The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-03-16

particular are little more than those OF
our neighbors who keep everything for
company, am sure our greater happiness
much more than compensates,' stroklng
little Georges bright head tenderly as he
came up to her with some childish re-
quest.
The subject was dropped here, but in
the few days that Mrs. Lane remained
with her friend, she thought the matter
over great many times.
It was hard for her to realize that she
saw the family just as they always were
in their common, every day life; that
with them there was no such thing as
company manners" or company
things"
~ enjoyed my visit great deal better,
though, than if | had made them turn
aside from their beaten track" she adj
mitted; land believe they do, too"
"Wonder if Mr.. Lane loves me as Mr..
Darling seems to love his wife?" she
would query; cor if our children think
as much of their father and mother as
theirs do?"
"How devoted to each other they all
are; one would think they each regarded
the other members of the family as the
very best of company" and one day she
even went so far as to ask herself, Why
shouldn't they?' --' 49,
Mr.. Lane and the girls came at length
to spend the last day of her visit with her /;
and when Mrs. Lane saw how thoroughly
they seemed to enjoy it, she almost re-
preached herself that such days were so
rare to them.
"Perhaps l might make their home a
little pleasanter for them," she unused.
II am afraid our meager life will seem
| emptier than ever now"
The two friends were sitting in the H.
brary alone that last night, whittier they
had gone for a confidential chat after the
others had retired
Nellie" said Mrs. Lane at length, II
believe l shall try an improvement when
Iget home"
LAS you say, it does seem wrong to
treat company so much better than your
own folks, and / am so charmed with
your more excellent way that l mean 20
try it myself" and tears came to her eyes
we're in store for her good husband.
The Lanes went home on the following
day, and if they turned back reluctantly,
Mrs Lane did not wonder, for she thought
she had herself passed one of the happiest
weeks in her whole life.
She laid her tea table with unusual care
that night, saying to the girls that she
could not quite yet bear so strong con-
trast to what she had been accustomed to
lately. II think we will sit in the parlor
tonight" she remarked when the lamps
were lighted; "we are SO tired, perhaps
it will rest us little.''
When Mr.. Lane came home to dinner
next day, he was surprised to see the front
door standing invitingly open, and his as
tonishment was still greater as he passed
on into the dining room and found a
tempting dinner waiting there with plates
for only four.
~ thought we would begin to eat these
pickles while they are good this year, :"
said Mrs. Lane, as she passed the dish to
her husband, "instead of keeping them
to spoil as we did last"
'This is such pudding as Nellie
makes sometimes" filling Jennie's saucer;
"isn't it nice? And it's not at all expen-
sive"
Il think, girls" she said, when Mr..
Lane had gone out, wondering in his
heart what bad come over his wife, 81
think we won't use those cracked trag-
ments of so many different sets ofcrockery
any more, at least on the table. I believe
the dinner tastes better when eaten from
the white dishes, and there are enough for
ourselves and company too; we can be a
little careful of them you know"
Expecting anybody tonight" que
ried Mr.. Lane at tea, glancing at his
wife's fresh dress and nicely combed hair.
eyes," she replied pleasantly, II
hoped my husband would spend the even
ing with me-"
He did not need any urging; and after
that lie spent more of his evenings at
home, and seemed to enjoy the society of
his wife and daughters better than ever
before.
Il am doing as told you I should"
Mrs. Lane wrote to her friend Mrs. Oar
ling month afterward, land it works
charmingly. Mr.. Lane seems to love his
home as we'll as your husband does his
now, and we are all a thousand fold
happier. l feel as if our friends enjoy
coming to see US great deal better than
they used TO, too. l assure you we shall
never go back to the old way of living,
we are so much happier now than when
we thought we must save everything to
show off when company comes"