The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-02
An Occasional Friend.

young couple year before, were seated
at the breakfast-table with an undenia-
ble expression of discomfort upon both
faces. Oliver himself, a fine-looking
man of about twenty-four, looked out of
temper. Amy, his pretty blonde wife,
looked harassed and unhappy, but not
cross.
az wish 1 could please you, Oily" she
said, with a piteOus droop in the corner
of her mouth. "I do try, and if you
would only give me an hour of warning,
perhaps"
"An hour of warniugn' broke in Oil
yer, in a petuiant tone; "thats just
like a woman. How can tell when 1
am going to meet a friend l should like
to invite to dinner? Yesterday, for In
stance, met Ned Hayward quite unex-
pectedly in the car, and he's only in
town a few days. OF course, 1 asked
him to dinner, and found pork and
beans"
''But you like pork and beans"
'But you should always provide some
thing else. Ned detests them"
"But if Mr.. Hayward had not come,
the something else would have been
wasted, as we all like pork and beans"
'I cannot understand why it is l al
ways find some mortifying deficiency
whenever bring any one here to dine.
Last week John Hall found nothing but
mutton chops and potatoes"
at was washing day. You see, Oily,
we really cannot afford to have a COM
pany dinner every day, and"
''There there always the old story.
We seem to afford other things very
well. I don't mind the cost. 1 never
stint you in housekeeping funds"
mo, Oily; and if you really do not
mind the cost, might"
Manage it any way you like, but do
let me find decent meal when | bring
home an occasional friend. There, kiss
and be friends"
Amy was willing enough to put up
her pretty lips for a kiss; but after her
lord and master had left the house, she
carried a perplexed face for long time.
She did want her husbands home to be
the most perfect spot on earth in his
own eyes, and faithfully tried to make
it so. But the little wife had been
brought up in family where a limited
income ruled all expenditures, and she
knew well that her husbands salary re-
quired careful management to keep
them out of debt. Debt was her horror;
while Oliver thought but little of a bill
here and there, having, as yet, had none
large enough to be an annoyance.
Amy had proved herself a treasure in
e-keeping-neat, orderly, and econ
omical-and her husband was Justly
proud of his wife and his home. But
his reckless hospitality was a sore thorn
in Amy's side. She was glad to see his
gentlemen friends, when she knew they
were coming to visit her, and she took
an innocent pride in spreading before
them her choicest cooking and daintiest
dishes. But she seldom knew they were
coming till Oliver put his head in hel
chamber door, or the kitchen, to tell bel
Tom, Dick, or Harry, had come home
with him to dinner, and they were in &
hurry. And it did seem to poor Amy as
if an evil fate possessed Oliver to select
the very worst days for such visitations
The meal that on a busy day Oliver
would have eaten with a keen relish
looked poor when he saw his fastidiout
friend, who boarded at the - hotel
partaking of it. And yet, as Amy said
his salary did not warrant a company
dinner for every day.
Then there were washing days, wheI
something must be cooked that could b'
quickly served; ironing days, when, i
they were alone, Oliver declared porI
and beans dinner fit for king; there
were days when yesterdays big Joint o
meat must be eaten cold, warmed up, o
wasted; days when the range would no
bake well, and the dinner in prospec
had to be abandoned, and hurried mea
prepared on the top of the fire; in short
days that all house-keepers know by ex
perience are the very last ones wheI
they want to see strange faces at thei
tables. Yet, if Amy was all ready oil
six days, and all in confusion on tn
seventh, it was surely on that very sew
enth day that Oliver had friend uneX
pectedly to dinner.
1t was of no use to tell him in tn
morning; the sight of an old comrade'
face drove the warning completely GU
of his mind.
So, on the morning whereof have al
ready written, Amy went about he
daily duties with a heavy heart and
troubled face. But the postman left he
letter, after reading which she sud
denly cleared up wonderfully, an
seemed immensely relieved.
"Pll try it," she said. "Perhaps Oil
yer will realize then what it COSTS"
But no word of her mysterious resolu
tion passed her lips when her husban
came home, nor did she allude to be
letter. There was no stranger at her ia
ble for three or four DAYS, but she waitel
patiently, knowing Oliver would sool
find friend for her to make her frs
experiment in her new plan. She wa
always very careful about the appoint
ments of her table, trusting nothing L
the servant in that department, so sh
was not afraid of any guest finding dis
order or neglect there; but divers ide
of guest dishes had been a sore troubl
to her.
"Amy," he called, about a week afte
the important conversation recorded
"Will Ferris has come home with noe
Now don't tell me we have nothing Fl
to set before him."
"Can you give me half an hour p
Amy asked, cheerfully.
"Yes-no more. We are going to tn
lodge together"
'I'll be ready"
Oliver beamed with satisfaction, as b.
motioned his guest to seat at the table
a small turkey, Drowned to perfection
wasthe leading dish; various vegetables