Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-11-23
NELLIFs EXPERIMENTS
or, Helping Her Husband.

or, Helping Her Husband.
just about twenty-seven years ago
Eleanor Wright stood at the opon win
dow of a large boarding. house on Clark
street, Chicago. OF course the Clark
street of that date was but the embryo of
the present splendid thoroughfare, but to
her it was an amazing sight. With little
hands clasped before her, and great won
dering eyes, she stood trying to under
stand the endless hurry.skurry of gallop-
ing drays and wagons, the busy, hurry
ing men and women, the calls, and
shouts, and ordinations; the fevered,
restless life that seemed driven by some
tmplacable fate, forever crying "On!
onl onn
Then she set this picture against one
of a peaceful rectory, covered with ivy,
and hid in dim old garden ways; locked
in from the world by its wall of mount.
aims, and ignorant of all sounds but the
call of birds and cattle, the whistling of
the husbandman in the fields, or the song
of the boatmen on the lake. From one
to the other there had been only whirl-
ing journey, in which the restless sea and
the rushing train had found u terminus
at last in the vortex of Chicago.
Still she was sensible of the charm and
power of this eager life. She felt as per-
fectly healthy persons feel when they
wake up in the morning to remem-
hrance that very busy day is before
them. If she only knew what she could
door might dol 1t had never seemed
wrong to spend long summer days float
ing dreamily down Rydal Water; but to
stand with folded hands amid these
eager, intense workers was impossible.
She turned her eyes inward-the pict-
ure was the same-with difference.
The great, common parlor in which she
stood was full of women, all busy, and
going to be buster. This one intended
to run dairy farm; that one was going
to Iowa with stock of goods to make
dresses and bOnnets; another was going
as telegraph operator to far western
station where her husband had been ap.
pointed agent, and a very bright, hopeful
couple were going to open school to.
gether in Wisconsin.
In the midst of her reverie thin, nerv-
Gus, worried looking little woman opened
the door, took rapid survey of all in the
parlor and disappeared
"Mrs. Myra Smith is a very smart
woman" said one of the company, SEN
tentiously.
Yes; she runs house like this very
we'll"
&C. Is she a wfdowY" asked Eleanor.
"No, indeedl Lyman Smith is in the
lumber trade; has very good position;
but Myra isn't the woman to sit idle. Ly-
man is bound to get rich with such a
helper"
Eleanor thought great deal on these
things. Her husband had come here
specially to make money. They both
had dreams only to be realized with
riches, and though it was against all her
instincts and education, the restless fever
of buying, selling and getting gain speed
lily mastered her.
George" she said, one night soon
after, 81 have been chatting to Mrs.
Smith, and many ladies-thay all advise
me to open first-class school here"
Nonsense, Eleanor"
Not at all. l shall make great deal
of money"
"You can use it we'll, and save it,
which will be more to the purpose IN the
end. have just bought share in Rich
mond's grain business; we must 60 to
housekeeping at once, and you will have
enough to do to mind the house, and the
two children. We ought only to keep
one servant"
What is the use of good education
here if you cannot turn it into gold? Let
me try, George. can help you. am
sure can"
The argument thus opened continued
for another week. George was full of
English prejudices. He half doubted
whether he could respect his own wife
if she became his rival in money making.
He had doubts about his own domestic
comfort, about his children's walfare,
about the responsibility of the thing,
about the detriment to Eleanor's beauty
and womanliness, about score of points,
But Eleanor was possessed rather than
persuaded by her idea. She coaxed, and
reasoned, and teased, and finally won
her way. Instead of the little cottage
which they had intended taking, they
rented great three-story brick house on
the North Side, furnished it handsomely
and issued circulars of the New Ladies'
School.
Apparently the ladies Of Mrs. Myra
Smiths hotel had been well posted as to
the probable success of such an enter
prise. Eleanor had all the scholars she
could manage to begin with; and the
project TO all appearance an assured sue
cess. But there are many elements to
success which the world does not esti.
mate, and the end of the first year re.
yealed condition very much like this:
She had made in actual cash, So, 900.
Out Of this was TO be deducted the extra
rent, the servant hire, fire, etc, the cost
OF school-furnilure, the waste of provis-
ions and clothing by servants, etc. Put
ting 1t down in figures George made one
side just about balance the other.
cleaners eyes filed. George she
ssid YOU can make white look black,
II you mag only use figures TO do 1t with
~ Is 700 Dad " make it appear that |
have had my labor is- my pains. | have
. made $4,000 this year, 6r: there are NV
figures"
g But. Nellie, dear, il you have spent
81, 900 in unnecessary rent, servants, fur
niture ana waste where is the gainY Per-
haps il is worth naming, also, that the
children have missed you, and that have
missed you, and that you are not so fresh
and pretty as you were.s
''The school has made 81, 900, George"
said Eleanor, going back, woman-fashion,
70 the point she thought invulnerable.
i.s' But il has swallowed up my hand
some serene wife; II has given Alice and
Lucy an Irish maid, instead of "a tender,
graceful, intelligent mamma; it has
surrendered my table and roast beef 10
Bridget; II has stolen the bright nymph
who used 10 sing 10 mo and read 10 me,
and keen my hnme fnll Of rnsi and .un