The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-12-16

the members of her own family.
Bessie believed that it was feigned, fol
she could not understand how any one
could really dislike such warm hearted
Jolly boys as Tom and Will, or how theJ
could do anything but love such a sweet
little girl as Mamie, or.such dear dar
llngs as mamma and papa However
George had more than once told her that
he did not care to have his house made
a hotel of to accommodate the entire
Gray family and Bessie had sometimes
answered him in vexed tones but oftener
in tears.
Now, without letting her people know
the exact cause, Bessie managed 10 keep
them all away for several weeks.
II wonder why your folks don't come
here any more" said George, one even
ing, yawning, and wishing, as well he
might, that they would run in for few
moments, they were always so breezy,
and seemed so freshly happy each time
to be with Bessie again.
~ presume it is because l have re-
quested them to stay away" Bessie re-
piled, in the most gently modulated
| tones
"The devil you have" George answer
ed, angrily, surmising his wife's motive
in making the request, and feeling his
ever he might say to Bessie privately, he
wished to be considered thoroughly hos
pitable.
George, l am really trying to do eve
rything l can to please you" Bessie was
fortunate enough to say without empha-
sizing the assertion without either smiles
or tears. IF my people are an annoy
ance to you, am going to sacrifice them,
that is all; for our married happiness,
| George, is of great deal more conse-
quence to me than anything else in the
world"
Now, as George was not really at heart
the brute that he appeared to be, and as
in various recent communings which he
had held with himself he could not but
acknowledge that Bessie was every day
winning her way to position in his re-
gard higher than any which he had ever
accorded her as maiden, l am delighted
to record that he was really manly enough
now to tell Bessie that she mustn't take
to heart the foolish things he had said,
and that, of course, he wanted her folks
to come and see her just as often as they
chose; in fact, he liked them all very
much indeed, ands-well, he said great
deal more to the same effect, as men will
when they are once wound up and set
going; the result of which was that Bes-
sic felt confident she should never again
be annoyed by anything that George
mi ght say upon this one subject at least.
1t was, too, rather comforting to notice
how much more careful he was in the use
of words; and occasionally 1t was not
little ludicrous to observe him groping
around for modified expression. Alto
gether Bessie congratulated herself upon
the discovery of a plan which had al
ready proved productive of no small de-
gree of happiness.
Spring, with all its youthful gladsome-
ness, was merged into the more dignifed
and quiet joys of summer, and Bessie's
life had kept pace with the beautiful,
unconscious harmony about her, deepen
ing in gladness as the mellow days went
by.
1t was agreed that Bessie should join
her people for few weeks among the
mountains, but neither she nor George
had fixed upon any definite time for her
departure when a letter came from
Mamie urging her to join them immedi-
ately, as Sue Bradley "a very dear friend
of Bessies) was coming up to the noun
tains at once to spend a week, and mo
more"
George was in an unusually amiable
frame of mind when the letter arrived,
and telling Bessie he supposed she
might as well go now as any time" he
even took the pains to bring her trunk
down from the attic himself, and render
ed what he considered very valuable as
sistance toward packing it.
One week of Bessie's absence had pass
ed away, during which, under the dis
comfts of bachelorhood, George had not
betrayed the most transcendental lovely
disposition; he had "confounded" every
thing in his room, hanged" each article
of his wardrobe, and sent "to the devil
the entire culinary department any
number of times:
IN have her home next Monday, see
if DON'T he grumbled away to himself
as he attempted to fasten buttonless
shirt-sleeve. What are women good for,
if they are to go running away from their
homes every chance they can get p
1t so happened that that very morning
Saturday Bessie had opened her eyes
to the sunlight with the consciousness of
a double Joy awaiting her. Sue, the |
naughty Sue, was at last and positively |
to make her appearance; and deeper yet |
was the gladness of her heart as she re-
membered that George would be sure to
arrive by the evening train. Now that |
they had been separated one whole week.
Bessie could not remember that he had |
ever made an unreasonable demand, or
spoken an unkind word to her during
their married life.
Sue came, for a wonder, just as she had |
said she would, and an hour later George |
made his appearance.
1t was not at all surprising that under
the deluge of kisses and caresses which he
received he should have quite forgotten
to be ungracious; Sunday morning, how
ever, he was reminded of it by rip in |
his glove, and Immediately proceeded to
inform Bessie that she must return on
Monday
The little lady had quite lost sight, in
this new atmosphere, of the plan which |
she had been so persistently endeavoring |
to carry out during the past few weeks |
consequently she ventured n remon-
STRANGE.
"George couldn't be in earnest, she |
knew; Sue had only just come, and what
would she think of her going away so
soon; and, besides, she wouldn't know |
how to explain it to the rest of them.
But it was of no use, George was de- |
termined she should go, and go she must.
And now, fortunately, Bessie remembered |
her plan. She knew perfectly well that
even though George insisted upon her
returning, he depended upon her to rem
der to others a smooth and plausible ex-
cuse for doing so, whereby he would be
saved from any censure in the matter.
Every WELL" she answered, after a mo-
ment's thought, in which she concluded |
to let the responsibility of the act rest
upon her husbands shoulders, II will go
with you, George, tomorrow"
At noon Bessie informed the others,
without either preface or apology, that
4, i oh cd To I,