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

was to her mind very damaging fact,
which she commented upon very freely.
1t seems to me, Frank, that your
wife must be a very careless house
keeper, to start off in such hurry, and
never even wait to see if was coming.
Why, suppose l had not arrived this
afternoon, there would have been abso-
lutely no head to the house."
"But Nellie was anxious to get to her
mother as soon as possible, you know"
said Frank, not altogether pleased.
"Of course, that's all very proper,
but still q married woman has much to
consider, and her first and paramount
duty is always to her husband and her
home. And true wife will be careful
to avoid unnecessary expenses"
Her son WINGED little at this appli-
cation o. the very maxim which he had
so often quoted to poor Nellie as his
mothers guiding principle, but he made
no reply. She went on:
" l suppose it is about your dinner
hour, isn't it, Frank The fact is, am
rather hungry, for I wouldn't spend a
dollar for dinner on the boat, and had
only a sandwich and an apple in my
travelling bag, but 1 shall enjoy your
dinner all the more"
"That reminds me, mother" said
Frank, as he helped her out of the car
riage at his own door, "that we are to
have dinner party tonight, six of our
most intimate friends, whom Nellie in
vited to celebrate the day."
"But things won't be ready, now she
has gone so suddenly"
"Oh, our servants will attend to all
that" said Frank; but his mother inter
rupted him with gesture of dismay.
"Just as l expected" !" she exclaimed;
"iust as I expected My poor boy,
you are living at ruinous wasteful rate,
and I must try my best to reform your
wife's domestic management and show
you how to get along. Why, Frank,
you must remember how differently 1
managed my household when you were
boy at home, and how 1 looked after
everything myself. Do you happen to
know if Nellie goes into her kitchen
Immediately after breakfast every day,
us careful housewife should?'
"Why, the fact is" said Frank, fairly
stammering as he explained, "that 1
have had fancy-that Nellie-in short,
she has been in the habit of taking q
walk every morning, and she has gener-
ally walked down with me part of the
way-her health, you know y And here
he broke down entirely, for his mother s
eyes were fixed full upon him with a
look of such astonishment and disap-
proval that he fairly wilted.
81 suppose she spends the afternoon
in domestic duties"
In the afternoon she generally goes
out to pay visits or attend receptions OF
matinees, or things of that sort. You
know, mother, Nellie has large circle
of friends, and her social duties must
not be neglected"
"And when does she ever find time
for making your shirts or her own dress
es, or even for making cake and pies and
preservesl" was the next question.
Frank almost laughed as he replied
"The fact is, mother, things are man
aged very differently in the city, and as
we have three servants, Nellie does not
find it necessary to spend her time in
sewing or cooking. Besides, want her
to keep up her music, and she practices
several hours each day"
"You don't mean to tell me that you,
two in family, keep three girls to wait
upon you2 Oh, Frank Frank how
you have changed I only wish 1 had
come here when you begun housekeep,
ing, and might have taught your wife
economy; but now am afraid it is toe
late"
In due time the guests arrived. Many
were the regrets over Nellie's absence,
which, in truth, cast an undeniable cloud
over the entertainment, and much gym.
pathy was expressed by all ; but the din
ner was an entire success in gastrono.
mic point of view, and the host was
we'll pleased with the concentrations il
called forth. Still he could not help see.
ing that his mother was disappearing,
and as one course succeeded another,
her dismay and astonishment became
more evident.
AS soon as possible he managed an
adjournment to the par,or, where his
mother. despite his entreating look, de-
clined to follow, and after some pleasant
chat his friends departed.
AS the door closed on the last one,
Frank, hearing loud voices in the din
ing-room, returned thither to find his
mother and Mary engaged in angry dis,
cussion as to the proper method of dis
posing of the relics of the feast. Much
as Frank was annoyed by the instant
appeal which both parties made to him
as he entered the room, he was yet toe
dutiful son to hesitate.
"While your mistress is absent,
Merry" he said to the excited waitress,
4" 1 shall expect you to obey my mother
but, of course, Mrs. Chester will return
in day or two, and then she will take
everything into her own hands again.
Until then my mother is the head of the
house."
Crank, 1 never dreamed of such
wastefulness as I've seen tonight. Why,
there was enough left of that dinner tc
feed you all for a week to come, and that
girl was determined to put it all down
stairs, where, 1 dare say, it would all
have been given away by tomorrow
night. But L was determined to stop
that, so I made her bring the things all
here to me, and I've got them under
lock and key. With proper economy -
But Frank, sick of the very word, had
taken his departure, and so the lecture
ended, Mrs. Chester going to her room
to plan reforms, Frank indulging in q
cigar, while he wondered how Nellie was
getting on, and wished most earnestly
that she was at home again