The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-06-22


But know what I'll do; I will 90 after
her when the week is out, and bring her
home"
When Frank reached his home that
evening he was surprised to find that
everything was dark. The hall gas was
not lit; neither was the fire whose cheer
full radiance had always made his pleas
ant library doubly pleasant. Stumbling
through the dark room, he finally sue
ceeded in getting match and striking
it, but when he would have applied the
flame to the drop light, why, that was
nowhere to be seen. Hastily lighting o
side burner, he rang the bell for Mary,
but before she could answer his sum-
mons his mother appeared.
Opening the door which connected
the library with the dining-room, she
said
"Oh, Frank, is that you9 Come right
in here and get warm, for it is a cold
night, know"
"But where is MaryP And what does
che mean by neglecting TO light the fire
And Halo who put the drop light
in here9 why, mother, don't you know
that belongs in the ibrary2" And
Frank was about to ring another bell
and call Mary to strict account, when his
mother stopped him.
"I told her not to make fire there,
Frank, for as long as you and are
alone, we might just as well sit in here
and save fuel and light. So made her
bring in the drop light and your easy
chair, and I've been sitting here all day
myself, to save fire up siairs."
"This is all nonsense, mother" ex-
claimed Frank, vehemently. Nellie
and 1 never thought of sitting in this
room, and besides, don't like furnace
heat at all, as you may remember. al
ways have fire in the library when the
weather is cold enough, and couldn't
read my paper anywhere else. So, with
your permission, Twill have these things
restored to their righ5 places, and then
we'll have our dinner
At this moment, before Mrs. Chester
could say anything more, Mary made
her appearance, but shawled and bon
neted, with a large traveling bag in her
hand. Standing near The door, she said,
wrathfully
"If you please. Mr.. Chester, { would
like my wages, for I'm going to leave
tonight. Things are very different
from what they was when our Mrs.
Chester was at home, and as I can't
give satisfaction, I'd better be going.
I'll send for my trunk in the morning,
unless the old lady," with a defiant
glance at Mrs. Chester, "would like to
search it first"
"Nonsense, Mary" said Frank, real
izing in a moment his own present dis
comfort and his wiie's disnay if Mary
were suffered to depart" nonsense;
you are not going at all. Why, what
would your MISTRESS say when she re-
turned9 Now just go up stairs and take
off your hat, and then come down and
wait on the table like good girl" And
dextrously leading her to the door, he
whispered: "Just do the best you can,
Mary, and I'll give you five dollars
extra, an5 the others too. Ny wife will
be home in a week, and then all will be
right again"
Turning back to the dining room, con-
siderably rufied, Frank refused to hear
anything about Mary, extravagance in
general, and his own extravaganza in
particular, and pretended to be deep in
his newspaper until dinner was served.
But even this ordinarily agreeable
meal was to be an annoyance tonight,
for it was made up entirely of the rem
nants of the last nights feast, and Frank
grumbled audibly, much to his mothers
surprise.
"I'm sure [ don't know what has
come over you, Frank" she said, Sc
verely. "Last night you lad ten times
as much on the table as you needed, and
tonight you object to eating those
things, when it's the only way to keep
them from being wasted"
81 know very we'll that have been a
fool, but I am quite cured of my folly
now; and so Nellie will find when she
gets back" said Frank.
A week passed. The servants grum
bled, rebelled, and were only saved from
open mutiny by constant remonstrances
and entreaties on the part of their mas
ter, backed with more substantial argu-
ments occasionally.
Frank said little if anything to his
mother, but like the famous owl, he
kept up an incessant thinking. His
daily letters to Nellie were almost pitt
full in their description of his forlorn
condition, and brought quick loving an
swers from his little wife.
At the end of that week Mrs. Chester
was suddenly summoned home, and
Frank had no sooner seen her safely
embarked on the boat then he hastened
to his Office, arranged for few days of
absence, and took the first train to Glen
wood, where he surprised and delighted
his wife by his unexpected presence.
In the days that followed the reunion
Frank confessed his change of views
with great candor and many self-accusa,
tions. Nellie was too well pleased to be
unforgiving, and the element of discord
was hushed. When the husband and
wife returned to their home, nothing
was said about Mrs. Chester's ways and
methods, and from that time onward
Frank was content to let Nellie expend
such proportion of his ample income as
their social position demanded, without
grumbling at necessary outlays.
Indeed, he was heard to say in after
years, that the man who attempted to
make of his wife a second edition Of
his mother, was only making a very
great mistake.