Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-12-07
THE CHANGED HOME.

Il wonder why it is" said Charlie.
Banks to his beautiful young wife, al
they sat happily together at their te;
table, so tastefully laid, one winter even
ing, that Willis Clark spends his even
ings so constantly at the club-rOoms
Jenny must feel dreadfully about it
And how happy he did seem with hel
only few months ago! Why, it ISM
more than two years since they were
married, is it?'
1t is just two years this month, sale
Mrs. Banks, ''and | do not know as
ever knew happier couple. | think
they love each other yet, and | have
been wondering for some time whether
or not l ought to tell her what l think
the trouble is, and help her to win hel
husband back again. When she was
here the other day she told me that Mr.
Clark had spent but few evenings al
home for six weeks, and she might az
well make up her mind to have the best
time she could without him, for he eyi
IDENTIFY did not intend to do anything to
make her happy"
Friends dropping in changed the con
aversion, and it was not thought OF
again until Mrs. Clark ran IN the next
morning to make neighborly call, and
ask some questions about the making OF
currant jelly She had scarcely seated
herself before she said to Mrs. Banks
who looked so neat and pretty in hel
clean chintz dress:
How can you keep so nice in the
morning, when you are making cake and
busting, and doing all the same little
things all over the house that l do!
You make me really ashamed of myself
in this dark, woolen wrapper, covered
with spots and stains; but it is so dark
l always say you can't find the spots un-
less you look, and I couldn't keep clean
ten minutes with such light dress as
yours"
{" I think you could, easily, if you were
once accustomed to them" said Mrs.
Banks. Il have to make them plain, so
they will do up easily, and short enough
so that | can run about quickly, as | IT,
dy the house, or make cake and dessert
in the kitchen
"And your hair, too, looks as nice as
though you had just arranged it for tea
| don't see how you can spend the time
in the morning to put it up so nicely! /
just whisk mine up any way, and | know
| look like witch, but / can't help it,
and some days it's more than / do to get
dressed and fixed up for supper, But it
is true, as Willis says you ai,cays look
nice. The other night, when he came in,
he said to me, You're the dowdiest-
looking woman have seen to-day, Jen-
ME! and it was all l could do to keep
from crying, but l was so provoked that
| said something ugly to him, and told
him if he treated his wife as handsome
ly as Mr.. Banks treated you, perhaps
she'd have some ambition to keep fixed
up. 1t don't seem much like the dear
old bridal times, when he came home at
night with CHEEKY greeting and loving
words, and thought | was the sweetest
and best little wife in all the world!
But Mrs. Bains, across the way, who
was one of my young lady friends, you
know, and was married about the time |
was, says her husband is just so chang
ed; that he goes to his club-rooms more
than half the time, and seems to have
lost all his love for her, and now if he'll
only give her all the money she wants,
she'll find ways to make herself happy
and have a good time without him.
p" l do pity her." said Mrs. Banks,
from the bottom of my heart. Life
would be blank to me if my husband
had lost his love, or indeed if he did not
love me more and more every month Of
our lives"
" That is what l used to think said
Mrs. Clark, but it seems now as if l
should soon be as Indifferent as Mrs.
Bains, for l don't really see any help
for it."
l do" said Mrs. Banks, and if you
will not be offended l will tell you how
l believe you can remedy it easily, for |
will tell you only what | have learned
from experience"
Indeed, l will not be offended said
Mrs. Clark, "and will gladly do any
thing possible to bring back those happy
times"
" In the morning." said Mrs. Banks,
put on one Of those pretty chintz
wrappers you wore at the sea-shore last
summer; arrange your hair as neatly
as for evening, put little dainty
ribbon on your neck and clean linen
collar, and then after breakfast ask Mr..
Clark if he can como home little earli-
er than usual (talking as though he had
been coming every night, that you are
going to have something extra nice for
supper; and I'm pretty sure that he will
come. Then at tea time have the table
set as pretty as if you expected compa-
ny, | do not mean to have your best
china out, but have your silver and glass
bright and clear, the cloth clean and ev-
erything put on in nice order, not for
getting fresh bouquet from the garden
for the center of the table Then dress
yourself as carefully as you used to
when Mr.. Clark was lover; have your
sitting-room looking pretty and tidy.
and welcome your husband with smiles
and joyful greeting, and l know you
will soon see wonderful change in him
Now, to do all this only requires an ex-
ira half of time, but it will bring
you good many half-hours Of joy
You have got into the habit, which toe
many married ladies have, Of thinking
that of course your husband loved and
admired you more than any other wo
man, that he always would, and that YOU
could sit all day in your wrapper, and
that not over nice, sewing and reading
and meet him in the evening looking
just as when he left you in the morning
But you and they are sadly mistaken
1 have found that wives, and husbands
| too, need to make themselves attractive
continually if they wish to retain th.