Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-08

Mrs. Raynor's System.

Mrs. Raynor's System.
Mrs. Raynor' g neatness was proverb
in the neighborhood in which she lived ;
her brother called her painfully neat"
and sometimes thought, when driven
almost desperate by her "system," that
he would buy farm for himself, and
never again take any OF his brother. in
laws land on shares. But once when
he spoke about it while haying in the
field, Aaron seemed to feel 80 badly,
that he promised not to make the change
for some time, anyhow.
"Poor Aaron" thought Jack, when
he saw how troubled was his brother
in.law's face, "he is worried at the bare
idea that / might go off and leave him
to that rigorous system OF Emma's.
For his sake I'll wait awhile; and owe
him some consideration, for If it hadn't
been for me. be would never have met
Emma"
Aaron R,ynor was q very quiet man,
and never had much to say on any sub
ject; it was seldom, indeed, that he
gave vent to his views on anything save
the farm work, but he thought great
deal, and if Emma had only been able
to read his thoughts, che would have
been saddened, perhaps, by their de-
spending and regretful tendency. He
was, however, q faithful, kind hus
band, who did all in bis power to light
en- his wife's burdens, and had he not
lived ia an atmosphere of faultfnding,
would have been both genial and affec-
tionate.
The unhappiness and regret which
pervaded the atmosphere of the Raynor
home had its rise in the system, that
terrible system which was the one law
which governed Emma's life. She ate.
drank. and slept by it, and never guessed
that che made the lives Of her husband
and brother unhappy by her strict ad-
herence to it.
Every Monday morning the washing
was done, rain or shine, and frequently
On rainy day. Jack spd Aasoa coming
into the big kitchen wet and tired, and
longing for seats by the fire, found the
stove surrounded by chairs, all filled
with damp clothes, from which steam
rose slowly, while across the room were
stretched ropes on which hung the
"small pieces" It wasn't very cheer
full, certainly; but Aaron never com-
planned, for it wasn't bis way to COM
plain about anything, and Emma never
took any notice when Jack found fault
On Tuesday the ironing was done,
and we'll done, too. Every towel, no
matter how old and worn, was faithfully
smoothed, and folded evenly; the shirts
were ironed on both sides, and the
neighbors often remarked that the linen
worn by Jack and Aaron would have
done credit to Chinese laundry.
On Wednesday the baking and churn-
ing were done; on Thursday the house
was thoroughly swept and cleaned from
garnet to cellar; on Friday the mend
ing and little Jobs were scrupulously
attended to, and Saturday was devoted
to baking and cleaning generally. De-
Ecious bread, cakes and pies came forth
from the capacious oven to be stored
away on the pantry shelves, and the
kitchen and hall floors were made mar.
velously white and clean by the vigor-
Gus use of soap and sand.
No matter what happened, the system
went on as usual-nothing was allowed
to interrupt that.
Aaron never thought of such q thing
as coming into the house without first
removing his boots in the little entry
by the kitchen door, and putting on his
slippers, which were always in readi.
ness in neat bag; and he submitted
to his wife's rule OF retiring precisely
at nine p. NJ, without word of rebel
lion.
II Jack, in his careless indifference,
sometimes crossed the white kitchen
floor in his muddy boots, his sister,
much to his annoyance, followed close
behind him with cloth in her hand,
and carefully wiped up his tracks, with
an expression on her face which spoke
volumes, and distressed him more than
q good round scolding would have
done.
Emma was unaware that her system
was rapidly destroying her good looks.
She had been pretty, pleasant girl in
the days when Aaron had courted her;
little prim and precise, perhaps, but
not given to lectures on neatness and
order. She lived with two maiden
sunts, who had taken pains with her
bringing up, and thoroughly imbusd
her with their system of housekeeping.
Mrs. Raynor would not have SER
want, for servants were so slack and
disorderly," and she preferred to see
after her household affairs herself, un-
conscious that her voice was from much
fault-fnding becoming fretlui, queru-
lous whine; that lines were Narripg the
beauty of her white forehead, and
crows feet gathering around her ewes:
that her elasticity and energy were less
with every day, and that she was deteri-
Grating both physically and iutelleeiu-
ally.
"If I ever marry" said Jack, one
evening, suddenly dropping on the
floor the newspaper he had been READ
Ing by the center table, " l shall INSIST
~ On my MifA's knnnino u etn,l. III 10