Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-02-06

we lived on the farm, 1 was as strong
and hearty as any little girl. But what's
the matter, Sam2 You act as if youwere
disappointed about something. Il
wouldn't have tainted, dear, if 1 could
have helped it."
"No; 1 shouldn't suppose there would
be much fun in such work. I am little
disappointed, Kitty. want my wife to
have perfect, absolute, robust health,
and I shall see to it that she has, too.
L never could be happy with a siclly,
peevish, nervous, swooning Whenever
in the world doubt if could get on
with her at all"
"Why, no-of course not, T" said Kitty,
with an affectionate little pull at his
whiskers. "But then if you loved her,
Sam, as dearly as you love me, you
could condone everything, you know
but shall never be one of that kind
/ shall be just as good as 1 can, any
way"
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Lathrop, after
few weeks of pleasant sojourn, re-
turned to the city; and the young wife,
obedient to her husbands wishes, but
entirely contrary to her own, took charge
of her own model establishment. As
may be supposed, for such position
she was entirely untitled. The domestic
part of her education had been utterly
neglected--her mother trusting to the
chance of q rich marriage to insure free
dom from all household care.
Sam Lathrop had money enough, but
he had very old-fashioned notions about
the duties of wife. He was not the
man, however, to allow her to degenerate
into a drudge; but he did believe that
every woman should know enough about
domestic matters to see that an establish
ment was kept in proper order, and in
case Of sudden boiling of servants, to
understand sufficiently about the cuisine
to prepare q respectable meal of victuals.
Extremely old fogyish, of course; but
then Mr.. Lathrop was very honestin this
matter, and therefore, to certain extent,
pardonable.
Kitty surveyed the cosy and elegant
establishment with feelings which she
herself would have been puzzled to an
alyze. She could not fail to see that the
brain contriving and arranging all these
comforts and luxuries was not only cal
culated by nature and education to ap-
preciate the beautiful, but had for it's
foundation fund of practical common
sense rarely met with. So Mrs. Lathrop,
while she could not fail to be charmed
with the taste and resources, financial
and intellectual, of her husband, was
nevertheless unaccountably awed by the
depth of his knowledge on domestic sub
jects.
"How did you come to know 80 much
about household matters, Sam?" inquired
Mrs. Lathrop, after having made with
her husband visit to every room,
closet and pantry in the house.
81 had good mother, Kitty, whose
highest ambition for her son was that he
might make good husband"
For moment, Kitty's bright face was
clouded; then she said, slowly and dis
tinctly:
"Ihave a good mother, too, Sam; but
she never said anything to me about
making good wife. Some way, dear,
it don't seem to me have been properly
educated for such man as you"
"But there's time enough, Kitty. You
are young, and little care and study is
all that is necessary-and considerable
patience. I almost forgot that. Patience
in the learning of trade is the most i'm
portant quality, after ALL"
"Oh, dear it tires me so to think about
it, that l wish we hadn't thought of
housekeeping. 1t would have been a
great deal better for us both if we had
boarded a few years. L don't know
anything about housekeeping, and I
don't think 1 am strong enough to ever
learn. Sam, you never should have mar
ried me-" Then followed burst of
hysterieal tears, which for q few mo-
ments caused the young husband to for
get everything but how he should best
dispel the clouds which he inadvertently
had wooed from an apparently clear sky.
But words were useless. For the first
time, caresses availed nothing. The ia.
tigue of travelling and a reception the
previous evening, together with q glimpse
of the responsibility she was expected tc
assume, was too much for the delicate
Kitty; and Mr.. Lathrop found himselI
in moment more holding the uncon
scious form of his wife. This time the
swoon was SO perfect that no little hant
was raised to stay the process of unlac
ing.
An acute spasm followed the deadly
fainting fit-then another spell of un
consciousness-and by the time Mr.
Lathrop's old family physician arrived
at the scene of action, the lord of th,
manor was about as grieved and per
picked as it was possible for a man t.
be.
"Send for my mother" murmuret
the poor child in her intervals of pain
and 50 it happened that Mrs. Penn drov
up in hot haste at precisely the sam
time the doctor alighted from his gig.
"But, Samuel, this is not the docto
Kitty has been accustomed to-, said th
, mother-in-law, calling the gentlemal
into the hall. "You had better SEN