American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-07-23

! excuse my absence, knowing that chill
dren UtU be regarded before company"
~ have just been sounding your
praises, my dear" answered Mr.. Aims
worth, who did not provide his wife
with u chair. Can you bring a
cushion for my head, Lucy? These
twisted affairs are simply form oil
torture"
"Takc this Sc It instead. do not
mind the knobs ii | can talk with Anna"
and she lifted large rocker from the
parlor. without remonstrancc except q
faint
Aren't you tired, also? Well, il
you insist" and his staucsquc face,
bathed with moonlight, repaid the wife
who did not tire of its rather cold lines.
On her own countenancc another hand
had craven lines of care, of repression,
and a sort of panied WEAKNESS dimmcd
those lustrous eyes which had capti
waited her lover years ago. Lncy Eve
lyn's youth had vanished almos. from
the memory of Robert Ainsworth' 5
overtasked wife.
How I should love to see your hus-
band and children, Anna, though
tremble to compare my boys and girls
with those of women who have author
ity. Love is forced to do duty for the
sterner virtues in my disciplinc!'
MY wife will never petition for
leave to VOTE" laughed Mr.. Ainsworth.
She is so busy in her own sphere that
stars may rise and set without disturb
ing her equilibrium. Her influence is
as silent as-as dew" ended the speak
er. searching in vain for comparison
rarer.
And such bookworm as you used
To he n q h.,
habit of snatching at any bit of informa-
ton; at newspapers, magazines, books,
what not?''
Mrs. Ainsworth sighed.
"Robert was in the habit of reading
to me until Interruptions were endless,
and decided that it was my duty to
lay aside an indulgence that might con-
f1ict with duty. My husband is rather
delicate, SO the strain of family care
rests upon me as it would not were he
robust"
Mrs. Miller will not envy you your
companion if you allow such differences
to be drawn" interrupted the gentle
man, in mortified tone.
"Why. Robert! As if any one could
doubt your Willingness to share the
household burdens. There are a thou
sand and one tribes which mothers and
housekeepers accept as matter of
course. They belong to me, and your
business cares belong to you, and that
is all about it"
Mrs. Miller saw her friends hand
stretched across to the husband as If he
had been a petted child in need of
soothing, and he in turn kissed it gal
lantly and laid it back, sealed SO for
fresh tolls.
Long after Mr.. Ainsworth had retired
the two women sat talking of all that
had been or had failed to be in unison
with their early hopes. OF all, did 1
say? How different the most sincere
confidence" between girls at the
threshold of life and women whose
deepest experience must lie out of sight
and beyond speech. Mrs. Miller very
easily supplied an hiatus here and
there in Lucy Ainsworth's narrative of
herself, and she had no difficulty in de-
to . less noble character than Nature
intended. The devoted wife and
mother, with ample means at her
command, was simply the person to
whom each member of the family
appealed for help, and for whom no
one was properly regardful. As days
went be the quiet glance of Mrs. Miller
penetrated many of those half-veiled
secrets by which the animus OF fam
lily is shown. There were order and
beauty in the house, spite of those
needless children, rioting when and
where they please, for Mrs. Ainsworth
had efficient servants who loved her
and forgave much for her gentle sake.
Mr.. Ainsworth was q magnetic man,
cultured and languidly amiable when
not too much bored by demands on his
nervous strength. Maria and Julia
were drifting into young womanhood,
fair. coquettish, and as innocent of any
high purpose as daughters of we'll
meaning mother can be. The example
of her patient energy, her silent endur-
ance of all that taxes the powers of q
woman who knows not how to rest her
burdens on any other strength, had not
stimulated them to dream of such
service. Evidently there was grand
mistake at the very heart of things in
Lucy Ainsworth's system.
wanted" Mrs. Miller told herself at
last; '.and a long. painful course of diet
is needful to develop it.
said her friend, suddenly. one day, as
they sat alone. You think most busily
when your tongue is silent, and you
have looked US over by this time: give
me the result"
Mrs. Miller smiled, and held up the
feecy web of many-coiored woods, out
of which she was weaving a fairy's
head-gear.
$50 much is involved in thought,
less easy to unravel than my knitting.
Where should beginp"
darkest shade first. if you please.
My world looks chaotic to your vision;
confess
Lucy Ainsworth's eyes were full of
appeal, and her tone conveyed ankle
ty. Just then Julia rushed in from a
game of lawn tennis, flushed and out of
breath.
"Ob, 1 am so used up, and have
torn this founce. Where is Dolly? She
must mend it at once"
dolly is away, and you can sew up
the rip, can't youP 1t is only a rip, and
easy to repairp''
II? Why, mamma, do 1 ever darn
my clothes? Mrs. Miller is aware that
Maria and hate a work-basket."
"Well, my dear. find the needle and
thread and bring them to me-"
And Miss Julia looked on indiffer-
emily while the mother did her light
task with def fingers. forgetting to say
THANK you," as she hurried back to
her play.
you and were, Anna; but, really. with
so many people to wait upon them, the
girls of this day stand poor chance.
Still, Robert dislikes the idea of drudg-
cry for his children, and, il mind and
L