The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-02-08
THE WIFE'S AMBITION.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

closed his account book, and looked
somewhat ruefully at the solitary one
dollar bill, which was all that remained
of his mothers salary after the house
keeping bills were settled, and the rem
paid, and the outstanding accounts o.
the dry goods store balanced up satis
factorily.
Mabel May was kneeling, on the
hearth rug toasting piece OF bread loi
her husbands supper. she turpeo
around with cheeks flushed by the lire
light, and rosy lips apart.
ooh, Gerald, said she, l do Try sc
hard to be economical. g.,
'Of course you do, little chick, said
May, leaning over to catch one particu'
! lar curl of reddish brown hair that was
dropping in spirals OF gold over the
! fair forehead, and giving it an ahec'
tionate little twitch. Don't l know
that without you telling me| ,
But wish could help you, cried
out Mabel. ooh, I wish if l knew OF
any way to earn money myself.
Gerald May looked at her with an
amused smile.
NV dear said he, 'one would as
soon expect an diversified doll to earn
money. -.
Other women do, said Mabel, criti-
cally surveying the slice OF bread to
make sure that it was artistically brown
ed on both sides.
But You are such child !
Il am two and twenty, said Mabel
solemnly.
Nonsense + said Gerald. What
could you do to earn money ?
Mabel colored at the deprecatory
tone of the words.
Gerald she said, L do wish you
would treat me more like woman and
less like child. Don't you suppose l
have as much talent as the rest of my
sex 2
Gerald laughed good humoredly.
Pour out the tea, cara, said he, before
you go rhapsodizing OF course, |
know that you're dear little puss, and
can make an omelette or a shirt with
any woman in christendom. But you
can't write a stirring book like George
Elliott, nor paint a grand picture like
Rosa Bonheur 7
OF course, I don't aspire to any such
greatness as that said Mabel, impa'
tiently, but can sing.
You've got nice little voice enough,
said her husband, patronizingly, for
the parlor, but as to making money out
of it I hardly think you'll find it so
easy
you don't think I can do anything,
said Mabel, half Indignantly, only just
because | am woman
Some women drive fate single-hand-
ed said Gerald May, slipping his tea
with provoking nonchalance, but you
are not one of the sort, my dear 7
But long after Gerald had lighted his
student lamp and commenced his even
ing avocation of copying law papers,
by which pursuit he added a slender
sum to the income which would other
wise have been quite insufficient for
even the slender wants of the young
married pair, Mabel sat with folded
hands gazing into the red Goals, as if
he could read there some clue to The |
problem of her life.
only one dollar left of our month s |
money after one months bills are all |
settled, said Mrs Mabel to herself,
,crewing up her little rosebud mouth.
oh, dear! that isn't the way to get
rich. We must make little more
money somehow. 1 can't write love
stories and poetry, and don't sew for
starvation prices; and l don't see my
way clear to being a shop girl or n
cashier, even if anybody would en-
ploy me, because there's dear old Ger
lid to be looked after and kept com
But I do think that I could
sing, if I only obtained chance. Mr.,
Martell, at the boarding school, used to
,ay had a good soprano. I'll ask Mrs.
Lacy, up stairs, to let me practice a lit
lie on her piano, and then I'll try my
ortune. Gerald would say it was all
nonsense; but I don't mean to ask !
4erald's advise.
And three or four weeks afterwards,
When Mrs. May presented herself.
rembling and fluttering. before Signor
severe, that musical autocrat viewed |
er, with favorable eyes, through an
immense pair of tortoise shell eye
lasses.
You advertised for soprano, sir,
lid Mabel, turning carmine and white
y turns.
Certainly, madame, did," said the
,ignor; for the choir of st. Eudocia,
q Magnolia Square
will you please try me p
wiz re greatest of pleasure, ma
anne, briskly opening the huge grand
iano which stood like family coffin
Il the middle of the room. And what
7ill you sing 2
Whatever you please, sir.
Signor Severe rustled a piece of
lusic out of drift some three feet
Ugh on the floor.
'Bien ! We will try zis, said he.
He struck the chords, and rising up
n the wings of the sublime melody
labels voice scared like bird.
Signor Severe nodded when the aria
'as over, and rubbed his hands gleeful-
7.
Madame, said he, it is as strong-it
sweet. You have one idea of time
nd tune-you know how to manage re
oice'
And you will give me q trial p
Mabel's heart was beating so rapidly
nat she conld hardly speak. The Sig
or nodded.
And if re musical committee accept
ou--mind, madame, do not say zey
i'll, for of all committees musical COM
littees are re most capricious-we will
i've you re salary of 5000 re year. [
Iaze re organ; l leads re choir, when
will be lead at all, with shrug of
is shoulder; and l shall most cordial =
recommend
Six hundred dollars Mabel Nav
ipped home as if her light feet were
ying over rose-clouds instead of mud
7 March pavements. Why, that was
much as Messrs. Stint & Scrape paid
erald for his drudgery work behind
e book-keeper's desk. Six hundred
)llarsl 1t would double their income
once and enable them to lay some
ing by for a rainy day that comes to
cry one sooner or later. Oh ! could
be possible that such good luch was
store for her
1t was late on Sunday night, when
srald MAY sat warning before his 81 IL Of