
can hour of warming" broke, in Oil
yer, in petulant tone; "that's just
like woman. How can tell when l
am going to meet friend should like
to invite to dinner? Yesterday, for in
stance, I met Ned Hayward quite unex-
pectedly in the car, and he's only in
town few days. Of course I asked
him, to dinner, and found pork and
BEANS"
Dut JOu pOth anu
"But you should always provide
something else Ned detests them"
"But if Mr.. Hayward had not come,
the something else would have been
wasted, as we all like pork and beans. "
"Icannot understand why it is 1 al
ways find some mortifying deficiency
wheneyerI bring any one here to dine.
Last week John Hill found nothing but
mutton chops and potatoes.
"It was washing day. You see Oily,
we really cannot afford to have com
pany dinner every day, and"
"There, there always the cid story.
We seem to afford other things very
well. I don't mind the cost I never
stint you in housekeeping funds"
:" No.. Oily; and if you really do not
mind the cost, I might"
Manage it any way you like, but do
let me find decent meal when bring
home an occasional friend. There kiss,
and be friends"
Amy was willing enough to put up
her,pretty lips for kiss, but after her
lord and master had left the house, she
carried perplexed face for along time.
She did want her husbands home to be
the most perfect spot on earth in his
own eyes, and faithfully tried to make
it so. But the little wife had been
brought up in family where a limited
income ruled all expenditure, and she
knew well that her husbands salary re-
quired careful management to keep
them out of debt. Debt was her horror,
while Oliver thought but little of bill
here and there, having, as yet had none
large enough, to be an annoyance.
Amy had proved herself treasure in
housekeeping neat, orderly, and eco.
nomical-and her husband was Justly
proud of his wife and his home. But
his reckless hospitality was q sorethorn
in Amy's side. She was glad to see his
gentlemen friends, when she knew they
were coming to visit her, and took an in.
nocent pride in spreading before them
her choicest cooking and daintiest dish.
es. But she seldom knew they wera
coming till Oliver put his head ia hen
chamber door, or the kitchen, to tell hel
Tom, Dick or Harry had come home
with him to dinner, and they were in a
hurry. And it,did seem to poor Amy as
if an evil fate possessed Oliver to select
the very worst days for such visitations
The meal that on busy day Oliver
would have eaten. with q keen relish
looked poorSwhen he saw his fastidious
friend who boarded at the - hote.
partaking of it. And yet, as Amy said
his salary did not warrant company
dinner for every day.
Then there were washing days, wher
something must be cooked that could
be quickly served; ironing days, when
if they were alone, Oliver declared porl
and beans dinner fit for king there
were days when yesterdays big joint o.
meat must be eaten cold, warmed up
or wasted days when the range would
not bake we'll, and the dinner in pros
pect had to beabandoned, and hurried
meal prepared on the top of the fire; il
short, days that all housekeepers know
by experience are the very last ones
when they want to see strange faces a
their tables. Yet, if Amy was all ready
on six days, and all in confusion on thu
seventh, it was surely on that very sew
enth day that Oliver had friend unex
pectedly to dinner. W
1t was of no use to tell him in thu
morning the sight of an old comrade'
face drove the warning completely ou
of his mind.
SO, on the morning whereof hav,
already written, Amy went about he
daily duties with a heavy heart and
troubled face. But the postman lef
her a letter, after reading which sh'
suddenly cleared up wonderfully, ant
seemed immensely relieved.
"I'll try it" she said. perhaps Oil