The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-20
THE CHANGED HOME.

"I wonder why it is" said Charlie
Banks to his beautiful young wife, as
they sat happily together at their tea
table, so tastefully laid, one winter even
ing, " that Willis Clark spends his even
ings so constantly at the club-rooms.
Jennie must feel dreadfully about it!
And how happy he did seem with her
only a few months ago! Why, it isn't
more than two years since they were
married, is it,"
cit is just two years this month";" said
Mrs. Banks, land do not know as l
ever knew a happier couple. l 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 her hus-
band back again. When she was here
the other day she told me Mr.. Clark had
spent but few evenings at home for six
weeks, and she might as well make up
her mind to have the best time she could
without him, for he evidently did not in
tend TO do anything to make her happy"
Friends dropping in changed the con-
versation, and it was not thought of
again until Mrs. Clark ran in the next
morning to make a 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 her
clean chintz dress:
How can you keep so nice in the
morning, when you are making cake,
and busting, and doing all the same lit
tie things all over the house that | do?
You make me really ashamed of myself
in this dark wooden wrapper, covered
with spots and stains; but it's so dark l
always say you can't find the spots, I'M
less you look for them, and L couldn't
keep clean ten minutes with such a light
dress as yours"
81 think you could, easily, if you
were once accustomed to them" said
Mrs. Banks. 81 have to make them
plain, so they will do up easily, and
short enough so that | can run about
quickly, as l tidy the house or make
cake or desserts in the kitchen"
"And your hair, too, looks as nice as
though you had just arranged it for teal
don't see how you can spend the time
in the morning to put it up so nicely! l
just whisk mine up anyway, and know
l look like witch, but l can't help it,
and some days it's more than do to get
dressed and fixed up for supper But it's
true, as Willis says, you GIaoayS look
nice. The other night, when he came in,
he said to me: You're the dewdiest-
looking woman I've seen to-day, Jennier
and it was all could do to keep from
crying, but was so provoked | said some
thing ugly to him, and told him if he
treated his wife as handsomely as Mr..
Banks treated you, perhaps she'd have
some ambition to get fixed up. 1t don't
seem much like the dear old bridal times,
when he came home at night with a
CHEEKY greeting, and loving words, and
thought was the sweetest and best lit.
tie wife in all the worldl But Mrs.
my young lady friends, you know, and
was married about the time / was, says
her husband is just so changed; 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"
81 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 used to think" said
Mrs Clark, but it seems now as if l
should soon be as indifferent as Mrs Bains,
for don't see any help for it,"
81 do" said Mrs. Banks, and if you
will not he offended | will tell Won how
believe you can remedy it easily, for
will tell you only what | have learn l
from experience"
Indeed, will not be offended" said
Mrs. Clark, land will gladly do any.
thing possible to bring back those happy
times"
"Now," said Mrs. Banks, "to.morroW
morning you dress yourself in one OF
those pretty chintZ wrappers you wore al
the eashore last summer; arrange YOU
hair as neatly as for evening, put on &
little dainty ribbon on your neck and &
clean linen collar, and then after break
fast ask Mr. Clark if he can come home
little earlier than usual (talking al
though he had been coming every night
that you are going to have something ex
ira nice for supper; and I'm pretty SURF
he will come. Then at tea time have
the table set as prethly as if you expected
company. do not mean to have you
best china out, but have your silver anC
glass bright and clear, the cloth clear
and everything put on in nice order, no
forgetting fresh bouquet from the gar
den for the center Of the table. Their