The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-09-04
Of your cousinship that is to be, I want
you to run in without ceremony.n

" yvAA SO"oAAoAAp tudC ii 10 DC, i want
you to run in without ceremony"
Mark came back in half an hour with
q radiant face. Removing his hat, he
made Aunt Mary q low bow, saying, / am
very much obliged to you; wouldn't
surrender the opportunity that may be
graciously given mo of helping make .
home with Jane here for any earthly con-
sideration."
"Indeed," cried Aunt Mary, in SEEM
ing surprise, "perhaps you will be good
enough to tell us what has changed your
mind so suddenly"
"Well, you see," said Mark, 81 ran up
stairs and opened the door at the top, as
you told me, and such charming pic
ture that saw. A living-room, neither
parlor, dinipg-room nor kitchen, but q
happy combination OF the three, made
attractive and homelike by perfect neat
ness, order and good taste. Such cor
dial welcome that I had, to be sure.
was heartily ashamed when it came over
me how we'll used to know both Hor-
ace and his charming wife, and tina
had not called on them before. 49.t
II gave Julia your note, and she read
it with a little laugh, and insisted that I
should take off my overcoat and take tea
with them. The cosey round table, with
its snow-white cloth and pretty tea-ser-
vice, looked so inviting could not resist
the temptation. Horace does not get
out of the store till seven; he sees to the
closing up, so we have our tea at half
past seven,' Mrs. Alden said. Julia's
dress was plain, but tasty and neat, set
off by dainty white apron, and her sim
pie toilet was completed by geranium
leaf and verbena blossom in her shining
hair. Horace, in handsome dressing
gown and embroidered slippers, looked
every inch gentleman, as he is. F
'The situation made us confidential, and
I asked Mrs. Alden how she had man
aged to settle down into being such a
wonderful little housekeeper, and she
said, i used to be somewhat inclined to
be careless in my habits, and 1 suppose
my friends had some misgivings as to my
ability to keep house. Among my we'd
ding presents was one from great-aunt
OF mine who was wonderfully skilful
with her needle. It was the teapot-mat,'
and she held it up for nv inspection. 1t
was scalloped circle Of scarlet broad
cloth, with slipper run down at the heel
embroidered in it in black worsted, with
the words. tNeuer get szip-shod.'
This has been constant reminder
to me- Julia went on. Were I tempted
to neglect any trihing duty for the t
time, my eye would fall upon or recall
the words of Aunt Mites motto, and I
would not only do what had thought of
neglecting, but would do it little better,
if possible. Horace, 100, has kept me
from falling into slipshod ways by his
own habits Of neatness. He always
touches up his toilet for my sake before
every meal, as punctiliously as if we had
company.
"'Of course, when he is so thoughtful
of me, cannot be less regardful Of him.
All these little things take few of the
precious moments of our feeting lives,
but we consider their observances our
bounden and interchangeable duty.
Since housekeeping is the principal bust
ness have in hand, I want to do nv best
in that vocation; to be conscientious and
painstaking in that as would in teach
ing music or any other plishment.
| enjoy my work; it comes easy to me.
I take both pleasure and pride in it, and
I think the secret of my success in this
humble sphere Of mine has been my
keeping every thing up from the very
first, and never allowing myself in the
smallest particular to fall into sli pshod
| ways"
Mark and Jane, now settled in their
beautiful, we'll ordered Christian home
on the banks of the Connecticut, only the
other evening spoke of the two lessons
that December evening brought them
and the lasting impressions they wrought
chronological Journal. o..