The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-10-13
MY WIFE'S NEW FRIEND.

/ :
appearance of hl"om!u. rternally, bu
which s1n withcr ia the world : cnl'
blasts. used to think this characteristic
vas confined To school girls, Nho s~eA
immorta fidelity ia letters crossed and re-
crossed out forget each other Ss soon a.
they have caught a lover
My Wlie's last acquisition Ia the Nay 81
a bosom friend Is Mrs. Mortimer MoN
bray, with whom she became a,,fusInte,
last summer, while We Wrre boarding out
Of town Mrs. Mortimer MuNbray hAc
her carriage with her, aud created quite
sensation IN fact, every lady In thr hous'
was eager o. become her c'uhtaute bal
the amIanle department of Mrs. Jones
combined, ! doubt not. With her Intellec
tual Accomplishments, rendered her the
favOrite, and she II was hp duiy occupied
the spare seat ia the coach, aud htd The
honor of advising Mrs. Mortimer Now bray
Ia those thousand grave perpieNitles under
which women suffer.
we returned To the city after the Nov
brays, but my wife, though usually very
trm on questions ut etiquette, waived her
privileges uu this DcuasIuu. and made the
hrst call. She was graciously received. and
came home ln high spirits. All that even
ing she could do nothing bat talk ~ Mrs.
Mortimer MN such an elegant
establishment. she said. e A footman,
with manners like a prince, waited at the
door. The drawing room was the perfec-
tion of luxury and taste Mrs Nov bray
bad ou such a sweet cap, and altogether
looked SO lady Her manners were,
indeed, most arIstocratic, just what those
Of a Countess are supposed "a be
In few day, Mrs. Mortimer Mowbray
returned my wl-cs call. coming III shin
ing new carria-a, and with new span Of
horses Tier uImpage created quite a
sensation IN our street.
Mrs jones. s.nn after this. l., gan to act
as II bruodIng .yer some vast design,
which not beng mstur,d. she deemed 1t
I wisest 20 he silent respecting At last the
mighty secret Mas reached
W Aas thiukiL- Jones. she said. one
night Just as W-s composing myself to
| sleep on MY pIllaa. THAT we ought t.
\ glve a party. NJ regular tall, indeed
] but a select enteitunu eut, NhyIe a few
| congenial 4uinds ulg e brought ,gether
| | should Ike tu introduce my de ,r Mrs
| MoWbray to some l the choicest of our
! set
Now, detest parties. small or large /:
| but as the deicacy .f iny Wifrs nerves
does not ALLOW ~ h,r beng thNaIted, |
made NJ objection tu The proposal, though
| sighed to myself
OF course, my DIR, sand. You
| know best
e Wen ask about thirty, continued my
wife, warming with the sutj-ct. There's
Mrs. Wharton, and Mrs. Horace Shinn,
and Mrs Pnce, and the Misses TreiSwney, ="
and thus the dear creature ran 81. until
she had mentioned about forty names. and
| saw that her " select Tarty Of coDgeniaI
souls was going TO be, alter all a crowded
rout.
~ You have forgotten the two Misses
Howell, ! said at last when my wife
stopped for want Ui lreALh
fhe tWs Misses- HeVsH were aHiahia.
intelligent and pretty glrS, IN whom took
particular interest. because their father
had once been an extensive shipping mer-
chant, hut having bt come reduced and
died bankrupt, the sisters were Obliged 70
earn a livelihood by standing IN a store.
They had numerous rich relations on
whom they might have bull ted themselves,
but, with a spirit If proper independence,
they preferred "a work for their malnte-
nance instead uf eating tn bread of char
ity had long noUrlshrd a romansIc idea
Of seeing them married ell, and had con
sequently made It point alAays to invite
them 70 our parties To pralse them highly
to the young gentiemeu there. and, III
every other indirect Ldy, "a assist IN re-
allzlng my pet schemt
My wife. heretufur, had seconded me
in my benevolent pan but on the present
occasion she hcsitateG 70 reply, and
knew At once there was something the
matter.
Ahem ~ she said at last, clearing her
throat " Ahem The Misses Howell are
very nice girls, To he sure-that is, IN
their place-but as it is 10 be select par
ty. ana as have already mentioned rather
too many, and as Mrs. Nov bray may not
want to meet all sorts Of people, and as '-
Stop, my dear" said |, with a sigh,
for | saw that my favorites we're not to he
invited, "you have gwen good reasons
enough Ii is great pity, though" And
| sighed again-a sigh eloquent Of passive
resignation.
My wife heard my sighs, aud her tender
D
in embarrassment and perhaps even re-
volved the idea ot yielding to my wishes /;
but. in the end, she raised herself on her
elbow, aud SAID
:" Mr.. Jones', do listen to reason. You
don't know how foolish You make your
self about tn, Sc Howell girls. They We
been unfortunate, To- be sure, and they re
very passable, indeed but there's a pre-
iudice. you are aware, against glrls who
stand in stores and who knows but what
Mrs. Mowbray would take otfense at my
inviting such persons to meet her i
shouldn't like t. do It, indeed, without
first asking her and can't do that this
time She is very particular, and so ex-
/ cessiveiy high bred.
Then don't think she'd regard you the
less, my dear" 1 ventured to say, " for
being acquainted with two such excellent
girls as Patty and Lazy Howell" !"
"Mr. Jones, don't be a child, replied
my wife, flinging herself to the other side
of the bed "At your age you should know
something Of the world. Exclusive people,
like Mrs. Mowbray, don't care to meet
nobodles. She was very choice. as you
saw. whom she admitted to her acqaaint-
ance TINS summer; may say, lhueeo, that
| am the only one, of all she met, whom
she recognizes now"
To have protracted the conversation
would have excited my wife's nerves and
deprived her of sleep. so | said -uore,
but closed my eyes and cOurteG mber
anew. have no recollection of anything
after that till | woke up next morning, and
leaving Mrs. Jones abed, as usual, went
down to see that the fires we're al right
and to do the marketing while breakfast
was being prepared
The invitations to the | arty we're issued
that week, Mrs. Nov bray grsclously prom
isiDg to attend.
When the imI ortsnt evening arrived,
my wife was all nerves. At every ring OF
the bell, the color rose to her face with
expectation, but guest after guest entered
without Mrs. Mo~bray appearing. Hel