The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-09-17
A STORY FOR HUSBANDS.


Never was young wife happier and
more disposed to be pleased with her
new home than the little woman whom
Philip Birney, one bright. sunny morn
ing, introduced as mistress of the plain
brown house that stood at the entrance
of the village of Redfeld
ut is capable of being made a lovely
little place." she observed to her hus-
band. after quick survey of the yard,
fence and exterior generally. "a
honeysuckle trained over that window,
and acoat of paint on the portico would
help it wonderfully. U! Phil, shall
take such pleasure in making our home
attractive and pretty! have an old
white dimity dress that belonged to
mother-made before they gored the
skirts, you know-and mean to make
curtains out of it for the upstairs cham
bersr'
81 Don't be tearing up your clothes,
Kate, to furnish the house.. I'm afraid
there wouldn't be much economy in
that" was Phillips laughing reply as
he led the way into the house.
Kate fitted from one room to anoth-
er, chatting gaily of her plans as she
found something desirable and conyen-
lent in each apartments cosy corner
here to sew in, well-placed shelf there,
that cupboard for her dishes and this
one for the table linen-to all of which
her husband listened with pleased
smile.
"Yes, shall SO much enjoy keeping
it tidy and orderly" she said again and
again, as the tour of the rooms was fin
ishcd. And the next day the pretty
bride began housekeeping in earnest.
The furniture was cheap and plain, but
it was marvellous how CHEEKY the rooms
looked after Kate, with q few graceful
touches, had disposed of numerous
small ornamental articles taken from
her trunk, which her nimble fingers had
fashioned before leaving the home roof.
1t was wonderful, too, how much that
trunk contained. Almost every day
Philip was called on to admire some
new thing brought up from its depths
to add brightness and beauty to the lit.
tie house, until it became quite mat
ter of course to inquire, whenever
new tin pan or other Kitchen utensil
was added to their stock, if it, too, came
out of the trunk.
As time sped by, our young house,
keeper found full occupation for hands
and heart, and although her increasing
household duties, and the charge of the
little one that was born to them, left
their traces ON her pale face and bowed
shoulders, she lost none of the enthusi-
asm and genuine delight in keeping the
house neat and pretty, which had char
acterized the beginning of her wifely
career. The lawn was dotted with
shrubbery, planted and cared for by her
own hands. The well-kept strawberry
patch, the thrifty grapevines and choice
young fruits were also the result of her
industry, unaided save by the occasion
al help of the little ones, who were far.
oftener q hinderance than an assistance.
And all this had been accomplished at a
disadvantage, for Mr.. Birney was a
man who cared very little for these
things, or at least did not value them at
their real worth. He relished the fine
cherries and berries that added so much
to their bill of fare during the season Of
fruits, quite as much as any one, but he
bad only vague idea of the labor and
care they cost his wife. He enjoyed
coming home in the evening to his clean,
orderly domicilc, where he knew al
ways that a palatable meal awaited him;
he realized dimly that the dooryard,
with its borders Of sweet alyssum and
bright phlox, was one of the prettiest
sights in the village, but he accepted it
all as a matter of course.
His 1Vifo Vyop modal xuor,ov, ~ l..
eyes, and when he sometimes noticed,
as the truth does force itself on everv
mind, that she looked care-worn and
too old for her years, it never occurred
to him that a little thoughtfulness on
his part would save her many weary
steps. He had not learned that lesson
so many husbands need to learn, that
by exercising little care wife s labors
may be materially lightened.
Philip Birney would have resented
the imputation fiercely had any one said
he was cruel to poor Kate, aud yet the
habit of carrying in a rim of mud on
his boot, to be ground into the sitting
room carpet, for his weak-backed wife
to sweep out again, deserved no milder
term.
uot-rack was part OF the nail Iur-
niture, but SO far as Mr.. Birney twas con-
cerned it might as well have been in
Jamaica. A coat thrown over the back
of chair. or hat tossed ON the floor
was the invariable rule with the head
of the house, and the fact that the order
ly Kate would Immediately leave her
work to put them in their proper places
did not cause Mr. Birney to mend his
ways.
30, Philip, how could you" she said
one day ON returning from visit, and
finding her husband had been making
his toilet in the parlor. leaving. as a
delicate souvenir of his presence his
soiled linen and pair of socks in the
middle of the hoor. Did this room
look this way when Mrs. Jamison was