Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-16

SerVlent, 50 dld Aunt Prue grow more eA-
actlngg-not willingly, poor old lady, for,
to use her own term, she was person
"of lowly taste, thankful for tritles,'
but then it was her maxim that people
should do their best to please those they
loved; and her standard of best happen
/ ed to be very high one. So Jack soon
got irrltated at observing that his wlfe's
stalled oxen were not seasoned by Aunt
Prue with c0ntentment, but with perpet-
ual grumbles. Moreover, in her quiet way,
the I'D lady gradually unsurped COM
pletc EDITORIAL authority over the house
hold.
Helen was SO afraid Of giving offence
that whatever Aunt Prue said was pro-
mulgated as an edict against which
there could be no appeal. Aunt
Prue took a sudden Objection against to-
bacco; so Jack, after first being forbidden
to smoke IN the house, was told that he
must not puff his cigars in the open air
because the smell OF them fingered in his
hair and clothes. Angered by this tyran-
ny, Jack one day appeared at dinner
with red face. which the vigllant aunt
chose to ascribe to rotations, so that
Helen was warned that if she did not
wish to lose her husband by stroke of
apoplexy she must absolutely forbid MIN
to touch wine, spirits or beer. Now
Jack liked his glass, without being a to-
per, but he was so plaintively nagged at
every time he drank stronger liquor than
water, that for peace's sake he became a
practical tcetotaller. Enforced absti-
hence, however, did not improve his
temper, and finding that his home had
become purgatory, where it was sought
to refine his moral nature at the expense
of his creature comforts, he turned mo-
rose and had frequent private tlffs with
his wife.
II suppose Aunt Prue will he cutting
Oft my tea and coffee next" he grum-
blcd one morning, after he had been soft
~ rebuked for putting two Jumps Of su-
gar into his breakfast cup. ''Iwish to
goodness the old woman would draw up
a diet table for me once and for ali,
that might be like other prisoners and
know what's allowed me-
How can you be so greedy, JACKIE"
answered his wife in irritation. ':I'm
ashamed to hear you talk like that. If
Aunt Prue gives advice for your good
you ought to be grateful to follow it."
Il like that. Suppose she told you for
your souls good to leave off silk dresses?"
"She has advised me to do SO; and, as
you abserve, I am wearing a stuff gown.
I will NO more indulge in frivolities of
DRESS
Nor wear jewclry, presume?'
Il will not if aunty objects to it,;
And you'd be ready to live on roots
neSt?''
II am sure auntie would not prescribe
me -oot diet unless she were persuaded
that it would be for my benefit" This
was Helcn's dignified rel oinder.
"Ah, welllthen," calculated, Merrydcw,
with his hands in his pockets, IF We are
TO give up all the iuxuries in life and
content ourselves with neccssaries, we
shall find our present income ample and
we need not banker after Aunt Prue's
fortune.''
Il am not hankering after it. How
dare you say such thing?" exclaimed
Helen, flushing. eff poor dear auntie
were ruined l should not abate my atten-
tons to her one jot, but only cherish her
the more tor her misfortune. 1t is out of
dutifulness that Iendeavor to please her."
In making this fine profession Helen
tibbed. The poor woman was, in truth,
so absorbed by the prospect of her IN
hcrltance that her whole moral nature
had become warped. And she had lost
some OF her personal attractions beside,
for her brow was contracted into the
trOwn Of those who are engrossed by an
idee tIre, and her voice had grown, turn
by turn, shrill and hypocritical-hypo-
critical when she was in auntie's presence,
shrill when she talked to her husband,
Nor was this all, for in constantly stalk
rng her hopes upon a fortune, which
was still out of reach, like the bird in the
bush, Helen had parted with good deal
of the caution in money matters which
characterizes good wives and mothers.
A curmudgeen as regards her own and
her husbands personal expenditure, she
grew to be prcdigal concerning the gen
eral outlay for her household. No dishes
were too good for Aunt Prue's table, no
furniture too costly for her apartments.
Helen actually caused pavilion to be
built in the garden, that Auntic might
have a summer 6oud0ir remote from the
noises of the road. Her next step was to
decide that ordinary schools were not
good enough for her two boys, aged nine
and ten, who we're fated to be rich with
Aunt Prue's wealth; SO she must needs
send the pair OF them to Elton at a cost
of e4On a year. Now, as Jack Merry
70 Id ,rt
annum, it came to pass that one summer
he had to come to London and sell out a
little invested capital in order to square
his years budget.
Unlucky trip! Jack drew 81 900 from
the hands of his stockbrokcr, and when
he held this sum, he was suddenly temp
ted by the devil to do strange thing.
The life he had been leading at q Lon
don hotel, offered such contrast to the
miserable existence he had been eking
out at home, that the prospect of return
ing to put his neck under Aunt Prues
yoke, seemed intolerable; SO that Jack
resolved to accept the invitation of an
old club chum and go yachting for three
! months, in the Mediterranean. This re-
solution he took on the spur of the mo-
ment after a capital little dinner among
cronies, and he wrote about it to his wife
in these terms:
My DEAR HELEN.-I send you $4,000
the other $500 I keep, for I am going to
enjoy myself. I want rest and relaxa-
ton. The sort Of life which Aunt Prue
has made me lead would kill me it pro-
longed. My love to the boys. My next
letter will be from AlcxandriA and ]
shall return to, let me hope a more
cheerful home by Christmas probably
Your affectionatc JACK.
Poor Jack he had not ca]enlated the