Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-03-12
LIGHTS AND SHADES.

merry CLEAN q fire-light, and the Chin
ing tick Of a musical clock, and the
half-uttered twitter of the gold-plum-
aged carary, who was composing him
self to sleep in his cage among the ge-
raniums-the very sort of room which
the wearied business man would long to
call home always provided there was
a sunshiny little heart somewhere
about, to set all the household ma
ehinery going harmoniously!
Yet there wasn't an expensive article
there rosewood chairs, cushioned
in satin-no malachite stands, or mo-
sale rugs, or costly agate vases-only a
neat little mahogany tea-table all set
with plain blue ware, as shining as the
most transparent of gold-veined china
could be, and sober-pattern carpet,
which seemed to say, IL know I'm not
velvet make no pretence-but here
I am, and mean to be as serviceable
as possible :" Everything else was just
rs neat and as plain: and if there had
been one solitary grain of dust any,
where within the four walls, it must
have pined away and evaporated out of
sheer loneliness !!
Little Mrs. Wilford fitted busily
around in her snug domains, now
placing her husbands slippers where
they could warm nicely, wondering
parenthetically, why he didn't come !;
now setting tiny bouquet of roses and
geranium leaves in q small vase in the
center of the tea-table-now pulling an
obGque corner of the snowy cloth into
MISUNDERSTANDING, and now lis
tening, with her pretty petite head
against the mantle-shelf, to the merry
song of the shining tea-kettle, as it
bubbled joyously- on the fire, breathing
out dense white vapor-cloud from its
liquid lungs until at length the foot
steps sounded below, the key turned
and clicked in the door-and he came.
But not alone. There was q good
deal of very excusable pride in his man
ner, as he presented his fair wife to an
old school friend whom he had not met
for several years, and who was doing a
prosperous downtown business.
1t had been a casual encounter on
Broadway, such as oftentimes happens.
They had walked along together, con-
versing cordially until at length the
corner was reached where their paths
diverged. But their say was not half
said, and in the warmth of his heart
tea " with him. Mr.. Maynard accepted
the offer. Six o'clock was his own
fashionable dinner hour but he did not
say 50 neither did he mention that his
wife was ut matine, and probably
wouldn't be home.at present. s2s.
And the cordial manner of his friend
made him sigh and think of the old
times, when he had been wont to sit
down to dinner just as the creeping
sunshine reached the noon mark on
the old kitchen floor, and when g sup
pei" wasn't an association Of gas
lights, champagne, sugar-temples, and
spicy game, but quiet meal, taken
just when sunset reddened the crest of
the tall poplar trees on the hill All,
the good old times
It was long since he was in such q
tiny, unpretending room as that where
he now sat, accepting the cup of fra
grant tea from Amy Wilford's 8 dexterous
little hand. Yet everything was so
bright, SO neat, so exquisitely tasteful
the fire glowed SO red, and the
rosebuds in the vases gave such q re-
fined grace to the little blue tea-service,
and the common painted waiter, that
he felt at once that he was in the at
mosphere of home
He never missed the silver urn. OF
the gold banded china of his own state
ly table never noticed that his feet did
not rest among the velvet crimson
shades of his own Wilton carpet mol
perceived the wide difference between
Amy's linen collar and shilling delaine
and the Honitons and brocade that hit
fashionable helpmate wore; but he
knew there was some charm here which
was lacking at his own hearth-stone.
It was q genuine old fashioned "tea
hot biscuits, amber preserves, deli
cate pink shading of dried beef, anG
cake that would make even dyspepti,
smack his lips. Maynard could mo-
help complimenting the edibles. HI
didn't get any such at his restauran
where he lunched, and his wife's Irisl
i kitchen corps had an altogether diff
ferent idea of things.
! "Ohr said Amy, laughing, &c.
made them myself"
"Did you?" He looked at her hal
amused. II did not know ladies eve
employed themselves nowadays"
"I am capital cook, said Amy
We are obliged to study economy some
what, and SO am my own housemaid.
Then you don't belong to the rose
leaf sort of ladies, who think it horrible
to touch their white fingers to cooking
utensil?'
i "No, indeed !" she said, opening he1
blue eyes in astonishment. at keep.
mo healthy and happy; and rs Charlie.
has to work hard in the store oil day. i