The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-12
A HOUSE-HUNTING EXPERIENCE.


Mrs. JOSHUA MACLANE was q very
busy woman. 'tWattS's honey-bee
isn't a circumstance to her," Joshua
Maclane would say, with smile. 1t
was not smile of derision, but very
satisfied, for he was busy man, and
this element of activity in his partner
was a source of intense satisfaction.
"Just suppose a drone had fallen to my
share in the lottery of marriage!" he
would say, with a shrug of his Shout
ders. 81 would have pulled her arms
off, figuratively, trying to urge her for
ward, and she might have pulled my
ears off, literally, trying to hold me
back. That's the way incompatibilities
come. Now Bess and pull together
pretty well. Sometimes, it's true, she
gets little beyond me, but a little
Tightening of the rein and a gentle
whoa brings her alongside without
any more trouble"
AS result of Mrs. Maclane's activity
she had great deal to do, for society
learned long ago that, as rule, if it
wants any thing done, it is safest to 90
to busy person to get it done. Drones
never learn executive ability. As a
natural sequence, Mrs. Maclane was
President OF associations, Secretary of
societies, Chairman of committees, on
whom most of the work fell, and
a power in society as well as her own
home.
To such busy people there come days
when executive ability is taxed to the
utmost. The varied duties do not
spread themselves neatly over given
space, but come, like "troubles, in
battalions.n
One of these days, and one of these
hours in the day, had come to Mrs.
Joshua Maclane. She was sewing,
watching her children and entertaining
a neighbor, when the tide set in. A
note came, begging her, as president of
a relief association, to examine the Gre
dentials of a suffering applicant imme-
diately. Another came, begging her to
visit family in extreme restitution at
once. A servant entered, saying that
the seamstress could not proceed further
without orders; and directly behind the
servant came Harry Maclane, with a
note from his teacher stating that he
was sent home because he complained
of sore throat, and was feverish. With
mothers instinct, the minor duties
waited while Mrs. Maclane examined
the child's throat. She was thus en-
gagged when her husbands brother en-
tered with a telegram.
cit is from Joshua" he explained.
"He says there is q house for sale up
town that he wants you to look at i'm
mediately. drop every thing he tel
egraphs, and look after it,
Mrs. Joshua Maclane knitted her
brow, and the neighbor smiled, but she
said, kindly, {" If there is any way can
assist you, hope you will allow me. y
"Instead of dropping every thing, /
don't see how any thing can be drop
ped" said Mrs. Maclane, meditatively.
She took medicine case, and as she
prepared some medicine for her sick
child, said to the waiting servant, "Tell
the seamstress to sew on the sheets in
the closet until am at liberty. l keep
such plain work for emergencies, she
explained to her neighbor. "Now ]
must put Harry in a room by himself
until know whether his illness is con.
tagious, and can not leave him.
will attend to the case down stairs as
soon as Harry is comfortable.
"Can visit the poor familyp' vol
unteered her neighbor.
81 shall be very grateful" replied
Mrs. Maclane. Then she turned to hel
brother-in-law.
"Hal, l can't look after the house. L
would be a great favor if you could de
it."
"But-" began the brother-in-law.
Mrs. Maclane interrupted him. "Yol
know our needs, and tastes, too, almos
as well as we do ourselves. You know
we want house similar to this, bu
larger. Observe the paper, the paint
and the walls. Be sure to find out i
there are plenty of closets, and, abov,
all things, notice if there are any Sign
of sewer gas
"The lack of wisdom in sending ,
boy to do mans work has passed int
a proverb," answered Henry Maclane
81 fear you will find it equally unwise t.
send man to do woman's work. Yol
remember Miles Standish's advice t,
John Alden-'If you want any thin,
well done, do it yourself, JohnP''
GA little practice in house-huntin,
may be of service to you in the future,
suggested the neighbor, pleasantly.
"Bachelor halls are very drear,
places, in my way of thinking" replied
Henry Maclane, gravely. ga hom
that is home needs wife,"
"Precisely," said the neighbor
"Wife and home were in my thought
when l suggested the acquisition o
knowledge for future use.'
Henry Maclane shrugged his should
ers, and gave his head negative shake
"You wouldn't advise a man who ha'
civil engineering before him to learn t.
be a jeweler, suppose"
"No; but would advise man VIII
had civil engineering or any thing els
before him not to cast away jewel
he should stumble across one. Dia