South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-10-20
When Company Comes"

'."S'nS TIC iuNuriant pariOr, amt now
that the work was done, the last parti-
Gle OF dust removed and everything set
back in place., Mrs. Lane looked about
her with the utmost complacency and
there was world of satisfaction ia her
voice rs she said:
There Jenny, that is all right now.
Drop the curtains and then the room
Will be really for company any time"
and she went out, closing the door be-
hind her carefully.
Leit alone, Jenny dropped upon a So
ia opposite n large mirror, and looking
around the room with its graceful ap.
pointments, she sighed heavily, saying
to heraelf, 1T is pleasant here with the
beautiful sunshine streaming in. 1 do
! wish we could sit here part of the time
instead Of always staying in those dingy
back rooms. L believe we should all
feel better; but then mother don't think
So anu she rose weakly t0 Iarken the
room.
An hour later Mr. Lane strobe rapid.
ly up the gravelled walk, with all the
haste which n hungry business man feels
when approaching his home at dinner
time. Turning the knob hurriedly he
wheeled impatiently about and walked
around to the side door, mutteying TO
/ himself:
Il wish Maria wouldn't keep forever
locking that door-as if the hall was too
good for man to walk through in his
own house,
The dining room was dark and after
waiting few minutes, lie proceeded to
the kitchen where rs he expected his
wife and girls were just setting dinner
upon the table.
The room washot, uncomfortable and
swarming with flies, the floor was dirty
and the air filed with the odors OF burn
ed bread and fried meat.
His brow contracted when he sat down
TO the i'll cooked meal that was served
up on soilcd table cloth beside hot
stove and he bit his lips in veSation
that his wife did not think him worthy
of any better treatment than that But
experience had taught him that remon-
STRANGE was foolishness.
Il told you that | was going TO keep
the dining room nice after il was paint
ed and fixed up" she explained.
eff your cousin Eunice felt as if she
must so home. l was willing to have her
go, 50 we could shut up the front part
of the house, and keep the furniture
from fading, and put away the best
dishes. | never should have anything
decent if wasn't so particular with
what I've got, and that is why have TO
be careful of the best things. 1 have
got the dining room fixed to my mind
now sld mean to keep it so as long as
| cGn.; we can just as we'll eat in the
kitchen, when there is no one here but
ourselves"
Mr.. Lane rushed from the house as
soon as he had swallowed his unreiished
dinner leaving his wife to wonder that
he spent so little Of his time Mt home.
ooh, Jenny, what did you put on that
pink dress for?''
Mrs. Lane looked up from her work
in CONSERVATION, when Jenny came
from her room an hour later.
Your calico is plenty good enough
to wear-when there is no body here
aud do you go and take that right off
and hang it away until we have company
Il won't hurt it any mother" the girl
replied kesitatingly. Il am sure we
want to look we'll for ourselves, and (
think father likes to see us fixed ND
little sometimes"
Nonsense, child Do rs tell Won;
and don't you put that on again unless
there is somebody here its setting Fan.
ny bad example, and won't encour.
age such silly notions"
Days and weeks went by, and the
Summer slipped into Autumn. while the
Lanes were still pursuing the even ten
or Of their way. save now and then when
they were jostled aside by the advent
of visitors.
But they always fell baciS on their old
habits as soon as the company had gone
shutting up their pleasant rooips and
putting away the pretticst and best OF
everything 20 save for company.
1t is strange how Mr. Lane could have
been in Il pleasant mood when his coffee
was muddy-it wasn't worth the while
to make anything nice for ones own
/ folks--when thc toast was burned. and
tho breakfast table looked so shabby
with its old cracked dishes. it il strange
how he could have been III q pleasant
mood but he smiled and looked kindly
at his wife one morning. proposing what
she loved to hear best of anything that
she could 90 TO neiehboring village
and spend n week with her dear old
I friend, Mrs. Darling.
/ The girls arr so large they can get
along very well without you for few
days" lie said then I will take them
and come after you, so we will all have
a little recreation.
/ The preparations were speedily made
/ and Mrs. Lane departed having charged
her daughters TO do everything in her
absence just as when she was at home.
to let alone tho sauces md swcctmeats.
and all the dainties which she kept for
/ yisitors-she had looked 70 them. and
knew they wonld be surc and not use
any Of thC company things"
she and hrs. Darling had been very
dear friends in their girlhool. aud, un.
like many others, had kept their mutual
attachment after they were married.
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