The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-01
MRS. WONDERS DREAM ON NEW
YEARS EVE.

MRS. WONDERS DREAM ON NEW
YEARS EVE.
Il wish there wasn't man OK 4 child
on the face of the earth--there now'
Johnny got sharp box on the ear and
Mite was set down on chair with q
iounce that almost shook the little house
to its foundations; then having silenced
the children, Mrs. Wonder proceeded to
Get supper for the ''mar." They were
the torment Of her life--these children
ana that ''man" The first thing in the
morning and the last at night she was
hurrying and working and contriving
lust for them. No peace or comEor or
rest did she know-nor they either for
that matter. 1t was New Years Eve, and,
as is natural with rs all, she had been
revie wing her life for the past twelve
months-just as she had done each New
Years Eve for the last five years, and,
lust as great many of us have been at
ter such retrospect, she was good deal
discouraged; encouragement seldom has
the effect to make US good-humored, and
we always attempt to believe that the
blame lies with somebody but ourselves,
and we often feel that if we could lift the
whole world up and set it down with
jounce, that it would do us an amazing
amount Of good. Just as Mrs. Wonder
felt when she gave utterance to the point
ed remark at the beginning Of the chapter
and her feelings were depicted Oh her
countenance as Mr.. Wonder opened the
door and with an inquiring look step
ped into the room, as she placed the last
smoking dish upon the tea-table.
There, l wish you'd eat your supper
and get to bed out Of my way--''
was the gentle Invitation for the children
to partake Of the evening meal, and they
followed instructions hurriedly and silent
" as they could. Mr.. Wonder. who had
long ago become used to the little diver
sions, GOT himself off down 1uwn as soon
as practicable, and the unhappy, discour-
aged, overworked, impatient and tretful
wife ard mother was left alone for the
balance of the evening
1t was two hours before she was able
to feel til At her work was done for the
night. and that she might sit down in q
char 10 resi-: for though men declare and
maintain that women, as housewives,
don't have "anythlng much to do, they
are mistaken, and nevertheless, and won.
en- will dispute this point with them
till the crack of doom, and probably al
that important period neither will have
arrived any nearer the same conclusion
than they are now. Mr.. Wonder, as h
meandered down town at that Identical
hour, was wondering what Hannah coulC
find to do that made her SO cross ane
tired all the time. Why couldn't he
work be done at six o'clock. as was his
And why ceuld't she sit down and read
evenings, as he did! A1d Mrs. Wonde
might have told him, as she had told hin
& hundred times before, that there wa
some buttons off Johnnys coat that mus
be PIT Oh when be wasn't wearing it, ant
{. rent in Mites apron that must b
sewed up before the child wanted 1t il
the morning. and stocking to darn ant
gloves TO mend, and thousand littl
things Just right for women to do o
e>tings,'' as Grandma Parson used to say
Mr.. Wonder however, was very goo
sort OF man. and tried to make the bes
OF things, and nobody will maint Ain ths
ne was to blame if Nature hadn't give
BIN the sense and reason to fully under
STAND the circumstances Of this case, III
SO as be sat in the club room. where h
had been Indirectly sent by Mrs. Wonde
the latter sat by the fire at home, alon
and soon fell into heavy slumber, an
as she slept she dreamed:
In her dream Mrs. Wonder seemed 1
have been transported to a strange coul
try, and her strange arrival and appea
ance was matter Of as much curiosi.
otoY bnu IL, he
The most she could make Of them W,
that they were human beings, but tt
manner in which they were clad left
an open question as to which sex the
belonged; her first impression was tn
they had arisen in haste that day ar
each thrown an inverted coffee-sack ov
the head after first cutting hole for II
eyes and mouth.
She seemed to have spen: q wee
among this mysterious community, goir
whittier size pleased and helping herse
to whatever she could find to eat 81
at last discovered that her companies
understood her position far better tn;
she understood it herself, and that thu
laughed among themselves as tn
watched her inauiring countenance, al
vouchsafcd no commentaries upon t
situation until she, unable to endure t
suspense and strangeness of the surroun
ings, at last broke forth with eager out
tionings, after she had discovered, to b
horror, the true state of the socie
into which she had been mysterious
thrown. .....
Where are your husbands9" she
4uired one day, finding herself surroun
ed by about dozen of the strange col
munity, which, she had become Statistic
consisted Of women only.
They Immediately broke forth into
most unmistakable expressions Of SEQ
and ridicule, and at last, amid the uprc
she managed to catch one intelligit
answer: .....